I'm working on my 92 camaro rs. Does anyone know how to install springs inside a umi A arm? It's a PITA to put them in. I'm using the inner hook, Lower claw spring compressor, but it just seems like it doesn't want to go in.

 

You don't have the coil compressor very tight yet. Screw on that thing until coils almost touch each other. And your bottom coil isn't even close to properly positioned yet, it's all jammed up in the pocket. Need to push it further toward the rear of the pocket before you can get the coil to drop in. If you don't get the end of that bottom coil hooked onto the back rail then the spring will never ever in a million years drop into the pocket.

Personally I hate spring compressors. And I've never used one with lowering springs. I put a jack under the a-arm and put the spring in place and start coming up with the jack. Bottom coil will get hung up on the wall of the spring pocket. I stop at a place where the spring isn't highly compressed yet but begins to straighten out some. Then I give the bottom coil a whack with a big *** dead-blow hammer and knock it into the pocket. The trick is to remember that you can't fight the spring in compression and you can't bend it, its just too strong. But you can make it slide sideways a bit with some encouragement. So get the coil set up so it can slide without the end of the pigtail getting hooked on any objects.

You gotta think like a lazy person. They're the best at figuring out easy ways to get the job done. I put my k-member, engine, and suspension in the car with a bulged disc in my back. It's all about finding the lazy way, man!

 

I use a jack too. Remove pivots bolts. Jack under spring pocket.

 

pivot bolts from the A arms? So just place the spring on top of the A arms that's being held with a floor jack, top spring inside the k-member spring pocket and jack it up?

 

Yep. Might take a couple try's to get the jack in right location so it raises the A frame up just right.

 

As others have said you don't have to use a spring compressor. I use the method from this thread https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/susp...y-install.html If you use the spring compressor you will have to use a piece of pipe for a spacer and orient the hooks to a certain spot to be able to get the compressor back out. Once you get the hang of it it's not too bad. There are some great pictures in the thread that show you exactly how to do it.

 

Agreed with using a floor jack to "walk" it into the pocket. Make sure you put a cotter pin in that castle nut by the spindal.

 

After a few days and dozens of attempt, I decided to place a long fat ratchet socket on the bottom end of the spring that stuck out of the umi middle space. I jacked it up, slightly compressing the spring, gave the spring a deathblow, and finally popped in. It's not exactly indexed correctly. I'm probably and inch and a half off from where it's suppose to be, but I can live with that. Thank you guys for the guidance. Time to install the the rest of the suspension.

 

Ok, so let me get this right... to install the spring you

1. DON'T put bolt in the pivot points of the lower control arm
2. Instead connect the spindle, castle nut & cotter pin
3. Place a floor jack under the UMI spring pocket
4. Index the spring correctly
5. Slowly raise up the jack
6. Adjust the jack as needed
7. Compress the spring until you line up the bolt holes of the control arm

Basically you are installing the springs using the power of the jack until the bolt holes line up?
Is that it?
I've got to try this method because this spring compressor is a PITA and the geometry is all wrong after installing the UMI A arms.

 

Yes, go slow and keep your face away from things. Don't be alarmed if things "pop" into place. If it seems off, stop and start over.

 

Ok, so that didn't work. As I jacked up from under the ball joint or spring perch it kept raising the entire front end off the jack stands. I went to O'Reilly's and returned the spring compressor because it kept slipping off the coils and was sketchy. While I was there we looked up the coil spring options that came on the car. It turns out that the '89 RS Convertible came with either a .75 spring (IROC-Z package) or the standard .64 coil. Since I have the 3/4 inch IROC coil, I need the different spring compressor. I ordered https://www.autozone.com/p/oem-tools...-37200/1103614 and it'll be here tomorrow. I also ordered a 5/8 stock spring from O'Reilly just in case I can't get the 3/4 to install. One of the commenters on the AutoZone site specifically called our this tool for an '83 Camaro after failing with the rental compressor.

While I was at O'Reilly and my sway bar bushings were shot I got a new set for front and rear. The rest of the suspension will be replaced bit as time and budget allows but the front was the worst. It was just supposed to be a quick ball joint swap but the holes where the ball joints go was so badly deformed, the ball joint fell out with a simple tap of a hammer. New ones were so loose I had to get new A arms. So, UMI to the rescue. Now if I can just get the spring back in

 

Put the spring compressor below the control arm so that it's also part of what gets compressed.

 

The lower arm IS your spring compressor. Even though this thread is 2+ years old, I'll throw it out that in the OP's pics, I'd have just kept jacking and I bet...I BET that spring would have seated all by itself once you brought the arm up enough.