Installing/Removing front coil springs on '74

[p0stal]

Well I decided I would take the time during spring break to redo my front suspension. I started today (break doesn't start until next week), and so far I have the shock removed, and that's about it. I borrowed a spring compressor from my school's auto shop, and it won't fit through my lower control arm, because the hole is too small. In my service manual, it talks about using a jack, and some kind of tool to support the control arm and relieve the springs tension, and never says anything about using a spring compressor. I still have the brakes on (drum brakes), because the manual doesn't say anything about removing them.

I have looked through a few of the other threads related to this, but I am still a little confused on what to do.

Any step-by-step instructions or advice would be helpful.

[DriveWFO]

Danno has some nice pics of his front suspension rebuild here: http://community.webshots.com/album/73612206MzqoSe

[p0stal]

I'm confused...soo all he did was remove the tie rod, push the control arm up with the floor jack, then lowered the jack and it was magically free? Hahaha... I am really not understanding this.

Thanks for the help though.

[Jason628]

Greetings,

Put a floor jack underneath the control arm and jack it up until it supports the arm. Then pull out the cotter pin and take the nut off of your upper ball joint. relieve a little bit of pressure on the control arm and see if the ball joint stud will come through the spindle. Since it probably won't, take a pickle fork and sledgehammer and wail on the pickle fork until the 2 pop loose. Then lower the floor jack SLOWLY and the spring will fall out on the floor.

Jason

[DriveWFO]

Greetings,

Put a floor jack underneath the control arm and jack it up until it supports the arm. Then pull out the cotter pin and take the nut off of your upper ball joint. relieve a little bit of pressure on the control arm and see if the ball joint stud will come through the spindle. Since it probably won't, take a pickle fork and sledgehammer and wail on the pickle fork until the 2 pop loose. Then lower the floor jack SLOWLY and the spring will fall out on the floor.

Jason

Also note that Danno used a safety chain around the spring!!!

[p0stal]

Yea I wasn't planning on doing it without the chain :) .

Thanks for the help.