[Aaron65]

Hey all,

I have to admit, it's been a while since I've gotten my ass so thoroughly kicked by a seemingly simple operation, but I'm replacing the control arm bushings in my '74 and I cannot get the spring in.

I've tried a compressor through the shock hole, but it didn't compress the spring enough. I've tried a 4-jaw inside compressor and compressed the spring before putting it in the car, but the pigtail gets hung up on the shock hole in the lower control arm and it won't budge after that. It seems like the problem is that the upper spring mount is not on the same plane as the lower spring mount when I try to jack up the lower control arm.

This shouldn't be this hard! I've installed coils before, though never on an F-Body. The springs are stock height Esprit springs. What am I doing wrong???

Aaron

[Grand73Am]

I have this coil spring compressor, which makes the job easier and safer. More expensive, but worth it if you do more than one car. I got mine on eBay. This link shows the compressor from Walmart. Good price if you can get free shipping. Or you can find a deal on eBay with free shipping:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/OTC-Tools...&wl13=&veh=sem

[vitamin c]

Definitely like playing with a hand grenade, but the easiest way I found was to use the 4 finger/jaw type compressor through the shock hole. After wrestling it long enough I dug out the service manual to read up on the factory procedure and it has you install the spring with the lower ball joint attached and the lower control arm bolts removed. It gives you a straighter line to slide the spring up into the pocket.

[Aaron65]

After wrestling with this thing all day and having the spring jump out of the claw compressor while I was trying to pry the spring into place, I just bucked up and ordered that OTC tool from Amazon. It sucks to spend that much on a tool I won't use too often, but life's too short to struggle with jobs that should be easy. Thanks for the heads up, Steve.

Vitamin C, I tried that tactic, but that long spring pushes out on the control arm so I was fighting it trying to push it toward the frame. Maybe I'm just lazy.

[64speed]

That spring tool from amazon is awesome. It made my front in job so much easier. Well worth the money. The only complaint is your arms will go numb threaded and I threading the rod.

[frankyboy455]

Not sure for a second gen but I can tell you that if you do them the way the service manual says for a 1st gen, it's a piece of cake. Did some on one of my cars a little while ago, didn't even remove the wheels. You have to remove the two bolts holding the lower A-arm bushings and go that way.

[Grand73Am]

Originally Posted by Aaron65

Thanks for the heads up, Steve.

You're welcome Aaron. It not a regular simple compressor, so follow the instructions that come with it to get familiar with using it. I used mine when rebuilding the front suspension on my 79 TA recently, so no problem with a 2nd gen F-body. No problem with the control arms bolted to the frame. I love the way it works and I think you will too.

[jamaca85]

i used that same one on my 70 worked out great

[HWYSTR455]

Haven't seen one of those before, and I like it. I'm going to have to get one of those.


.

[Schurkey]

When I did Father-in-Law's '77, I used a loaner tool spring compressor from O'Reillys. Seemed to work well.

[vidguy]

I have done it both way's on my 75 Formula. I found it easier to remove the bushing bolts as Frankyboy455 noted and do it from inside rather than the outside. Then you can strap it up around the tire or rotor etc, and pull it in with a ratchet strap to get it seated if need be. (may be a safer arrangement too..)

I R/R'd front springs 4 times on this car during my "Front Spring Period"..

One catch is the rear bolt (on the driver side) has to be able to clear your header tube as you Remove and Reinstall it, IF you have Headers. , as I think the factory arrangement was to have the bolt come in from the rear into the bushing.

[Skip Fix]

I've had a hard enough time lining up lower control arm bushing holes without spring tension on them. Now did it that way on my 73 Chevy tuck as lower had a cross shaft that bolted to the frame. I've done it through the shock hole from the bottom both sets of jaws. Last set of short stiff springs found one that fit through the top shock hole.

[Bobalong]

More years than I care to remember since I did bushings.

I remember using a chain to fasten it to some component so if the spring got away from me it was chained to the car.

[leeklm]

The tool looks nice, very similar to what I built. I used a length of 5/8" ready rod, a couple of grade 8 washers, and a 1/4" steel plate for the bottom/control arm side. I double nut the bottom, and use a rachet to turn (wrench on the top shock tower side), along with some assistance from the floor jack to take some pressure off when it almost fully compressed.

If I was doing this every month I would order the tool, but for the occasional spring change, my little $5 setup works well and is relatively safe if you are careful.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[vidguy]

Originally Posted by Skip Fix

I've had a hard enough time lining up lower control arm bushing holes without spring tension on them. Now did it that way on my 73 Chevy tuck as lower had a cross shaft that bolted to the frame. I've done it through the shock hole from the bottom both sets of jaws. Last set of short stiff springs found one that fit through the top shock hole.

I get it. Nothing about front springs is easy. I hate that task.

Just check that the arm ends won't bind going back in between the flanges when you have the spring out.

I ended up keeping the tool I rented. I did use the tool, just did it after getting the spring in from inside, jacking up the arm a bit, then inserting tool and tightening, then sliding/hammering the bolts in. In my experience, the spring goes into the pocket more readily from the inside. That part of the task for me, as with the OP was the real PITA. That is why I tried it the other way the 3rd and 4th time I did this..

[64speed]

Seriously that tool is amazing but take the time to learn how to use it. Funny thing we had the spring fully compressed and my nephew dropped it and as it was falling I was thinking here we go. Never flinched, I think you could keep a spring compressed for an eternity with that thing

[Squidward]

I did the springs on my 67 FB with nothing other than a small nylon ratchet strap for general retention purposes. Getting them back in was pretty much getting it roughly into place, giving it a little kick, and then indexing the spring to the pocket. So for you guys who have done front springs on 1st AND 2nd gens, are they different enough so that 2nd gen spring management is so much more difficult?

[leeklm]

Not sure about the F bodies, but on a 76 Monte Carlo I could r&r the springs with a hyd jack, and not remove the control arm bolts. However on my 73 A body, I can remove the spring by pivoting the control arm down, (with a little load still on the spring), but no way can I get them back in without removing the bolts.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[Aaron65]

I got sidetracked on a few other small projects this week, so I haven't gotten to spring installation yet. I have looked through the instructions of the new compressor very carefully, and they even recommend to install the control arm from the bushing side. Honestly, I thought the toughest part of this project was going to be getting the rusty 45 year old bushings out (and that too has sucked), but I had no idea the springs were going to be such a bear. The new compressor looks good, well-built and (hopefully) very safe, or at least as safe as something holding a spring under tension can be.

[Aaron65]

I just wanted to update that everyone's right...this spring compressor is amazing. I tightened it down and put the spring in from the engine side, and a little maneuvering with the jack later and it was in. As others have mentioned, it would be very difficult for the spring to pop out of this compressor considering the way it was designed. Thanks to everybody.