remember the guy...

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Well I decided to use the "MFE" method of replacing my springs and I finished one side so far. I am also replacing just about the entire suspension so it's taking a bit longer than I anticipated, but it's working and it seems to be fairly safe if you use ratcheting straps to keep the spring in line...just in case. Here's a write up on how to do it. And this method is faster than the hose clamp method..LOL!

Mustangmotorsport - Mustangs and a whole lot more!
Here is the tech article for installing springs:

This is the procedure I've used to change front springs in a Fox-body Mustang without the use of a spring compressor, which due to packaging of the front end components is often a source of frustration. And unlike other methods that require disconnecting the struts and actually prying the springs in and out, this one lets the spring completely decompress so that no unsafe prying is required.

Bear in mind that compressed springs contain a lot of stored energy. I am documenting the steps I took to perform this operation and although I am comfortable performing this task you should know that as with any job if you do it you do so at your own risk.

Required tools:

- Floor jack
- a 2nd jack, not necessary but helps
- 2 Jackstands
- Crowbar
- A good socket wrench is preferred, with the following sockets mandatory, box wrenches a less attractive alternative:
- 21 mm deep
- 24 mm deep
- 15 mm deep
- penetrating oil
- a "persuader" made of a roughly 12-inch length of roughly 2-inch pipe. Slipped over a wrench and used to effectively lengthen it, it is invaluable when it comes to applying real torque to really tight bolts.
- a small hammer
- a medium sized flat blade screwdriver

Now on to how I've done the install:

Block the rear wheels, raise the front, and place the car on jackstands. Keep in mind you'll want all available floor space to place the jacks under the inner side of the A-arm so the stands will need to be pretty close together and you don't want the car close to any walls or other cars.

Remove the front tires. Undo the lower swaybar end links (15 mm deep).

Spray some penetrating oil on the nuts and bolts that attach the inner end of the A-arm to the K-member.

Loosen the inner a-arm bolts but do not remove the bolts yet. You won't be able to, but don't even try. Breaking these loose will require a lot of torque on the 24mm. The bolt on the other end is 21 mm, put a wrench on that for leverage.

With the nuts loose, place a floor jack at the inside lip of the A-arm, between the mounting ears.

Raise the jack until you can see the tension taken off one of the bolts (probably the rearward one first). Punch the bolt out with a small hammer and jockey with the jack until you can remove the bolt. You may want to insert the screwdriver to keep things roughly centered while you remove the other bolt, just don't forget to remove the screwdriver before lowering the assembly.

Place the second jack so it will raise the other ear of the arm while you position the rest of the arm with the first jack. The arm will bend a bit if unsupported so you need the second jack for the second bolt.

Notice that the spring is in a perch and can't squirt out. Notice it's in a perch at the top too. Notice that when you lower the jacks, the spring will decompress vertically and that thanks to the strut and the tie rod still being attached it is very unlikely the spring will ever squirt out. But don't have your head in the wheel-well nonetheless and if you're the real nervous type tie it to the K-member with a piece of rope or chain. Lower it until the spring is fully decompressed, which will happen well before the jack gets to the bottom of its travel.

With the jack lowered and out of the way, swing the A-arm to the rear and the spring will practically fall out.

Cut the insulator off the bottom lengthwise so it will come off, then wind it onto the bottom of your new spring.

Clean off the crud out of the lower spring perch.

Position the spring so the bottom end (the one that isn't flattened) ends up between the two holes in the spring pocket. Position it in its pocket at the top, which may require raising the jack a bit just to hold it in place, and then get the jack positioned so the A-arm is roughly lined up.

Raise the jack and guide the A-arms into place. A little WD-40 type stuff on the pockets in the K-member eases the positioning process.

When you get at least one of the ears situated roughly (probably the rearward one), you'll probably have to pry on the ear out a bit to get the bolt holes to line up. Insert the prybar from the bottom between the K-member pocket and the ear on the A-arm and you can move the arm in and out pretty easily. By being precise with the jack and prying a bit if necessary you'll be able to slip the bolt right through and seat it. Place the nut on it for safekeeping but don't tighten it down yet.

