(I spent the last hour searching and haven't found anyone with this problem.)

When I use the GM method of installing an IROC front spring, the whole front end will lift off of the jack stands. The engine is installed and I added 160 extra pounds to the front. At one point the entire front end started to shift, so obviously I'm looking for some advice on keeping this from happening. The only thing I think may affect this is the subframe connectors not allowing the body weight to shift to the other jack stand. (I'm making sure the A-arm clears the K-member.)

The arm is also angling quite a bit when it's lifted. I can start it out with the front angled down wards slightly and it will be angled the opposite way making it about an inch off for just the front bushing alone. It's not possible to angle it up with a screwdriver in this situation. I've switched from lifting from the spring perch to moving it along the inner rail of the A-arm. Has anyone tried using two jacks to line up the rear bushing after the front is installed? There's too much of an angle to line up the rear and the cars lifts up as it is.

The car is angled slightly downwards to the front so it is already preset to have the most weight towards the front.

Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks

 

so i assume that you are not using spring compressors? its impossible, im my opinion, to install springs by just placing them in the perches and jacking up the a-arm, the whole car will lift up before the a-arms are anywhere near where they need to be in order to re-attach the struts. compress the F out of the springs and slam them in there.

 

I've tried all of the methods of using spring compressors including compressing it directly on the A-arm and none of them worked for me.

The only way I got the other side in is by this method. I just don't get it.

Maybe it's normal for the car to lift, and nobody mentions it or notices?

 

I put the other wheel on, 4x6's under the other side frame rail and brought 450 lbs of free weights up from the basement and all around the car so I didn't have to worry about the car shifting off of the jack stands. It went really smooth after I didn't have to worry as much about being crushed.

Afterwards, I jacked it up by the A-arm with the weight still in the car. There wasn't much movement until it lifted off of the jack stand, but the spindle looked parallel.

Thanks for the help.

 

hey guys i am trying to install spohn tubular a-arms into my spohn tubular k-member and i am having a hell of a time getting the front springs in there.. HOW THE HECK IS IT DONE?? i have tried spring compressors as well. i caqnt figure out how to get the springs in there for the life of me.. do you guys bolt up the ball joints and put the spring up in the upper spring perch then jack up the back of the a-arm and try to line up the bolts that go throught the a-arm bushings and through the k-member?? i am trying not to scratch the hell out of the brand new tubular a-arms so please help me get this done.. email me directly at polygaryd@yahoo.com with some info please if you could

Nate

 

There was just a thread about this a few days ago. One member said he found out that the GM way to do it, involved strapping the car down to the lift! So that it wouldnt rise off. Well, what they ended up doing was stick a 2x4 between the strut tower and the ceiling.

 

That's how the GM manual says to do it and the way I ended up doing it as well. Mine lifted up and moved away from the jack stands and I quickly got out from underneath it. It went back in place when I let the jack back down. This method requires you to be underneath to install the bolts. I ended up putting about 450 lbs of weights in the car to hold it down, but it still lifted just a little bit.

At least put something under the car in case it does come down.

 

Sorry, I posted the last answer really quick while I was at work and didn't even notice I repeated myself.
I have a couple of questions though.

Are you installing stock height, or lowering springs?

Did you contact Spohn for specific instructions or advice on the issue you are now having? They should be able to help you with this.

Edit: If you just installed the K-member, does that mean the engine is not?
Mine was the 450 lbs on top of the engine and tranny installed.

 

use the correct coil spring compressor and you'll have the springs installed in 20 minutes or less with just the ball joint and tie rods disconected. If you don't have air tools it will be very difficult to compress the spring.

 

ditto but, don't use air tools on the cheapys that say not to, i stripped out 3 of them b4 i found i realy had to use a ratchet to do it without 1 braking........

well it took me closer to an hour but, i'm slower then some but, its easy enough.

 

i have sportlines and spohn a arms...i used a spring compressor that goes inside the spring. had to make my own alterations to that to get it to fit and work but then i put the spring in a vice and compressed the spring and used an air gun to do that. the took the spring over to the a arm that was bolted to the k member and not the spindle. and put it in....lol the end of the compressor that you put the socket onto has to be facing down though...if not you will not get it off.......my friend helping me found out the hard way...lol

 

I managed to get mine in but to my dread I noticed they didn't seat properly up in the body. I used a spring compressor that goes on the inside and has 2 different length arms so when you compress the spring it squeezes one side more than the other to angle it into the cup a little easier.

Now I have to take'm off again to get them seated. I really hope the passenger side is seated right, I know the driver side isn't. I thought they would slide up the inside and seat themselves - they dont...

 

I rebuilt my front end about a year ago. I went through the same ordeal a couple of broke spring compressors and alot i mean alot of cussing. I was replacing the stock springs with eibach springs. So i called up a friend of mine that owns a race shop and he told me to bring them by. He luckily had a bench mounted coil spring compressor that tested the pound rating of springs. Well we compressed mine down and believe or not took 4 of the heavy gauge brass clothes hangers and tied the springs while in the compressor. When he let off the pressure the coils stayed compressed and i was able to get them back under the car. Once i had the arms bolted in i got some wire cutters and snipped the hangers.

 

Green92 this brings back memories of way back when I used wire hangers on coil spring too, lol. I'll be doing the front springs sometime in the future and hope it won't be a pita like I've read. Later.

 

I never thought of that green92, I might just try that on the next go around.

 

Managed to get mine reseated properly. I used masking tape to keep the isolators on as they kept moving around while trying to position. The air tool works WONDERS, gave mine a try and was rather nervous as they were compressing but it did the job.

I even managed to re-compress the side I had almost entirely reassembled just enough to get it to fit.

 

I used a combination of inner spring compressor and jacking the two pivots into place with the ball joint bolted up.

By far the hardest job on a thirdgen, if you can do it you can do anything in my opinion.