Alright i read all this but at this point im not sure what i should try...

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/susp...tool-ever.html

seems like people dont like spring compressors and i dont either reading most of the opinions about them. But anywere here is a picture of where im at and as you can see the spring is still in the pocket...I have pry bars and what not but im kinda scared...and i dont trust my chain...lol

HELP!

 

Find a chain you do trust and you should be fine. Use good hardware when you bolt the chain together. A good bolt and a few washers are a lot cheaper than facial reconstruction surgery.

Stay back...wear gloves..just be cautious and think about what you are doing.

 

First, unscrew the bracket holding the brake line to the inner fenderwell. Then lower your jack as far as you can while standing in front of the car. Find yourself a good long (6' or more) bar or rod and stand in front of the car and pry the spring out.

When it pops out its not near as scary as you think.

Getting them back in is another story

 

1 spring down 3 to go.

Got it...i could actually lower it down more as is the jack was on it in the pictures...the wheel bearing cap was hitting the ground, so i stood back used a long pry bar and poped out the bottom...i didnt see it come out but man oh man did it make a loud WAM on the bottom of the control arm...the chain held it fine.

Putting the spring back in took a bit but its in, im not positive its indexed correct...i just hope so...I dunno if theres any bad part about what i did but i tied a zip tie around the isolator and just slid it in...its almost lined up correctly but im not sure till i have it on the ground and drive it around. Im gonna take out the front sway bar now and paint it/new bushings and im also adding a tds wonderbar, and then ill start removing the other side's spring.

Thanks for the tips even though i read them after i was done. lol

 

You may want to raise the car more. When I did mine I had the A arm stright up and down. The more pressur you can remove before the pop the better. I would be hesitant to pop it from where you are at. I also am anti spring compressor.

 

i don't use a spring compressor, and never had a need for a chain either, i guess you could call me crazy, but i just bring the control arm all the way down, then i shove a pry bar in between the spring and control arm and pop it out, it's never gone much further than the ball joint.

to re-install, i sit on the ground and have a buddy position the spring, stick the pry bar in the hole in the control arm and put tension on the spring. then i put one foot on the spring and push up on the pry bar and in with my foot. sets the spring in 15 seconds. i did a full spring swap and rear sway bar installation on my buddies berli (they didn't come with rear sway bars from the factory) in about 1 1/2 hours. that was from the time we rolled the car into the driveway to the time we took it around the block for a test run. went from stock berli springs that i cut a coil on to a set of stock IROC springs. oh man, what a difference!

 

The right way to do this is to remove the two lower control arm bolts and leave the strut bolted in place (still use the chain), and just lower the arm.

 

got the 2nd one in...so any objections to put zip ties to hold the insulators? What did everyone else do to make sure they get in place?

 

Electrical tape works fine

 

just curious what happens if they arent indexed correctly? noises? wierd stance? ****ty ride?

 

All are possibilities. Indexing really isnt that hard though. Just make sure the end of the spring is betwwen the two holes in the a-arm. If it slides a bit you probably wont have much of an issue..but if the spring end is on the other side of the a-arm then you might want to try again

 

How much tension/compression do you put on the bottom of the control arm and spring with the floor jack before you remove those bolts?

 

All of it that is required!!

 

Yeah, no, I am being serious.

Do you just have to barely touch the jack to the bottom of the arm, or jack it up pretty good before removing the control arm bolts? I obviously would not want to have the arm come crashing down or the spring come flying out because I had dome something improperly. I removed springs from a car last year with a differerent method and hated every second of it. I like my face.

 

***that's why you use a chain

 

A man of few words, that's fine. Is there a reason why you can't just directly answer a direct question and say, "yes, put a bit of pressure on the spring before removing the bolts, and use a chain to be safe"? Thanks, though.

And I'd use a chain anyway, doesn't mean I don't want to ask questions even still.

 

I think what hes trying to say is that the more compressed you have the spring the less chance that something might go wrong.I dont think you would want to barely jack it up, the spring might slip out or something. Im no expert,just a thought.

 

chain it first, then id put just enough to barely raise the arm, same way with taking out the strut and then lowering the jack that way. Im guessing unless you have air tools it will make it real hard to get the bolts out and then when you do get the bolts out the natural reaction of the spring is gonna want to push the arm to the floor...so you need pressure on that A-arm. I dont think it matters how much pressure is on the spring or how compressed it is, just enough so that its not going anywhere when u start loosening bolts. As long as the jack is in a secure spot and its not gonna slip itll hold the spring.

Anyway guys thanks for the help, im up real early to finish the front(painted the sway bar last night) and adding a wonderbar then to do the rear suspension - spohn adjustable lcas/panhard + the springs of course.

I drove around last night with just the front springs on, they feel good and the gaps are even on both fenderwells. The Pro-kit dropped the car about 1" so thats advertised. It scapes like a mother now. even going into my driveway. Oh well ill get used to it...

So what happens if you take the insulator out and put a rubber hose over the first coil? Id like lower it more if i can without killing the ride too too bad. I wish i got sportlines to tell you guys the truth i love the slammed look.

Of course it just started to rain outside...hope it clears up...

 

Bull, sorry for the bs. You have to put alot of pressure under the arm. With stock springs it's not as much as with higher rate ones (almost lift the car off the ground). Basically start jacking until the pressure is off the bolts so you can remove them easily. With my global west springs (750lbs/in, 1" drop) it's close but still do-able. If the engine were out of the car, it would not be possible this way. If you look in the factory manual, they have some fancy J-tool for doing this while on a lift, but still the same principle.

 

Thanks a lot, Lo-tec, now I understand the process. Much appreciated.