As a basic knowledge diy'er how difficult is it to replace the rear springs on 2008 focus ,as one of mine has some corrosion on ,do i need any special tools ,any tips gratefully received . Thanks

When they were new, easy.  Now they're old & rusty, can be a huge hassle. 

Often garages end up having to cut the lower arm bolts off as they rust into the arm.  If you accidentally snap one of the bolts on a driveway, it's no longer safe to drive the car to a garage.

Hi Des. You'll need a set of spring compressors. They're around 10-15 quid. Bargain. A decent set of spanners sockets and a breaker bar. A tin of penetrating fluid (WD40 or similar)

As Tom stated the bolts that are on the lower arm could be seized on or just tight to undo. Hence the penetrating fluid.

There are a good few videos on YouTube I recommend you watch. 

Personally I've had to ask a local garage to use their gas torch to heat the bolts to red hot and then use a breaker bar to loosen them. 

Sorry to make it sound daunting but it's basically an easy job.

Don't forget to get spring compressors before you start.

Thanks guys for your top advise as always, as you say tazzman it could be an easy job but as Tom metioned if one of the bolts snap that's a whole lot of pain !! I think I'll be taking it to the garage .

9 hours ago, Des65 said:

Thanks guys for your top advise as always, as you say tazzman it could be an easy job but as Tom metioned if one of the bolts snap that's a whole lot of pain !! I think I'll be taking it to the garage .

I’m not averse to taking my car apart (I’ve had the entire dashboard out in the past) but I’d definitely not attempt that job myself. Even with heat being applied, bolts will almost certainly snap, plus the captive bushes will be thoroughly spannered.

 

The garage should be expecting this to happen so should have all the relevant parts ordered in, just in case.

My usual garage / MOT station did one of mine by levering the spring out of place without undoing any of the bolts. This can be done with the car stable on a four post lift with tension released from the springs.

It would be even better if you could find someone with a hydraulic spring compressor like this one.

https://www.sealey.co.uk/product/5637206212/1000kg-hydraulic-coil-spring-compressor

With that tool, each spring can apparently be changed in around 15 minutes without needing to undo any of the bolts. This can be done anywhere that the car can be jacked up to release the tension from the spring.

 

2 minutes ago, AntonovAN12 said:

My usual garage / MOT station did one of mine by levering the spring out of place without undoing any of the bolts. This can be done with the car stable on a four post lift with tension released from the springs.

It would be even better if you could find someone with a hydraulic spring compressor like this one.

https://www.sealey.co.uk/product/5637206212/1000kg-hydraulic-coil-spring-compressor

Apparently each spring can be changed in around 15 minutes without needing to undo any of the bolts. This can be done anywhere that the car can be jacked up to release the tension from the spring.

 

Jesus, rather them than me. If one of the springs snaps or pops out, the mechanic underneath the car is going to have a VERY bad day at the office! 

I didn't actually see them do it. They didn't have the hydraulic compressor tool.

They use the type of four post lift that has an attached moveable lifting platform. I assume they used that to lift the rear of the car in such a way as to raise the back wheels off the lift. This would release as much tension from the springs as possible.