My Coil springs set to low or they are just warn out. I need to raise the car (69 Camaro 350) due to tire rub and header scrape. Can I replace the springs without having to break the Ball Joints down? I have just replaced them. Is there any other way to raise the car without changing the springs?

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!!

Coils springs can, over time, lose some of their height. Are you running a heavier engine than they were rated for? Sometimes an engine change can necessitate a spring rate change (ie SBC to BBC conversion).

As far as changing the springs without separating the ball joint... not possible I am afraid. Good news is that you only need to disconnect the lower ball joint. Make sure you have jackstands under the subframe and then a floor jack tight against the lower control arm (once you remove the shock that is) before separating the lower ball joint. Then lower the control arm until you are able to remove the spring. In some cases you might have to use a spring compressor to completely get the spring out. Going back together is definitely easier if you have a spring compressor to reduce the spring height before jacking the lower arm back into position.

Be safe about this, this can be a "finger loser"!

I did not mess around with the ball joints when replacing my coil springs!.....I merely removed the 2 nuts and bolts securing the lower control arm to the frame!....Position the floor jack under the control arm, chain down the spring and just BE CAREFUL when lowering!:thumbsup:

Thanks very much!!

Thanks very much!!


You're Welcome!:thumbsup:

I did not mess around with the ball joints when replacing my coil springs!.....I merely removed the 2 nuts and bolts securing the lower control arm to the frame!....Position the floor jack under the control arm, chain down the spring and just BE CAREFUL when lowering!:thumbsup:

Never tried it that way, thought about it and figured it would be a PITA to get the bolt holes lined back up trying to raise the control arm back into place. Also wasn't sure that I'd get enough movement at the ball joint to pull the arm down far enough. Glad to hear you were able to pull it off.

Never tried it that way, thought about it and figured it would be a PITA to get the bolt holes lined back up trying to raise the control arm back into place. Also wasn't sure that I'd get enough movement at the ball joint to pull the arm down far enough. Glad to hear you were able to pull it off.


Piece of cake, man!:thumbsup:....The trick is to compress the spring down to around 12" or so, with an internal spring compressor, before installing!.....Thus making it very easy to line up the bolt holes and raise that thing back in place!....Stick around here, you'll learn alot of quick, safe, easy installations of stuff!:yes::thumbsup:

Where does someone find an internal spring compressor? I have to lower my front end.

I bought the one below, because Eastwood is close by. You should be able to find one closer to you, maybe even in the "loner" tools at Autozone or Advance.

http://www.eastwood.com/coilspring-compressor-internal.html

And the best way to use one of those on a first gen F-body is to unscrew the lower set of ears (the center is threaded) and take the "upper" set of ears off and set them aside. Feed the "lower" set of ears in through the shock mount opening in the lower control arm so that the hooks will be open when facing up. Then you feed the big bolt down through the upper shock mount, and thread the block with the ears onto it. Once you have the ears hooked over the spring as low as you can, you can draw up against the upper shock mount, compressing the spring up into the pocket on the subframe.

Before this you unbolt the shock on the top and the bottom and remove?