When I got the car on jackstands and removed the track bar, I was trying to lower the rear end but it didn't go down. Its fairly hard to compress the springs with your hands, and the new springs I'm putting in are a bit taller, so would it be ok to use a clamp for compressing the springs to ease installation?

One person told me to jack up one side of the rear and the other would come down. Would this work?

 

Did you unbolt the shocks?

Did you unbolt the trailing arms?

This would be much easier than using a spring compressor.

They should fall out

 

Don't unbolt the control arms.

Do unbolt the shocks.

You shouldn't have to disconnect the Panhard bar.

You DO need to disconnect the rubber brake line; when you lower the rear enough to get the springs out, that line will be stretched to the limit, and will be likely to fail.

With the shocks unbolted and the brake line disconnected, the rear end will drop down far enough that the springs will fall out by themselves.

 

I didn't unbolt the control arms, and I did unbolt the shocks. In a haynes manual it said to remove the panhard bar, so I did.

I removed the brake like bolt at the rear axle and at the floor pan so the lines have plenty of travel. Its just when I was lowering the jack, the rear didn't come down at all. I jacked up the rear, and let it down somewhat fast and the same height was met.

 

Unbolt the anti roll bar at the endlinks...it should let you drop it down all the way.