I finally got back at my front end today. A friend had lent me his spring compressor, so figured I'd get the coils out today.

Good plan...BUT...lol


The compressor I have is an "internal" compressor, but the joint that holds the two "butterflies" that slip over the coils is too big to fit through the opening in the LCA where the shock mounts. Went to the local auto shop and picked up a "free" rental...but it's an external so that won't work because it can't get close enough to the coils.

So my question is...what brand of spring compressor are you guys using?
It looks like I could take some threaded rod and run it down from the top with some washers and put a plate on the bottom of the control arm then tighten it up enough to take the spring pressure off the control arm bolts.

I'm replacing the upper and lower control arms, so it's all going to come apart anyway.

Will this method work?

Jim

Engine in?
Use the engine weight, undo the bottom shock and drop the bottom A frame slowly with the jack.
And reverse to replace...
There are serval old posts on the subject, including same real dicky practices and warnings when there is no engine weight.

Use your floor jack to compress the spring to get it in and out. Use a chain or cable through the spring and around the subframe to keep it from popping out for safety.

Sorry...forgot to say that the engine is out...body is off. Just the subframe sitting on jackstands, so no weight to work with.

Jim

Well read some of the old posts about 6 mths /yr ago.

I had to modify my Hasting spring compressor so it will fit through the shock hole took very little. Just use one butter fly not two. Put a big washer on the rod and insert it down through the upper shock hole , then take the butter fly and pull up on the spring against the chassis, careful not take too big of bite so you can release the spring all the way down. Then knock of your lower ball joint and with the floor jack and spring compressor you have better control on the spring! Works great for me done dozens like that!

I rented mine from Auto Zone. Ran it upside down. I put the long bolt through the top of the shock tower. I had to take apart the arms to get it in the bottom of the LCA. I then used an impact to compress the spring upwards. It actually worked very well and it seemed pretty safe also.

I was gonna say dont give up on the compressor too quickly. When I did mine at first I thought it wouldn't go though the LCA hole either. But the loops that lock over the springs should pivot in a bunch of different directions that with a little fooling with it should go in and get over the springs....this was my experience any way

The spring compressor that I used never fit through the hole .... assembled. Take it apart and put it through the hole one leg first then the body then the other leg. Position it horizontally with a hook on each side of the spring and "thread" it up as high on the spring as you can. now put the threaded bolt in and then the foot across as low as pratical and impact it up untill the pressure is off. Now diconnnect ball joints and remove spindle then let the pressure off the spring and let the control arm down.

Jeff

try to remove the fingers as suggested,
http://www.camaros.net/forums/picture.php?albumid=23&pictureid=107

then assemble them inside the coil spring.

http://www.camaros.net/forums/picture.php?albumid=23&pictureid=108

http://www.camaros.net/forums/picture.php?albumid=23&pictureid=109

Thanks for the pics/explanation. Unfortunately, this is an old compressor, and the fingers don't come apart. The piece that holds the fingers is cast, and the fingers look like they're on a sleve that's pressed into the assembly. I think it's time to go with some chain and some threaded rod. I think I can use the "hand" portion of the compressor, run threaded rod down from the UCA, and then tighten enough to compress the spring just enough to take pressure off the lower ball joint then slowly lower it.

Jim

They're a tight fit, but should be able to come out without taking the arms off the block. You will have to take the large center bolt of the compressor out, then wiggle the arms/block through vertically (one arm down, then the block, then the other arm).

Might also want to pull the lower j-clips for the shocks that are in the LCA. Sometimes that is all the extra room you need.

I made mine out of 5/8 in. threaded rod, some large washers and nuts, and 2 old lawn mower blades that I cut off and shaped to fit the spring. I've been using it professionally for 20 years and never have had a problem.

More power to you guys!!! Those things are beyond dangerous even though they work often without a problem, but when they fail you better not be around:noway::sad:. I have used those cheapy compressors and have had them fail more than once. They ONLY one out there that I would use is a Snap On, it is quality and won't fail, but it will set you back some $300. I installed mine with the engine and frame out of the car so there was no weight and did it with a jack like was mentioned which is a lot safer. It can be done but you do have sit and think about how to make it happen. Just my thoughts.

Jim, you can borrow it from Auto Zone. They refund you 100% when you bring it back. It comes apart easy, just like those pics show.

More power to you guys!!! Those things are beyond dangerous even though they work often without a problem, but when they fail you better not be around:noway::sad:. I have used those cheapy compressors and have had them fail more than once. They ONLY one out there that I would use is a Snap On, it is quality and won't fail, but it will set you back some $300. I installed mine with the engine and frame out of the car so there was no weight and did it with a jack like was mentioned which is a lot safer. It can be done but you do have sit and think about how to make it happen. Just my thoughts.

I agree people die more often than u think...
Best practice do it with the engine in..
I did mine out yrs ago and I was terrified
"It can be done but you do have sit and think about how to make it happen."
I put a chain around the A frames and a 1 ton jack between the chain and bottom A arm..even had to use a long pipe to get enough pressure to compress the spring....I had another chain holding the spring in case thing turn sad.....I WILL NEVER do it again, once things where unbolted it was scarry...And killed the jack.

MAYBE if had to I would remove the shock, and replace with a threaded bar, about 3/4 to 1nch diam, make a plate to fit where the top of the shock goes and another for the bottom...then unwind/wind nuts at the top or bottom.
If anything goes, the bar should stop the spring heading towards another workshop in the next town.

My zone only had an external compressor, which I brought home, and it didn't work. Not enough clearance to get the compressors in next to the spring.

Sooooooooooooooooooo....what with necessity being the mother of invention and all, I took a play out of Oldrocker's book.

Bought a 24" piece of 5/8" threaded rod, along with the nut/washer kit.
Took the "hand" portion of my friends compressor, stuffed it into the spring as far down on the coils as I could get it.
Ran the rod down from the top, put a washer and two nuts on the bottom, then pulled it up towards the frame by tightening the nut on top of the UCA.
That took the pressure off the LCA bolts so I could remove the LCA, then loosed up the threaded rod.
Took a little time, but it worked, and I think the rod and the nuts were about $5.
I like the lawnmower blade idea too.

Jim