I just Finished reading through the archives On this, and I Couldnt Find exactly what I was supposed to Do.

Ive Got a set of jamex Springs sitting in amy Room, the back Ones are cake to Put in, But the front seem To Be a little mOre dificult.

And Before anyone tells me to go to a shop to have htem Put in, No.


So What Do I need to Do ? I take it I need a spring compressor, So Providing I come up with this, What else will I need beyond My regular Tools and What Do I need to Do ?

Will I need to get the car aligned afterwards ?

Thanks For your Help.




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60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver

Just another Hot Rod kid, or thats what they all tell me.
Livin' the Stereotype

 

I can give you a quick over view on what to do, but i am not 100% positive...

Raise the front of the car and make sure that it is properly supported (use the sub frame, not the a-arms) Take the wheels off and take off the shocks. I think you can disconnect the sway bar to lower the a-arms even more. Using the spring compressor compress the spring EVENLY. You should be able to slide the spring out. BE VERY CAREFULL you don't want the spring escaping the compressor, it could kill you.
I have heard that the lowered springs go in without the compressor.. try it. Now reassmble that side and move onto the next.

Yes you will need an alignment. Pick up some lower control arm relocatin brackets too.

Good luck.

Check the Tech articles.. i think there is one on putting springs in.

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• 89 Formula 305 WS6
  SFC's,
  LCA's,
  Air foil
  Flowmaster cat back
  Tranny Cooler
  A/F Ratio Meter
  Trans Temp (not a mod but it sure spurs interest)
• 90 Eagle Talon 2.0
  (winter beater)
  Mods? HA! its a rice burner!

 

I think replacing the front springs was about the most PITA thing I've done to my car. Heres a few suggestions..

1. If you ever wanted to replace all the front bushings or ball joints.. do it now.. you need to have the springs out to replace all the control arm bushings.. you'll need to get them pressed out or press them out yourself.

2. If you go to Kragen to get a spring compressor.. it wont work unless you put a bunch of washers or bolts about 6" worth on the big thread cause the compressor end will interfere with putting the spring in.

3. replace the struts while your at it.

4. you probably want an impact gun. I did it with one and it was still a pain.. i cant even imagine doing it without one.

5. Give yourself a good amount of time to complete the task (don't start and have to be somewhere in 4 hours)

6. You might want to do the brakes too if you need too.


Good luck!

 

I think replacing the front springs was about the most PITA thing I've done to my car. Heres a few suggestions..

1. If you ever wanted to replace all the front bushings or ball joints.. do it now.. you need to have the springs out to replace all the control arm bushings.. you'll need to get them pressed out or press them out yourself.

2. If you go to Kragen to get a spring compressor.. it wont work unless you put a bunch of washers or bolts about 6" worth on the big thread cause the compressor end will interfere with putting the spring in.

3. replace the struts while your at it.

4. you probably want an impact gun. I did it with one and it was still a pain.. i cant even imagine doing it without one.

5. Give yourself a good amount of time to complete the task (don't start and have to be somewhere in 4 hours)

6. You might want to do the brakes too if you need too.


Good luck!

 

It took me two hours to do my front springs.

Jacked the car REAL high, like 2.5 ft.

Yanked the rims off.

Unbolted the brake line from the frame and spindle, but not the caliper.

Supported the lower A-arm with the floor jack.

Got a big-*** wrench and a breaker bar. Unboled the strut from the spindle.

Slowly let the jack holding the A-Arm down.

Kept my head away from the spring.

Let the A-arm hang all the way down.

Shoved a 4-way lug wrench in the spring, and out the a-arm.

Pryed the spring off the A-arm, the lug wrench caught the flying spring.

Installation is reverse.

I don't recommend my method, quite dangerous.

 

actually done properly is a pita BUT can change the springs 20 mins each side
tools required
air gun for strut
jack stands
2 yes 2 floor jacks
tools to undo bushes
..get the car up on jackstands position floorjacks undo strut mount(lower 2 nuts NOT the top mount ) and brake line
undo bush bolts and remove
let down floor jacks (carefully ) remove spring
tape insulator to new spring
use both of the floor jacks to get the a arm back into position ..bolt it all back together
it worked for me spring compressors and 3rd gens dont agree with each other LOL

[This message has been edited by ausrs (edited February 11, 2001).]

