where can i get front springs banded so i can put them back in

 

banded?

 

just shove it back in with a pry-bar.

 

cam406406, Sonix
Not sure, where are you located? I at first thought Midas or Speedy would do it but they don't - so off to the yellow pages I went - A specialty shop is where I ended up getting mine done,
this is what banded springs look like -
the shop compresses the spring to about 30% - this makes front coil spring instal a breze with no scratching or banging
-Andrew

 

oh, ok, then once it's in, you just cut the bands off?

I just use the GM method of installing springs, use the weight of the car to compress them. Leave the outer area bolted up (ball joint), and unbolt the a-arms from the pivot points and lower the a-arm and remove and replace the spring.

however I didn't think this all the way through, since I have no motor in the car, there's very little weight, and so it won't compress the spring.... I think i'll just wait until I have the motor in...

 

ya that is an issue for me to there is no engine in it also. and i dont think a pry bar will do it

 

Sonix,
I tired to do it gm's way but I wanted to clean up my A-arms so they would look as new, and I replaced my whole front suspension with new parts so pulling the a-arms was what happened. When the time came to instal new lowering springs, I couldn't index the springs correcly in the bottom of the a-arm, or alternately the bloody top of the spring wouldn't seat prpoerly in the top spring pocket. I used a regular spring compressor, but this was useless...I ended up scratching the h*ll out of my freshly painted a-arms.... GM's method and the other methods that DO work for others just wouldn't work for me. ( I fololwed Chilton's method with the jack under the a-arm this didn't work either) I made sure that I had ample 'swing' clearance etc etc etc with the a-arm but nothing worked... What really surprised me was that with lowering springs, instalation should be easier because the springs are shorter, well you know what happened... I ended getting the springs banded.
-Andrew

 

this is bull ****!!!!!! i used a compresser for the passenger side and it almost took my HAND off. now i am trying the gm method and it also sucks....

 

cam406406,
sounds like you are reinstalling stock height springs.... Make sure that you DO have enough a-arm 'swing' clearance, I am assuming that the top of the spring won't clear the top spring pocket? I guess you could just bash the spring into place once you have jacked up the a-arm using the jack method, but be sure the spring is indexed correctly in both the top spring pocket and the bottom a-arm. Don't load up the spring with the jack/a-arm method to the point where you can't spin the spring into its correct resting poistion. Oh and BE CAREFUL !!!!!Spring compressor can be (as it sounds in your case as it was in mine ) dangerous and a waste of time. Once yu are frustrated to the point of kicking the car , get the springs banded.... this made my instal so much easier -
-Andrew

 

i called arround to get them banded and no one will do it. the swing is good but just cant get it in. so i am going to drop the whole arm and try it that way.

 

get some threaded rod and a map torch, make some long "u"'s. drill matching holes in a piece of bar stock and band them your self. then un bolt or cut with a sawsall. you may also be able to find banding equipment in a wearhouse or shipping facility. bring a spring compressor with you. they make metal zip ties too, just be sure to use enough. One more idea, make some bands out of thin sheet metal, compress the spring and spot weld the bands with a MIG unit.

 

well thank you all for your ideas. i used a little of all of them and just finished the job. it was a bitch and hope to not have to do it again. but with all of me THANK YOU ALL.

 

Never heard of banding, looks cool and I imagine makes the install really easy. When I do front springs I dont use any compressors, attach a safety chain around a spring coil and through the hole in the k-member, seat spring up in k-member, put a-arm under spring, put floorjack directly under a-arm, jack the a-arm up compressing the spring until the balljoint stud can go through the spindle hole, then thread on the balljoint bolt over 1/2 way, now use that as a pivot, lower the jack, position jack on the inside edge of the a-arm (relative to the car), jack it up and when the a-arm holes get close to the k-member mounting points use a screwdriver to line them up and slide the bolts in, then tighten the balljoint bolt and a-arm bolts (with the suspension loaded).

 

who would I call to see about getting my front springs banded?

what would I look up in the phone book?

where would I start?

my engine is out and I guess I made the big mistake of removing my springs and not thinking about getting them back in without the weight of the engine..

so banded would work out great for me!

where?

 

Just rent a spring compressor from auto-zone.

 

The banding looks cool, but could kill you if it comes loose. I'd stick with a serious spring compressor that has 1/2" steel hooks instead of 1/16" tin straps.

Remember a 700# spring compressed 2" can hit you with 1400# pressure. I personally saw a spring break a piece out of a concrete wall when it shot out of the lower control arm. Buy or rent the correct parts instead of getting killed or disfigured.