Problem removing coil spring
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Problem removing coil spring
Ok I went to advance auto and rented the coil spring compressor (free)
, but went I tried it it would not work. There was no clearance left to compress the spring once I got the unit in there and hooked to the spring. Now I went out and bought 2 full threaded rods with nuts and big washers, am going to make 2 metal plates for the rods to go thru. The upper and lower ball joints should keep the plates from slipping. This should allow me to compress the spring enough to get arms free. The big ? is how long is the uncomressed spring compared with it being on the car. I can unscrew the nuts on the rods to lower the bottom a-arm and get the spring out, but i'm afraid of the spring bowing out the side and shooting out like a slinky. Been trying to get these things apart for over a week now need to get the new bushings in so I can get on with the rebuild, arggggg. 
, but went I tried it it would not work. There was no clearance left to compress the spring once I got the unit in there and hooked to the spring. Now I went out and bought 2 full threaded rods with nuts and big washers, am going to make 2 metal plates for the rods to go thru. The upper and lower ball joints should keep the plates from slipping. This should allow me to compress the spring enough to get arms free. The big ? is how long is the uncomressed spring compared with it being on the car. I can unscrew the nuts on the rods to lower the bottom a-arm and get the spring out, but i'm afraid of the spring bowing out the side and shooting out like a slinky. Been trying to get these things apart for over a week now need to get the new bushings in so I can get on with the rebuild, arggggg.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,562
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
It has been quite a while since I did this, but I ran the threaded rods down the center of the spring through the shock towers in the A-arms. When you have removed the spindle from the ball joints, just loosen the nuts on your threaded rod to release spring tension. Even if the spring wanted to jump out, your threaded rod will keep it in place.
Orville
Orville
