So trying to remove my front and rear springs. I am told I can do it with out a spring compressor. Is this true.. if so it looks like i would have to remove the control arms?
Any insight welcome.
Any insight welcome.
Springs
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squeak93
15 Year Member
You can do it w/o a spring compressor. Depends on who you ask as to which is the better way. I personally have had a spring compressor break on me while My head was under there. I use a jack to do it. First take the wheel off (obviously). Remove the caliper and support it, set the rotor aside. Remove the tie rod end. Remove the swap bar end lind. Now here you have two options. One you can pop the ball joint (I don't recomend it) or two; you can take the strut bolts (lower 2) off and lower it that way. The strut bolts will most likely be tight so you will need a breaker bar. once the tie rod and end link are off and you have the strut bolts loose, not removed but loose. Place the jack under the end of the control arm (part toward the out side of car) and jacked it up till it touchs and removed the pressure off of the struts bolts. Remove the bolts, step away from the opening for safe measure and SLOWLY lower the jack. IT should not do anything crazy but maybe make a slight pop once you go down so far.
Your going to have to manually remove the spring as it is really long. It will have a tiny bit of tension on it still b/c the stockers are so long but it is not enough to cause it to fly out at you, just watch ur fingers. I find a nice little pry bar, step in the edge/top of the knuckle and pry it out. The lowering springs go in much easier. You still have to do a bit of prying but overall, very easy job.
I have heard of folks using hose clamps to relieve pressure on the spring. I have not done that before.
Disclaimer: This is how I have done this and I am in no way a certified mechanic. So do this at your own risk.
Your going to have to manually remove the spring as it is really long. It will have a tiny bit of tension on it still b/c the stockers are so long but it is not enough to cause it to fly out at you, just watch ur fingers. I find a nice little pry bar, step in the edge/top of the knuckle and pry it out. The lowering springs go in much easier. You still have to do a bit of prying but overall, very easy job.
I have heard of folks using hose clamps to relieve pressure on the spring. I have not done that before.
Disclaimer: This is how I have done this and I am in no way a certified mechanic. So do this at your own risk.
squeak93
15 Year Member
That was for the fronts.
The rears are much easier.
Simply jack up the rear, support the car by jack stands (not the rear but the actual car as you need the rear to move up and down free of the car)
Unbolt the rear shocks on each side, unbolt the quad shocks on each side (if you car still has them).
if your not getting good movement or its in the way, the sway bar comes off with 4 easy to get to bolts.
Simply go side by side and jack up the opposite side to free the opposite spring. (jack up d/s to get pass side out, visa versa). Really easy. Reinstall spings the same way.
One note to make, the rear springs need "clocked" with the flat part of the bottom parrallel with the rear axle.
The fronts need clocked exactly the same accroding the the two little holes in the lower front control arms. Typically right in the middle of the hole will get you the desired results.
The rears are much easier.
Simply jack up the rear, support the car by jack stands (not the rear but the actual car as you need the rear to move up and down free of the car)
Unbolt the rear shocks on each side, unbolt the quad shocks on each side (if you car still has them).
if your not getting good movement or its in the way, the sway bar comes off with 4 easy to get to bolts.
Simply go side by side and jack up the opposite side to free the opposite spring. (jack up d/s to get pass side out, visa versa). Really easy. Reinstall spings the same way.
One note to make, the rear springs need "clocked" with the flat part of the bottom parrallel with the rear axle.
The fronts need clocked exactly the same accroding the the two little holes in the lower front control arms. Typically right in the middle of the hole will get you the desired results.
flstang65
10 Year Member
squeak93
15 Year Member
flstang65
10 Year Member
opcorn:
squeak93
15 Year Member
Struts are very easy to do at the same time. It does require you to have an impact wrench as I personally don't know any other way to get the top nut off. There is a slot in the bolt but I've never got anything strong enough to be able to hold it. Not sure if there is a special tool or not, but with an impact, take 2 seconds and its off. Just be sure to hold on to the strut so it doesn't fall on your toes or hurt something.
The rear shocks are simply one nut on top as well and quick work is made of it with an impact too.
When lowering a car, putting in new struts/shocks takes an extra 10 minutes.
Now on a side note. Your alignment is something to think about. My car has rack limiters as well to keep my wheels from going "FULL" lock to lock and minimze rubbing. (rubbed with 275 but not with 245's up front). Anyway, aftermarket caster camber (cc) plates are the best and simplest to go. But you can get a car aligned w/the stock ones. Simple elongate the top hole of the bottom two holes on your new struts. A simple porting bit will suffice. I did this with mine and it works (old struts were that way so i figured why not try it) Now you have to be carefull not to make the hole to big but rather a nice slot. (I didn't go far enough on one side so i have to re do one of them but the other was aligned perfectly by my local shop.
Now let me stress that this is something did on this car, the rest of my cars have had cc plates on them and they make this a breeze.
The rear shocks are simply one nut on top as well and quick work is made of it with an impact too.
When lowering a car, putting in new struts/shocks takes an extra 10 minutes.
Now on a side note. Your alignment is something to think about. My car has rack limiters as well to keep my wheels from going "FULL" lock to lock and minimze rubbing. (rubbed with 275 but not with 245's up front). Anyway, aftermarket caster camber (cc) plates are the best and simplest to go. But you can get a car aligned w/the stock ones. Simple elongate the top hole of the bottom two holes on your new struts. A simple porting bit will suffice. I did this with mine and it works (old struts were that way so i figured why not try it) Now you have to be carefull not to make the hole to big but rather a nice slot. (I didn't go far enough on one side so i have to re do one of them but the other was aligned perfectly by my local shop.
Now let me stress that this is something did on this car, the rest of my cars have had cc plates on them and they make this a breeze.
I have an impact gun at my house and a decent 22 gal air compressor, otherwise I would not even mess around with this stuff... If you were doing just new shocks and struts and you have an impact gun I would say it takes 45 min to an hour from pulling it in the garage to driving out (at least at the rate I was working)
Now for the strut punching me in the face.. lol
I had the top nut off and I was working on the bottom and just had the top resting on an edge and I wiggled the strut a little by accident and it slipped free, slapping me in the side of my head.
But i can say I did not make that same mistake on the other side. Number one perk of working on your own car: LEARNING 
Now for the strut punching me in the face.. lol
I had the top nut off and I was working on the bottom and just had the top resting on an edge and I wiggled the strut a little by accident and it slipped free, slapping me in the side of my head.
But i can say I did not make that same mistake on the other side. Number one perk of working on your own car: LEARNING Similar threads
