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Sorry if I'm being annoying with questions but it's my first time stripping and rebuilding.
And I'm better with tarty paint bits rather than get my hands greasy lol

Is it easily done?
My rear shock has a nice chrome spring but the damper part inside it is a burgundy colour so will look rubbish with new green paint job.

Depends on the shock.

Most have a collar that is removable from under the top eyelet.

You can use a spring compressor to take the tension of the spring, buy they tend to be big and clunky more suited to car size shocks.

Can do it with a ratchet strap. wind round coil on one side then the other, and then clamp in bench and tighten strap... should compress spring enough to let you remove collar.

Only pic I have of it on my phone

I've just used a pair of car type spring compressors but that was on a R1/6 type shock .
Lambretta spring coils are too tight to use compressors on.

I rigged something Heath Robinson up in my bearing press once but wouldn't recommend it

Those small ratchet straps are definitely the way to go ,there's a YouTube video which shows them being used .

That's how I'll be rebuilding the R6 shock when I get around to it .

Phil D wrote:I've just used a pair of car type spring compressors but that was on a R1/6 type shock .
Lambretta spring coils are too tight to use compressors on.

I rigged something Heath Robinson up in my bearing press once but wouldn't recommend it

Those small ratchet straps are definitely the way to go ,there's a YouTube video which shows them being used .

That's how I'll be rebuilding the R6 shock when I get around to it .

Cheers Phillip!!!
We will have no mention of that modern fangled R6 rubbish here please!!

Isn't there a photo of a rear shock being dismantled in the original official Lambretta manual? The photo I recall shows the shock upside down in a large vice, with the lower part of the spring clamped in the soft jaws. A lever (longish bar) is being used through the bottom eye to put tension on the spring (force the eye UP), which allows the two semi-circular tabs to be removed. The tension only needs to be applied for a couple of seconds while some swift fingers extract the tabs. However, it is easier if there are two of you.

Once you have the spring off, check that the damping section compresses, but is hard to pull apart. If it slides in and out with ease, it's knackered.

Alternatively, buy a new Escort shock and save yourself the trouble.

If you haven't got a workshop manual, search for a thread of mine "stripping a standard rear shock." It has a picture that'll give you an idea of how to do it.

SlackerThePinstriper wrote:Only pic I have of it on my phone

After having a cheap shock literally break on me I bought an adjustable BGM shocker,it looks the dogs.
My advice is chuck it away and get yourself one that will (a) work properly,I am always sceptical of chromed parts such as spings as it must effect the rebound and (b) it ain't gonna break !