Dennis-Z28

iTrader: (1)

Seems like I will have to try the GM method first as it seems to be what most prefer. Hopefully I buy a spring compressor that works on my first purchase!

eseibel67

Stephen: This seems too good to be true, but I want to believe it. I'm having trouble visualizing how, after the strut nut is removed, the complete assembly can be lowered enough to remove the spring.

I have 2 questions:

1) If the control arm bushings are still attached, doesn't the control arm sweep down in and arc?

2) Are you doing this with lowering springs? I'm installing stock WS6 springs.

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

Yes, the arm sweeps down in an arc & they were lowering (shorter) springs. Stock springs might have been able to get in, I dunno. Stock springs came out with a little effort & stock springs might have gone back in, with a little more effort.

And I did forget to mention 2 screws....The 1 on each front side, that holds the end of the flexible brake line to the chassis. Took those loose too. MIGHT not have had to, but took those loose too before swinging the arm down.

InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

The way I did it was by using a 3-5 foot pry bar, shoved the end of it above the spring perch (a-arms at full droop) and pried up on the spring.I used a hole in the a-arm above the spring pocket and hooked the curved end of the pry/crow bar (pointed down) in that hole, put the top of the spring in the strut mount, and just held the bottom with the prybar. I put my feet on the spring to hold it on the pry bar and then pushed up on it. Just pry up and push with your feet and it will pop into the spring pocket within a few tries. It's good to have a friend help and have the jack ready for when it pops into the spring pocket - then you jack it just enough so it wont go anywhere and chain that thing up before you finish the compressing process. If you have shorter than stock springs this is much, much easier. I did it with IROC springs, and I then cut them and did it again, and just because the spring rate was higher it was a good deal harder becasue I didnt cut but 1/3 of a coil off. Spring wasnt any shorter.

It's kind of hard to explain, but its fairly simple in operation. I'd just suggest you wear boots for this. You wont be compressing the spring any farther than your strength and your feet with good boots will keep it from going anywhere. The key is to slide the spring down the prybar as you push it up and to remove/slide the prybar out of the a-arm as you push the spring above the spring pocket. Just make sure you have it indexed. Requires a little bit of strength but it's really not as bad as you might think - mechanical leverage.

I rented the same spring compressor that everyone else has seen and there was just no way I could get it to work - just had to improvise.

tuzzyjr

Hey...noob here(to the forum,NOT cars)Find spring shop in phone book,then have springs banded by them(compressed/then held by tie straps)install springs(they allmost FALL in)bolt suspension together and then cut straps(I usually use a razor blade attached to a woden dowel)and
viola!Around here it usually costs $20.00 a spring which is
CHEAP and SAFER compared to usuing a spring compresser.....

UnderCover89TBI

iTrader: (25)

Tough job seen it done all ways. I really like the banding way myself. My alignment shop friend likes to bolt up ball joint and then use jack on lower a arm to compress spring then he puts bolts thru bushings.

ATX-Iroc

the macpherson spring compressor aint that bad as long as you have air tools. I did it with a 3/8 ratchet and my jack handle for leverage and let me tell you I was messed up the next day cause it took a couple trys to get the spring to compress straight and not arc. Just compress the spring on to the a-arm without the spindle then install the arm making sure to bolt the forward most ear first it will be very hard if you dont put that first ear on first.

mooch1

that's the way i got it done, i went to this machine shop last year and the guy compressed them held down with 2 steel straps ,,they slip right in and then cut them off once everything is in place and bolted...if you are installing lowering springs they may go in on their own ,,but stock springs don't ...i tried like crazy and tried every method mentioned here with no success except for the strap method..was cheap to get it done and safe for the installation...

luvofjah

iTrader: (2)

I bought a spring compressor, the kind that is 1 bolt and goes in through the bottom with 4 hooks... I had to shorten the bolt (cut some of it off, longer than it needs to be for our cars, but did the job... I think it was $10 from Autozone....