Place the second jack under the other ear just like you did to remove its bolt, and positioning the jacks and wiggling things around as necessary, pop the second bolt through and install the nut but don't tighten it.

DOUBLE CHECK that you haven't bumped a jackstand out of the way in the process. It's easy to do because raising the A-arm will probably lift that side off the stand and it's easy to bump it out of the way when you move the jack around. So easy you might not notice you moved it so trust me on this, before you lower the jacks, double check the placement of the jackstands.

Lower the jacks and put one under the balljoint and raise it until the assembly simulates ride height position. This is so the bushings get torqued down in their natural position (If you don't do this you'll be "preloading" the bushings when at ride height). This will probably raise that side off the jackstand a bit again but that's OK, leave it right where it is for safety. Tighten the nuts down now. I don't have a torque reading but suffice to say it's tight as hell.

You're about 1.5 hours into the job and you're done with that side.

Don't replace the swaybar end link nuts until you finish with the other side.

Now do the other side as outlined above. Reattach the swaybar endlinks when you're done. You may have to pry on them a bit to give yourself enough clearance. When all is said and done you should be about 3 hours down with the whole front done.

NOW FOR THE REARS

Block the front wheels and raise the rear end. Leave the floorjack under the diff, and place the rear end on jackstands just ahead of where the lower control arms connect.

Remove the rear wheels.

Undo and remove the swaybar (15mm Deep)

Undo the lower shock mount, fasteners vary but it may be a Torx and it may be a 15mm 18mm combo.

Remove the quad shocks.

Lower the jack so the axle drops as far as you can without pulling the rear brake flex line.

Now put a second jack under one end of the axle and raise that end as high as you can.

You can now probably just pluck the low-side's spring out. If not, have a helper stand on the low end of the axle to help it the last little bit and pull the spring out, it's not under any compression at this point.

Swap isolators to the new spring, orient it so the flat side is up and the bottom pigtail points to the drivers side (for BOTH springs).

Lower the high-side jack, make sure the new spring is seated properly, and repeat the process for the other side.

When you're done, raise the diff back up, reconnect the quad shocks and shocks. Re-attach the swaybar, reinstall the wheels, lower the car and you're done in way under an hour.

*Installation procedure courtesy of Frasier Elliott (MFE)

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at:

[email protected]
 
The MFE method... well it wasnt invented by him... regardless has been being used for a long period of time. According to a few guys I know that are legends :D literally(becuase of work... not like I hang at their houses) . The only method I ever use, but I was shown this method when I was 17 and in school. I wasn't shown it in school btw.
 
yeah but thats more work. be smart like me and sacrifice safety for speed.

Exactly!:nice:

U said it took u 45 minutes a side. I can get it done in 20 a side lowering the control arm and not worry about killing myself :D

I've never been scared installing them with hose clamps. The only time i was like oh **** was when i held the compressed spring for the first time. After that, its just become a normal method for me. Never had any issues, works flawlessly.
 
I would think T bolt clamps would work better. Or are you guys even aware they sell spring retainer clips just for this?


Do what works for you, but don't recommend it safely to others. I had a spring pop out and hit me in the temple, blacked out, it *****in hurt. That was only using a pry bar to get another inch of clearence, big mistake. Went to Ford, borrowed their internal spring compressor and all was right with the world. Brand new front drag springs are insanely high when first installed, I couldn't believe how far I had to compress them. Felt like I had a bomb waiting to go off in my hands when bring it over to the car. Gotta respect the spring.
 
As a new guy, I hate to chime in, but I can't hold it anymore.

Riceslayer302, for God sake man, at least attach the LCA before cutting the clamps. You aren't playing Russian Rulette, your just shooting a gun at nite with a blindfold on. If you are going to do a job half-assed, at least think a little.

Please don't anyone release a spring like that without the LCA in place. You are the luckiest SOB I've ever seen!!!

One more thought. If hose clamps were ok to be used in this manner, they would be called "spring holders" not "hose clamps" Hose clamps are for hoses, not springs.


Do you know why they call 'em roach clips? cause "pot holder" was already taken. Not so with hose clamps.

The problem is, too many stupid people, and nothing that eats them.
 
