i started my front end project this evening and i got the pass side spring out before i called it a night. i used the jack method, but ran into problems. i put the jack under the outer edge of the lca, right under the balljoint, which i think was my problem. took the top nut off the strut and let the jack down, but it arm wouldnt drop low enough to release all the spring pressure. after trying a few things i decided to get a long bar and pop the spring out, which worked but i was very nervous doing it, as if i wasnt sweating enough from the heat. how did you guys get it done so the spring's pressure was totally released? btw it sucks out there in that heat, i think i've drank more water in the last few hours than i ever have in an entire day......anyway thanks for the help

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85 Z28- 350, Comp 262, Edelbrock Performer intake, Edelbrock 600 cfm carb and Edelbrock cat back, Summit headers and vette servo
-JVC, Eclipse, Pioneer, MTX, Phoenix Gold, Planet Audio

 

did you have it jacked up pretty high? thats how i did mine, i just jacked it up like 2 or 3 feet and put it on jack stands then used the same method as you with the pry bar . The springs i put in were lowering springs, are you putting in lowering springs or putting the factory ones back in? For your sake i hope its lowering ones, because from what i've heard its pretty hard to ge the stock ones back in.

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Brandon
"ScreaminDeamin 360"
350 60 over, TRW forged 9.83:1 pistons,Hooker Comp headers, crane cam 216/228 .484/.512, crane 1.6 RR's, ported plenum, home made ram air, 24lb SVO injectors, crane AFPR, all going through 3 inch mandrel pipe and a flowmaster.
New project-89 IROC-Jamex Springs...and thats just about it till summer!
Soon- 6 speed, Pro 5.0 shifter and 4.10's
http://users.argolink.net/bvana

http://ScreaminDeamin.cz28.com

 

or u could rent a free spring compressor from Auto Zone.

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88' GTA 350 MODS---> air foil, K&N, Shift Kit, 180* therm, TB bypass

 

I just did the spring removal today on my car. I had the car high in the air (3 ')and just lowered the a-arms all the way down. The springs popped out with no problem with a little persuasion of a prybar. I cut 1 coil out of the springs and it made it much easier to re-install. The car now sits 1" lower in the front and didnt mess with ride characteristics. Something to think about before dropping $$$ on new ones. Just a suggestion BTW how the hell are you supposed to get a spring compressor on there anyways? My car looked like there was absolutely no room.

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1987 GTA 355 inch motor, carbureted, TFS 23* heads, T-56 6-speed, McLeod clutch, 11.3:1, Lunati hydraulic roller .510/.525 lift 232/242 duration @.050 on a 112* lobe seperation, Hooker super comps, Dual 3" flowmaster 2-chamber exhaust with NO tailpipes, 98 Z-28 wheels, Strange 12-bolt rear w/4.30 gears, 33 spline axles and a spool.
This car is driven on average 100 miles weekly... ...Whatever turns your tires.....

 

I just did this last friday, and what I did may have taken a little longer at first but it was a whole lot easier:
1: jack car up
2: unbolt wheel
3: Unbolt brake lines from strut and fenderwall
4: Put a jack underneath the part of the a arm most closest to the rotor.
5: Unbolt the strut from the wheel assembly, it may be easier to get to if the wheels are turned all the way to the right for the drivers side wheel and all the way to the left for the pass. side wheel.
6: Unbolt the swaybar (or whatever it is) and bushing set from the A-arm. I just took one piece off of the bushings at a time but its not that complicated at all to put back together..
7: Lower the jack SLOWLY and the A arm will come all the way down to the floor. Watch the brake lines for slack.
8: If the spring didn't already come out, just use a scewdriver or something to get it loose. It may be a little compressed still and at an angle, but not nearly as bad as with the other sway bar still bolted up.
9: Put the new springs in and make sure the rubber thing is still on the top, also make sure they are not upside down. If they have numbers on the springs it will be easy to tell.
10: You are going to have to hold the a arm up a little just so you can get a jack under it without slipping, a friends help may be needed for this but if you are good it's not that hard.
11: Bolt the swaybar up first because you can mess with the jack later for the strut.
12: reassemble the rest of the things mentioned...

 

well i went back out last night and pried it out, it wasnt bad but i was still nervous. now i'm ready to do the drivers side, i'm gonna try the jack but a diff method. i have the spring compressor (i love working at an auto parts store...free tools) but wasnt too enthusiastic about wasting all the time cranking that thing down. i'm gonna have to do it to get them back in though, cause i only have to jack the arm up a little bit before it starts raising the whole car. these springs must not be that bad, but i would be stupid not to replace them right now. the struts must be original (84k miles) cause they are dead as hell, no recoil left in them at all...hehe and i've never been able to mave a balljoint by hand before either. well thanks for the help guys, it's just gonna suck fitting a spring compressor up in there to get these bad boys on....yay