I cant find the post that describes the procedure... Everything is unbolted, just dont know how to get everything apart?

 

You have to be very carefull here. Do you have the shock absorber out?
If not, it needs to come out. Leave the nut threaded half way on the ball joints for safety. Put a floor jack under the lower control arm and pick the weight up a little bit. Use a "Pickle Fork" and a short handle sledge hammer to pop the ball joint out of the spindle. It might be hard to get loose and will make a lot of noise when it does. Be sure you have the car SAFELY blocked up while doing this stuff, I only tell you that because your asking this kind of question..
Annother method I like instead of the pickle fork requires 2 hammers, I use 2 5 lb short handle hammers, hold one against the side of the hole in the spindle where the ball joint goes thru and smak the hell out of the other side, 1 or 2 licks and even stubborn ones come lose.
Be carefull

 

Wrap the spring with a cable or chain to the LCA before decompressing so that it doesn't fly out and hit you in the head - they are under lots of psi compression

 

Do a search. I removed mine (70) last year and did not disconnect the ball joints.

 

FKING1 - How did you accomplish removing the front springs without disconnecting any of the ball joints?

 

If you unbolt the lower cross shaft you can lower the inside part of the control arm and get the spring out.

 

The factory method is to lower the inner pivot point, not undo the ball joint. You can get it out by seperating the ball joint, but it is close to impossible to get it back together.
Rand

 

I have the shock out, i jacked the lower and beat on the ball joint trying to pop it out, it didnt move.. Did that before the post, guess it just needs a bigger hammer But would it be easier to drop at the pivot point instead of the balljoints? Thats the basis of the post, the ball joints look to be pretty new and I dont want to ruin them pulling the springs. And while im at it, the car sits fine, but I take it 34 year old springs loose performance after the years and could use replaced anyway?

 

You should not ruin the ball joint by separating it. But you might tear the rubber boot that covers it. You can buy replacements.

BTW: Since you have the shocks out, I am surprised nobody recommended the SAFE way. Rent a spring compressor. Then there will be no spring tension. Then you can drop the ball joint safely without the fear of it getting loose.

 

Well I'll be...learned something new at my age. It's going to be my weekend project and I think it makes a lot of sense...I guess I'll try it.

 

I have heard of this before but forgot about it. I believe this method will not work with big block springs. I still would use a compressor regardless.

 

I'm not sure which forum I found this on, but it was the easiest.

Basically, use a spring compressor to compress the spring upward against the frame pocket using the upper shock mount as an anchor point.

Rent a spring compressor from a place like Auto Zone. The top portion should have flexible arms and the bottom a slide on foot. The two are connected by a threaded rod and you twist to compress the springs.

Once the shock is removed, put the spring compressor on upside down, threading the rod through the upper shock mount. To do this you will have to seperate the threaded rod and top portion of the spring compressor, put the rod down through the shock mount and setup the top of the spring compressor upside down near the bottom of the spring. Then compress the spring upwards into the frame pocket. You will not use the bottom slide foot at all when doing this.

Once the spring is compressed, undo the lower A-Arm, either at the ball joint or from the frame itself. I found the frame ones to be easier to deal with. Move the lower a A-Arm out of the way and release the spring compressor (slowly).

To install the new springs just reverse this process. One think to note during reinstall is that the frame pocket doesn't point perfectly down into the A-Arm and the compressor will pull the spring close to evenly upward, but not prefectly. So when you release your spring back into the A-Arm you may need a 5lb hammer to tap the spring backwards into the pocket. It goes fairly easily, just release a little, give it a few taps, repeat.

I wish I had know this when pulling my springs. Putting the new ones back in doing this took half the time as just trying to use the compressor alone to remove them.

 

Worked for me.

 

Grab a hack saw, cut the neck on the upper ball joint... shield your face.

Seriously though, remove shocks/ sway bar, jack up the lower control arm a bit, chain around the spring, pop off the upper ball joint (easier than lower) lower the jack, SLOWLY! Done.

Have you ever actually removed springs on a C3? I found no way to fit a spring compressor in there.

 

It will fit, its a bit of a fight, but it will go in from the bottom thru the shock hole. You need to be carefull and guide the screw up into the pocket so it can squeeze the spring down enough.
I have never had a spring get loose, but have heard a lot of stories about it. I either use the 2 hammer method or pickle fork. With a floor jack under the lower control arm it will pop a bit, but thats it.
Lowering the pivot arm will work pretty good, but you still need a floor jack under the control arm to lower it.
Ba carefull, don't have anything under the thing that yu value when doing this..

 

What type of compressor are you trying to use? Once the shock is removed, its not too difficult to get it up through the hole in the control arm. I use this style:


And I agree with lowering the lower control arm at the pivot rather than break loose the ball joints. I've done both and have found the former to be much easier, as long as you use a compressor.

 

I have. Take the shock out, take the compressor apart, two compressor hook parts off, push them through the shock hole, get them in position, then thread the bolt through the holes. Presto.

 

Some Corvette restorers told me their trick.

Run a piece of all-thread rod through the upper shock mount down through the LCA. Put a couple of washers and a nut on the top. Put a round steel plate (larger than the hole in the LCA) and a couple of washers and a nut on the bottom. I had a welder friend cut the metal plate out for me but my friends said you can get one at Home Depot (pipe blind or something).

Turn the nuts to take slack out. Then loosen nut on upper ball joint (don't remove the nut). Leave a small gap.

I beat the hell out of a pickle fork trying to get the upper ball joint loose. I found a procedure in a GM Service Manual using a large socket, bolt, and nut. Put the socket over the lower ball joint where it comes through the LCA. Thread the nut on the bolt. Insert the threaded end of the bolt into the ratchet-end of the socket and the head of the bolt against the upper ball joint. Turn the nut to force the bolt upwards. It pushes the upper balljoint loose.

Sounds complicated. Go to my website www.thespark.us. Click on "suspension" and then "front suspension".

Once the upper balljoint is loose, you can lower the LCA by turning the nuts on the all-thread. The rod down the middle acts as a safety measure in case the spring tries to fly out.

Installation is the reverse. Tighten the nuts on the all-thread to pull the LCA up and compress the spring.

Worked fine for me. The engine was out of my car when I did this so trying to compress the LCA with a floor jack just raised the front of my car off the jackstands.

 

Why are you guys so hot for spring compressors? I've done this so many times and I've never needed a spring compressor, and I'm using a safety chain to catch the spring (and the spring has never ever tried to jump out anyways)... so what's the problem?

 

I have used the following method with great success and I do not have to worry abou the spring bonking me on the head.

1. I place a 2x6x8 hunk of wood on my floor jack and jack the front end of the car up at the front cross member - no dents in the front crossmember that way.
2. Pull both front wheels.
3. Remove the cotter pins on the upper ball joints & losen the nuts to where the hut is on by 3 or 4 threads.
4. Using a 16 oz hammer, bang on the flat spot until the joint seperates on both sides.
5. Lower the jack to the floor.
6. Reach into the wheel well and remove the upper ball joint nut on both sides. There will be a mild "thud" when the lower control arm bottoms on the floor.
7. Slowly jack the front end up. The springs will fall out.

This is the safest way I have found to remove the front springs. No chains - no pullers - no danger of the spring taking your head off!