 

The preceeding instructions are pretty good. I did rent a spring compressor to put tension on the spring so it wouldn't come flying out at me. Installing lowering springs is easier as they are a bit shorter than stock springs. I've also included a link to some instructions on how to do it. Good luck, Lon. http://www.sc3gfb.org/resources/springs.html

 

2 jacks are a must, and I used my floor jacks bar as an addition to the end of my breaker bar. I can do springs on my T/A in about 25 minutes. You don't necessarily have to undo the bottom strut bolts, but you would want to remove the calipers and hang them off the frame. Once you unbolt the sway bar and top of the strut (2nd jack under a arm first!) let it down slow until it wont go any further, remove the jack and "rock" the a arm pushing it towards the center of the car. The springs made a little noise but didn't jump at all, just slid out. Remeber you will have to get it re-aligned before you should drive it.

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Chris G
91 TA WS6

 

Boy, you guys are making more work by unbolting the struts, brake lines, calipers. Plus the springs are kind of pain to get out with the spindles in the way.

Check out the link above from lonsal. That's an article I wrote for our 3rd gen car club. Swapping springs should take you an afternoon to do. It's not that nbig a deal. The key thing is to take your time and BE SAFE.

Here's the link one more time http://www.sc3gfb.org/resources/springs.html

 

I agree. I've had mine out a few times and I've never removed the struts.

Once the car is off the ground and the wheel is off:

Disconnect the sway bar if equipped.
Remove cotter pin and nut from lower ball joint.
Put a floor jack under lower control arm.
Hit bottom of spindle near the ball joint so that the ball joint pops.
Use floor jack to lower the lower control arm.

After that, the lower control arm should swing down. The use of a spring compressor and maybe a few pry bar will get the spring out. There will be very little tension on the spring now.

I have noticed that with the big block and Hooker headers, the swing arm doesn't swing down as much as it used to. I suppose I could notch the side of the arm to clear the headers. I also have no idea how I would remove the mounting bolts if I decided to change the bushings. The easiest way would be to pull the headers off.

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Follow my racing progress on Stephen's racing page
and check out the race car

87 IROC-Z Pro ET Bracket Race Car
383 stroker (carbed) with double hump cast iron heads and pump gas
461 Big Block installed and ready for the 2001 racing season

Best results before the 383 blew up
Best ET on a time slip: 11.857 altitude corrected to 11.163
Best MPH on a time slip: 117.87 altitude corrected to 126.10
Altitude corrected rear wheel HP based on power to weight ratio: 476.5
Best 60 foot: 1.662

Racing at 3500 feet elevation but most race days it's over 5000 feet density altitude!
Member of the Calgary Drag Racing Association

87 IROC bracket car, 91 454SS daily driver, 95 Homebuilt Harley

[This message has been edited by Stephen 87 IROC (edited February 09, 2001).]

 

just did mine last night. it took all of thirty minutes per side. I just removed the wheel, top strut nut, rotor, caliper and sway-bar end-link. Dropped the control arm all the way down and pried out the spring with a long wrecking-bar. popped the new one right in (1/2" shorter) and reassembled.

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'84Z28/'92 305TPI
'92 complete rear suspension/PBR disc/Posi/3:42
Light weight 34.5mm stabilizer bar in front ($10 from wrecking yard)/
"wonder Bar" ($5 from wrecking yard)
23mm sta. bar in rear
Rear RS Springs (slightly softer than my Z28)
comp cam, flowmaster
TB coolantbypass/shutoff valve to heater core
powersteering cooler lines (liberated from another wrecked car of course)
MAT relocated
Ram-Air(home-made) gutted air-box
IROC ground effects/wheels GY245/50's
700R4 superior shift kit/ corvette servo(excellent shift kit btw)
home-made strut tower brace (cost $6)

Rebuilt engine and transplanted it myself.

Love this engine!

freshly painted OCT. 2000 Teal with two white stripes on the hood and deck lid

LOW performance people should drive low performance vehicles!

 

Hehe. About the stack of washers on the rental tool: That crap was pissing me off, so I cut about 3 inches off the tool with a hacksaw. When I was done, I threw some black paint onto the shiny, freshly cut screw to match the rest of the tool, and took it back.

If you're putting in lowering springs, then yes, you'll have to re-align the car because your camber will be different.

 

ok how bout if i want to replace the lowered springs back to the factory ones??? anything different there??

 

Use the rented spring compresser to caompress them some. Then install the same as the lowering springs.