Im trying to replace my lower arm bushing and i got it all figured out, except how do you safely remove the front spring, I am going to go pick up a spring compressor, but will it be easy to put it on and compress the spring while its still in the car?

I have the car suspended and the A arms are floating, but still pretty good tension on the front springs. Any advice would be GREAT as im trying to do this project sooner rather then later. Thanks

 

Run a chain through the spring, put a jack under the A-Arm, unbolt the shock. Slowly let jack down and the spring tension will be released. I've never used a spring compressor to install or remove sorings in a Thirdgen.

 

Put car on jack stands ( not under A-Arms), so front wheels are off the ground, use your internal spring compressor on spring, when you have some of the tension off the spring, use a jack under A-Arm, apply some pressure on A-Arm with jack. Either, disconnect from ball joint or from the strut. Make sure you disconnected the sway bar, use the jack to slowly lower the A-Arm until the spring will come out.

 

Well I put the internal spring compressor, but i cant quite get use of it due to the fact the long rod on the compressor kept getting stuck at the top of the spring area due to insufficient room, so i tried putting the compressor lower and the bottom hooks UNDER the a arm, it seems to work, but the shock never became loose, but it did take some of the tension off,

you what I'm getting from the responses if just put a jack under the a arm and slowly lower it down once ball join crown nut is removed? sounds dangerous, im almost tempted to abandon this mission.

 

Use a 4" pipe nipple on the compressor or it'll never work. I simply unbolt the strut from the spindle and lower--and as Amorget mentions (unless you have a dental plan) use a chain.

JamesC

 

okay..what is a 4" nipple pipe? I assume some kind of extension for the wrench or am I way off? And how does this help? I didn't have any problems tightening the bolt except that I tightened it so much it hit the top of the spring plate?

 

A short length of pipe which slips on the compressor's threaded rod, effectively shorting it.

JamesC