how many time does it take to change the front spring of a C4,
is it difficult?

 

Michel,

that it beyond a pain.

the rear spring is easy enough. but the front is nasty.

I don't know the exact hours, tho.

 

Changing the front spring is not a job for the faint of heart. It took me two full days to get it done and I had a friend helping me(only for an hour though). I have an '84 and only really know about that year, so others please chime in. If you have the Z51 suspension, the spring will have more curvature and will be more aggravating to slide out when the time comes. I do not have the Z51 option and my spring was much flatter compared to the Z51 spring. As far as the actual work, get your Vette as high (within reason) off the ground as you can (supported by enough jackstands as to remain safe when you're pounding on your car). My wheels were a foot off the ground. Of course a lift is every car guy's wet dream and that's especially true for this job.

Disconnect the lower ball joints while having a jack under the lower control arm to absorb the pressure of the spring. This way you can release the pressure slowly instead of like a gunshot. Swivel the control arms down so they point toward the ground. Unbolt the spring mounts(2 bolts on either side). These bolts have nuts and really are a pain in the butt to undo but if you have patience and/or a helper, you will prevail. Now you are ready to slide the spring out of the car. I slid it out on the driver's side but whichever way you can get it to come out FOR YOU is the way it should be done. Take extra care and pay attention to all of the parts that come off the car and note which parts your new spring has(or doesn't have). You don't want to rush this part of the job. Make sure you understand absolutely everything about your front spring. This effort will ensure that you don't leave something out or put something in backwards. It would really :U :U :U if you had to take this apart again for no good reason, so when you are putting the spring back into place, know what you are doing or stop.

As far as experience on this particular job, I have seen many of these springs and have only had to replace my own once but I just did it a few months ago. As always, it would be nice to get some corroboration from other members ;)

 

:iagree: Only difference is I did it in about 8 hours working by myself, no lift. I used a Vette Brakes & Products replacement and it was a lot flatter than the OEM non-Z51 spring. The brackets for the spring have the bolts down through the front crossmember, so take a good look and locate all four spots so you will know where they are. I was able to get to all four without removing anything from the engine. Mine was on an 86.

 

Good "how to" tarheel1. I would take exception to your comment on the Z51 spring having MORE arch than a base spring however. It's the opposite.

 

Just for the record: I think the Z-51 and 84 suspensions are identical. GM softened up the ride after 84 to make the car appealing to a broader market, but added the Z-51 option for enthusiasts. I could be wrong, but I swear I've read that in a bunch of places.

 

thats pretty close to it... the Z51 and Z07 were always the hot ticket for cornering.

GM softened ALL the suspensions over the years. nothing ever got as stiff as the Z51 in 84. that was a kidney killer.

 

Bought a lowering kit for the front of my '84....but after reading the Haynes manual on how to pull the front spring....well .........looks to hard....
I'm just "faint" of heart I guess.
Will get the courage one of these days...for just 1/2 to 3/4" seems like to much work...
tony
:eek: :eek: :eek:


[Modified by oldace84, 8:57 AM 12/10/2002]

 

It isn't that hard, just takes lots of time to get the parts off is all. Get the car up on jackstands high enough so that you can envision the lower a-arm swinging down and pointing straight down to the ground. A few more inches would be better there as well, but I think you get the idea.
Then remove the wheel.
Remove brake caliper bracket bolts and hang caliper out of the way. (think Bungees)
Remove brake rotor.
Disconnect the aluminum splash shields at the inner part of the control arm.
Disconnect and remove the shock. (you don't need to really at the top, but it's just easier getting some of this stuff out of the way. No damage that way.)
Disconnect the sway bar from the bracket. (use jack to take some pressure off the bolts.)
Disconnect the lower ball joint from the knuckle. Take care not to cut ball joint rubber grease cup. I don't want to say how because there are many ways to accomplish this task. You do what you want. (a jack comes in handy again to remove the pressure so as not to damage stuff here. The lower arm will want to shoot downward because of the spring pressure.) Bungee upper a-arm assy out of the way. All the way up, you'll need the room for later.
Take pressure off the spring by slowly lowering the jack. You then need to get under the car and loosen the four bolts that hold the spring into place. These aluminum brackets must be cut off the amount of rubber that is removed from the spring later on. These are a total PITA!! Just takes perserverance to get it done. You might think to leave the bolts hanging down in there, but don't. You need the space to get the spring in and out.
While you are under there, grab the a-arms and pull them down out of the way.
Remove spring.
The Factory Manual explains this all pretty good. You don't need that special GM tool. But care must be used to not damage the car or yourself.

This is all from my memory. Take care in doing this job, but it is doable in a weekend or a day....depends on your abilities and speed of working. There are many ways to do this in sequences, this one is mine.

 

I agree. I doubt I would bother with a lowering kit... unless I was installing an upgraded spring.

 

Wow, you guys make it seem as bad as a restoration on the car!
Plan a day around the job, grab a six pack (if your into that kinda thing) and get done in a few hours and enjoy the 6'er the rest of the evening. I think we did reyderz car in about 6 hours or so? That included installing the lowering kit f/r and hanging out.

Oldace. If interested I might be able to swing down over some weekend sometime and help out with yours.

As a short note... Would people be interested in buying pre-lowered springs on an exchange basis to save on time/effort (it can be a pita to lower them)? I am thinking of stockpiling some springs and lowering them to help ppl out...

Matt

 

I live in Raleigh., Check out http://www.thscc.com for some track and autocrossing
activities. VIR is just about a hours drive north of Chapell Hill and we will
be there in Feb and in April.