Front spring removal
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 205
Likes: 3
From: Great Mills Maryland
Front spring removal
Has anyone tried to remove or take the load off the front spring with no weight up front? My engine is out. I'd like to remove control arms to rebuild front end. Not sure how much travel the spring has. I'm thinking I could just start removing the nut on the shock with a jackstand under the control arm. I'd have to remove the spring protector cover and sway bar first. The car is on four stands.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 180
Likes: 12
From: Ramsey Minnesota
I'm no expert, but I had mine out a few weeks ago to lower the ride height so I have some idea. You won't get a whole more drop from the spring than where you're at now, but there will be some. You'll have no problem taking up the slack with a floor jack to remove the shock but be sure to install the jack so it can roll as the spring drops - said another way, put it parallel to the spring, not to the chassis. It won't move much but if you install perpendicular to the spring it may want to tip in as you drop it. Once you get one side down the other won't give you much trouble.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 205
Likes: 3
From: Great Mills Maryland
I'm no expert, but I had mine out a few weeks ago to lower the ride height so I have some idea. You won't get a whole more drop from the spring than where you're at now, but there will be some. You'll have no problem taking up the slack with a floor jack to remove the shock but be sure to install the jack so it can roll as the spring drops - said another way, put it parallel to the spring, not to the chassis. It won't move much but if you install perpendicular to the spring it may want to tip in as you drop it. Once you get one side down the other won't give you much trouble.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,236
Likes: 286
Be careful, without the engine weighing down the front, the spring under tension & you'll have no way of releasing it slowly.
You most likely won't get it back together until the engine is back in the car.
You most likely won't get it back together until the engine is back in the car.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 34,988
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From: Riverside County Southern California
Co-winner 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
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Lift front
Place 4 or 6 ton jackstands under the frame behind the gills. Do not place jackstands on cross member. The higher the better.
Remove tires
Place jack under lower control arm, raise jack to put enough lift for the following:
Remove sway bar hardware, remove shocks hardware, remove lower ball joint nut, and tie rod.
Carefully, lower the lower control arm, you may have to step on it to release complete tension. If the LWC touches the floor, the Vette is not high enough.
repeat previous step on the opposite side.
Remove monospring's four bolts. 14mm top, 15mm bottom
Slide monospring out.
Now it's a good time to clean all that crud out.
Place 4 or 6 ton jackstands under the frame behind the gills. Do not place jackstands on cross member. The higher the better.
Remove tires
Place jack under lower control arm, raise jack to put enough lift for the following:
Remove sway bar hardware, remove shocks hardware, remove lower ball joint nut, and tie rod.
Carefully, lower the lower control arm, you may have to step on it to release complete tension. If the LWC touches the floor, the Vette is not high enough.
repeat previous step on the opposite side.
Remove monospring's four bolts. 14mm top, 15mm bottom
Slide monospring out.
Now it's a good time to clean all that crud out.
Pro
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 677
Likes: 3
From: Metairie LA
I did mine with the engine removed. Came apart fine but had a heck of a time getting it back together. Could not get the lower ball joints to tighten until I got the engine back in (didn't have air tools back then).
As PLXR says - a lot of crud in there - clean it out while you can.
As PLXR says - a lot of crud in there - clean it out while you can.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 205
Likes: 3
From: Great Mills Maryland
Thanks for the replies and tips. I put my floor jack under each lower ball joint, lifted to remove weight from jack stand then removed shock nut and sway bar bolt. Lowered until control arm freed up. Not too bad of a job. Will wait until motor is in to re-assemble.
