Okay, I am now done with replacing the lower ball joint (I bought a front end rebuild kit and pressed the new one in) and now I am trying to get my new coil springs in. I didn't know it would be this hard. We bought those coil spring compressors but we can't really use them due to the A - arms being in the way, so we finally cut the compressors down and got the bottom in but now the top won't sit where it should. If anybody has ever replaced coil springs before and have any tips please, please let me know.
Thank you

on mine, I had to use a floor jack at the edge of the lower a-arm and jack it up quite a bit ( if the engine isn't in the car I don't think this works) then I used a prybar to push the top of the spring into the pocket and then jacked it up some more. at this point the spindle came up to meet the upper balljoint and it went together. you may want to try using a chain wrapped through the spring around the assembly for safety. it takes a little bit of effort, but the spring will move over with a two foot prybar.

I just put in my Eibach springs today. I just put my subframe back in today and started mounting everything up. When it came time to install the springs, I used an all thread rod, 3/8 I believe, through the holes the shocks mount to. I used a stack of washer on the bottom, a very large one to keep it in the shock hole and progressed down in size to a 3/8 hole washer. On the top I cut a piece of conduit long enough to get the nut I tightened well above the upper A arm. It worked great. I had to use a pry bar ( coated with duct tape to protect finish) to get the spring seated into the lower control arm as I took up slack on the all thread rod. Just keep clear of the lower control arm as you tighten up the rod, if the rod breaks, look out!
Good luck,
Guy

get the whole car about a foot and a half of the ground. with the lower control arm hanging by the balljoint, put spring in. put a 2x4 block on top of your floor jack,slide the jack under the arm so the block is square with the edge of the control arm at the bushings.jack the arm up and slide in the control arm bolts. It really is that easy. If your going for the 4x4 look you might need to find a fat chick to sit on the front fender while you jack it up.

www.geocities.com/boodlefoof/springs2 (http://www.geocities.com/boodlefoof/springs2)

Okay, I got both coils in now and the old coils were cut about 1.5" shorter. Now with the new coils in my grill is looking at the moon! I knew my car would sit a little higher but it seems it is sitting about 3" higher. Will the new coils settle down ever and if so I don't imagine they will come down more than an inch. Just to say I didn't buy aftermarket springs, I bought factory springs. But if the front end doesn't sit down in a while, I guess I will go get some 1" or 2" lowered springs. By the way, if I switch the springs again, I won't have to replace the lower ball joint again, will I?

I had the same problem... replaced my old coils and suddenly the front stuck up 2 or 3 inches higher than before... I drove it like that for two years and it may have settled a little (1/2''?), but not enough for my taste. I just recently replaced those springs with the Hotchkis 2'' dropped coils and now the car sits perfect.

Take a look... click on the "my '68 Camaro link" then a link at the right of the pic that says "before summer 2002..." You can see the difference...
www.geocities.com/boodlefoof (http://www.geocities.com/boodlefoof)

you won't have to replace the lower ball joint later and if you're careful, you won't damage the rubber boot. don't use a pickle fork unless you can't get the ball joint to separate any other way. put a jack under the a-arm and jack up just a little bit, loosen the castle nut on the lower ball joint until it is up to the top of the threads, use a 3 lb sledge hammer and smack the spindle under the nut where the ball joint shaft goes through. this may take a few trys but it should pop loose with the spring pressure and then you can finish taking off the castle nut.

if those are new springs, For about 3 bucks you can buy a metal cut off blade for your circular saw. cuts through the spring like butter with no heat.If your looking for a perfect height,you might as well practice on these. also,if you read my earlier post there is no reason to even touch the ball joint unless your removing the control arms from the car.just jack up the arm to take the preasure off the arm bolts,pull the bolts and lower the jack. slowly of course.

Okay, I am now officially out of money. So I can cut these springs down about 1.5 to 2" and use them? The last springs I had were cut down but they didn't flatten the end down so it bent the spring and started rubbing on the shock. So what I am thinking is cutting down ths coil about 2" and flattening the point down. This will work, right?

I'd second figman - I cut one coil off my new GM coils and it sits right where I like it and it goes really quick with a 4" grinder and a thin cut-off wheel. the only way I know of to bend the coil flat is to use a torch and heat it til it's red and then bend it but I don't know how much it effects the temper of the metal or if it is just for the top coil. may also make it brittle and maybe crack? we used to torch springs to lower vehicles long ago - drop a full size chevy 3-4" but rides like it has a few bricks rattling around in between the a-arms. my springs fit fine in the pocket - I cut a coil off the top and with the weight of the car down, they sit in pretty good and are centered around the shock.

[This message has been edited by 67rsmoneypit (edited 09-30-2002).]