This may be the stupidest thing I have seen. I honestly cant figure out why the whole thread wasn't deleted. They delete street racing threads because they are promoting stupid and dangerous behavior . OH.....Wait.... So is this.

Now, with that being said....

I have never used a spring compressor on a fox body. I have never needed one. If you unhook the end links and the rack from the control arm it will open far enough to get ALL pressure off the spring. how ever, I ALWAYS use a pry bar through the bottom coil into the hole in the control arm. This insures that if it slips while pressure is still on it it can't come flying out at you.
I can do all four corners on a fox in 45Min. That is taking out stock springs and installing FMS or Eibach. And Yes, I use air tools.
 
im not even going to reply to this lol...

I will ha..

I will say that the hose clamp method works awesome. Of all the times i've done it, there has never been 1 problem. Never a thing. So to me, yes this is 100% safe. I say that to others because if they do it the way I do it, there will be no problems. I do agree with the other guy about rice slayer should have hooded up the spindle to strut before cutting the hose clamps. But i also metioned that before. I would NEVER do that his way. I would of thought that spring would have jumped out. But i guess not. Here is my Method, which started it all ha.


Hose Clamp Method!
1. Get 10 hose clamps, and a spring compressor
2. Compress the spring, install 5 hose clamps per spring
3. Remove spring compressor
4. Install compressed spring(by the hose clamps) into the control arm
5. Jack the control arm up far enough to attach the spindle to the strut
-If you have the spring compressed enough you won't even have to jack the control arm, there should be no resistance...
6. Cut the hose clamps off
7. DONE!


Again, the whole reason for the hose clamps is because i(and many others) either...
A. Don't want to spend $300.00+ on the "Correct" compressor
B. Can't find the correct one local or even one that works for that matter, because they interfer with the control arm, spindle, whatever.


Safety
Reasons i say it is safe...
1. I don't feel the clamps will break
-And i'm sure that some data will show that the clamps will hold more then the spring anyhow. Why do i know that? Well if they didn't, the spring would of broke the hose clamps. And no i didn't get "lucky". I've done it well over 15 times now.
2. I actually am more scared of the compressor when the spring is compressed then the clamps
3. If the hose clamps were to break(Ya right!), the spring is behind the spindle/strut/etc, it will not jump out at you.




DONE!
 
I love the preaching of safety by a group of people with high horsepower cars that spend every weekend at the drag strip. I am willing to bet that more people have been seriously injured or killed by drag racing (legally at the track) than by using hose clamps to install springs...

Anyway, I hope that someone who has used the hose clamp method and got hurt will chime in here. There have been a few people to give "spring" injury stories in this thread, yet none of them have used hose clamps... Hmmmmm.

When I did my springs I didn't use hose clamps or compressors. Just don't point the loaded gun (aka spring) at yourself and be careful!!!

-Kyle
 
I love the preaching of safety by a group of people with high horsepower cars that spend every weekend at the drag strip.

I thought that was funny as well. These hose clamps should be the least of your worries.


Anyway, I hope that someone who has used the hose clamp method and got hurt will chime in here. There have been a few people to give "spring" injury stories in this thread, yet none of them have used hose clamps... Hmmmmm.

Thats simply because hose clamp, spring, and injury just don't come in one sentence. It just doesn't happen!:D
 
Jason,
Since you are in the field and preaching so much against it, why don't you take some hose clamps and load them up on your loading machine. Do 10 or so till plastic deformation takes place and let us know what the average is. I would do it myself but I don't have access to strain gauges or loading machines atm. That would be helpful to prove how dangerous it truly is. Just a thought.
 
It amazes me that someone can post a thread about doing something that seems to lack sense and get so much responce.

This thread ranks right up there with crazypete and his grease the underside of the car rustproofing - http://forums.stangnet.com/621198-lol-now-rustproofing.html


Haha, yea I'm right there with ya. But I'm starting to look forward to seeing every new statement people have to add to this thread... Its entertaining!
 
Unfortunately, threads like this don't help the forum's image. There are a TON of good people with great expertise that post here (almost all my favorites have posted on this thread alone), but a few folks whom are less experienced lower the overall image of the place.
 
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