front coil spring removal ..

what is the best(safest) way to remove front coil springs. I figured id ask before i did soething stupid:beat:

Use a coil spring compressor. :)

put the car on jackstands, then put the jack under the a-arm, undo the bottom balljoint, let the jack down. Stand in front of the car with a prybar, pry them out towards the side, they arent actually under much pressure at this point. They pop right out. You will need a spring compressor to put them back in though. Unless you got lowering springs. The eibach 1.5 lowering springs i put in slid right in.

Rent a coil spring compressor to put them back in. They usually come out without killing anyone. Autozone rents them for free.

Kev

write a check to the repair man. :yes:

HEHEHEHEH... Her hold my Beer and watch this sh.....t

get out the video cam... we want a movie!:rolleyes:

I once observed a friend get his hand pinched fairly sever while trying to hold the spring in place and using a floor jack to lower the bottom A arm down. IMO, floor jacks should have wheel locks to hold them in place instead of rolling off so easily.

I would suggest a good set of leather gloves. And buying or renting the spring compressor tool. Also I would tie a short piece of rope around the spring holding it loosely in place. That way it doesn't spring out and knick the paint off the fender edge or fly across the room if the floor jack shifts. A just-in-case sort of thing.

Wasnt this just covered in this thread? as what not to do?

http://www.stevesnovasite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90756

Lower eye from an old shock welded to 5/8 all thread cupler and a 2foot ps of all tread nutted and warshed on the top grind flats on top end for a wrench. Replace shock with this befor poping ball joint or jacking car up to remove tire.

I did it similar to pwrtrp. Use a safety chain. :yes:

See pics 5, 6, and 7 here:
http://rides.webshots.com/album/73612206MzqoSe

I swapped the front springs in my car by doing what Pwrtrip75 described. I pulled out the stocks springs put in a set of Moroso tricks springs lowered the car and drove around the block and the car and it sat to low. I pulled the trick springs out cut half a coil off the stock springs a put them back in. I did all that in less than two hours using air tools.

thanks to all the helpful :yes: o yeah thanks to all the comedians to

i use a cutting torch, cut into 4 or five pieces then pop the ball joint and let the pieces fall out. putting it in requires a spring compressor.

On my 63 I used a standard coil spring compressor to remove the springs. Since that was really kind of scary, I bought this.

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb.dll?parta~showpic~Z5Z5Z50000132a~Z5Z5Z5AADUY~Z5 Z5Z51~Z5Z5Z5~Z5Z5Z5

By far the best money I've ever spent on a tool.

What year is your Eric?

The floor jack method won't work on a 1st or 2nd genner:no:

On my 63 I used a standard coil spring compressor to remove the springs. Since that was really kind of scary, I bought this.

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb.dll?parta~showpic~Z5Z5Z50000132a~Z5Z5Z5AADUY~Z5 Z5Z51~Z5Z5Z5~Z5Z5Z5

By far the best money I've ever spent on a tool.

Me too. Those things rock. I don't know if they will work on his '71 though.

On my 63 I used a standard coil spring compressor to remove the springs. Since that was really kind of scary, I bought this.

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb.dll?parta~showpic~Z5Z5Z50000132a~Z5Z5Z5AADUY~Z5 Z5Z51~Z5Z5Z5~Z5Z5Z5

By far the best money I've ever spent on a tool.

What did that cost and where did you get it? I honestly can't remember how I got mine out and back in, but I do recall it wasn't much fun and took longer than it should have. I believe a prybar was involved in the removal, and a conventional coil spring compressor for the re-install. Neither was pretty.

What did that cost and where did you get it? I honestly can't remember how I got mine out and back in, but I do recall it wasn't much fun and took longer than it should have. I believe a prybar was involved in the removal, and a conventional coil spring compressor for the re-install. Neither was pretty.

Check the link in my review thread: http://www.stevesnovasite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85549

Oh yeah, and, you may want to PM novajoe about these.

On my 63 I used a standard coil spring compressor to remove the springs. Since that was really kind of scary, I bought this.

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb.dll?parta~showpic~Z5Z5Z50000132a~Z5Z5Z5AADUY~Z5 Z5Z51~Z5Z5Z5~Z5Z5Z5

By far the best money I've ever spent on a tool.

The one I made was along the same line as this . It cost about 5 bucks at the time . mine is a thind gen. Put it back in with same tool but had to be creative.

What did that cost and where did you get it? I honestly can't remember how I got mine out and back in, but I do recall it wasn't much fun and took longer than it should have. I believe a prybar was involved in the removal, and a conventional coil spring compressor for the re-install. Neither was pretty.

Chevy 2 Only had them on sale a couple of months ago. I think it was $45 or so. I think the normal price is $59.95 or something like that.