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front spring installation

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H

Hawkscoach

Jedi Hopeful
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all, completely rebuilding front suspension/brakes, etc. I am reassembling now. Any trick(s) to installing the front springs? I had to do a few things twice already so I thought I would ask. Also, is there anything that goes between the spring and the mounts? It appears that it is metal to metal, (checked my manual). just checking because other (American cars) that I have done have something between the spring and mount........thanks for the help. It is always nerve racking when dealing with newly painted parts. :encouragement:Doug
 
Use two long 3/8" bolts or pieces of allthread & jamnuts to gradually compress the spring using the spring pan up against the lower suspension arm. No liner, just the pan & spring.
If you're using stock lower trunion bushings, be sure to use the 2" wood spacer at the top per the manual to avoid over-twisting the rubbers.

Rich Berman, who posts here, has a good picture of these bolts in his gallery - maybe he'll post the link.
 
Great. Thanks Steve! This was one of two options I had come up with so I will go with it. Also, great that you pointed out the trunion twist issue as I would not have done this..............I am so happy to be putting parts on, hopefully, for good. Doug
 
This shows a set being removed, but I'm sure you'll figure it out. Since most all-thread is soft-soft, I prefer to use four (4) threaded rods; I've either welded nouts to the top end, or used jam-nuts (to keep the top nut from turning on the rod). Lubricate the rod to reduce friction, particularly important when pulling the springs up, less so on removal.

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Here, you can just make out the white lithium grease on the threads:

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A C-clamp helps to hold things together while I put the correct fasteners back in:

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More pictures of the same job can be found in this album: https://www.spcarsplus.com/gallery3/index.php/reMKIII?page=64 You may be particularly interested to follow the procedure on setting the wheel bearing/hub endfloat; it's in there too ;)
 
Two inch (2") block situated under bump-stop pad on front shock absorber (opposite side from bump rubber).

I find that it's easiest to tighten the upper trunion, lower inner pivots, and lower outer pivots before I put the spring in, if possible.

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Hawkscoach said:
Perfect. Thanks Randy and Steve. Randy, how long were the threaded rods you used? Regards, Doug
Click to expand...
36" divided by 4 = <9", allowing for cuts and rounding the ends.

I like the all-thread coupling nuts, because it's a lot easier to keep a wrench on the flats than with a small nut__just comes down to how much time you want to spend on it__I like to get the mundane tasks over with as quickly and easily as possible.
 
For Randy Forbes: Randy, you have a private message.
 
Success. Thanks to the help of Randy and others, the springs, and much of the suspension is installed. I now have to pack the bearings and put the new disks and rebuilt calipers on............then on to the rear components. Doug
 
Thanks for this. I am about to disassemble my suspension. Perfect timing.
 
I'm disassembling the front suspension, but the problem at the moment is the bolts holding the spring pan to the lower wishbones are frozen inside the wishbones. Any tricks to removing them? This is not going to be fun...

Thanks in advance.

Hugh
 
CLEAH said:
I'm disassembling the front suspension, but the problem at the moment is the bolts holding the spring pan to the lower wishbones are frozen inside the wishbones. Any tricks to removing them? This is not going to be fun...

Thanks in advance.

Hugh
Click to expand...
I'd leave the nuts on, with a fair gap, then saturate it with a good penetrating oil (NOTE: WD40 isn't one) then think about doing something else for the next week. Keep applying penetrant, and tapping (not wailing...) with a hammer now and then.

Ultimately, you may have to resort to heat, even a portable MaPP gas torch, if you don't have an acetylene rig available. Apply subtle heat, not cherry red, around the exterior bosses of the lower A-arms, as you're not trying to expand the bolts, just break the rust bond.
 
Thanks Randy. I suspected as much, and I appreciate your confirmation. I especially appreciate your advice not to wail on them... Might makes right? I guess not!
 
I second Randy's advice, with the suggestion that you apply penetrant oil--I like Kroil, Mouse Milk and others are fine--then apply a little heat to the A-arm (propane torch is fine). Just a little bit of expansion helps the penetrating oil, well, penetrate.
 
One thing to keep in mind. You're not going to be re-using those bolts or nuts so as long as you don't damage the suspension arms or the spring pans (which are available anyway if you mess up) anything goes.
 
get 2 c clamps and hold the suspension together then you can undue the bolts and get them out penetrating fluid will take forever that's if they even come out good luck
 
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