Has anyone else cut a coil off of stock springs and use them. 67rsmoneypit, you cut a coil off and put the cut end on the top?

Usually cutting two coils on a stock spring lowers the car too much, so that the lower A-arms hit the triagular shaped rubber bumper.
I got tired of scarring-up my freshly painted A-arms with spring compressors and wrenches, so now I don't use them near the car. Here is a preload technique from an old post:

The outside spring compressors will never give you enough space to insert the coil with the compressors attached. I either use the outside type to compress the spring and then use wire wrapped around 6 coils and then release and remove the compressor before installation. Lately I have used my 12-ton shop press to depress the spring before binding it in a semi collapse position.
Once the spring is installed and the upper and lower ball joint castle nuts are on, then you can cut the wire and release the compression. If you have a powder-coated spring and you don't want it to get scared by the bailing wire, then use some healthy 1/4" braided nylon or ski rope and do the same process. With the ski rope you will want to wrap around the gathered coils at least 6 times on both sides of the springs. Needless to say, it is almost impossible to untie a knot in the ski rope after there is coil tension on the rope, so I just cut and sacrifice the rope. The trick to get the spring to slide right up into the upper pocket without interference is to wire the partially collapsed spring with a slight arch or banana shape. You want the arch or bow to protrude away from the car. Because it is always the inside of the coil that will hang-up on the round pocket opening.

correct, I cut one coil off and put the cut end up. with a 225/45/17 on an 8" rim, the fender sits 1 3/4" above the tire.

Hang on guy's. Camaro Kyle, do you have all the wet weight on your car? Meaning, motor, radiator fluid, (hence the term, wet weight) sheet metal, etc..... My car sat the same way after rebuilding & got a lesson from the alignement shop. They wouldn't touch the car until it was done. When they received it they loosened every nut from the steering wheel to the lug nuts. The car settled down 2". And they had to reset one spring I didn't get in the pocket right. http://www.camaros.net/forum/rolleyes.gif They properly torqued everything down to specs. I suggest before you cut any coils, do this first, to see where the car ends up.

Figmandz, I've never seen it done that way. Does it work? I would think it would be difficult to get the bushing end of the A-arm in the frame. Of course the other way isn't very easy either. http://www.camaros.net/forum/biggrin.gif

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by figmandz302:
get the whole car about a foot and a half of the ground. with the lower control arm hanging by the balljoint, put spring in. put a 2x4 block on top of your floor jack,slide the jack under the arm so the block is square with the edge of the control arm at the bushings.jack the arm up and slide in the control arm bolts. It really is that easy. If your going for the 4x4 look you might need to find a fat chick to sit on the front fender while you jack it up. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>



------------------
Steve
67 396 race car project
67 SS 396,4-sp mothballed for resto
67 RS 327,4-sp
72 RS 350/350, under current resto
69 4X4 suburban 350,4-sp
73 3/4 ton 454/400
Stevo Camaro's Toy (http://www.geocities.com/stevocamaro)
Our Muscle Cars (http://community.webshots.com/user/steve_lynell)

The bolt holes pretty much line themselves right up.i think if you try this method you will be impressed. i just installed gw solid bushings last week,although pricey these truely are state of the art bushings.i had to remove the springs a couple of times for trimming. i leave the nuts off the lower arm bolts til i lower the car and check the ride height. There is no way on earth that i am the only one in here doing it this way.Without a compresser there is no other way. I think

I install the A frame bolts, and put the jack as close to the lower ball joint as possible then jack it up, and connect lower ball joint last.
David

------------------
Check my web page for First Gen Camaro suspension info:
David's Motorsports page (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/David_Pozzi/)
First Gen Suspension Page (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/David_Pozzi/first_gen_suspension.htm)
67 RS 327 original owner. 69 Camaro Vintage Racer, 65 Lola T-70 Chev SB Can-Am Vintage Racer

Hey david, is that with or without a compresser.for some reason i can't picture getting the spring in with the arm on such a angle. this way here everything goes up straight,you can actually tell when both ends of the springs are in their pockets.all i can say is give it a try.

figmandz is exactly correct on doing it the way he said, by lifting at the bushing end. In fact in the 69 GM service manuel they give instructions on making a u-shaped jig to fit under the bushings, connected to a floor jack or other lifting device.

if you are using a compressor... you can position it as such that it will draw the spring in at a slight angle so that you can lift the lower control arm up and right into position. If you place on of the two ears of the pulling part of the compressor on a higher coil than the other, the lower coiled ear will pull that side of the spring tighter... position this lower ear on the engine side of the spring and it will draw in the spring at a slight angle. I had a little trouble getting it to work myself this past summer, but it finally worked.