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Tips
Tips

Front Springs Removal

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I use 4 pieces of all-thread, 3/8" coarse IIRC, cut to about 8" long. Use appropriate nuts with flat washers on either end, remove one bolt at a time and replace bolts with all-thread with nuts and washers, and cinch them up, with even amount of thread on top and bottom. Then, loosen each all-thread nut a little at a time, and drop the spring straight down, else the spring plate can get 'kinked' and stuck. Use of a driver drill or impact wrench with deep sockets removes some of the tedious work, but if you don't have them a ratcheting socket works well too. The spring will retain some pressure for most of 6" or so; since there are no 8" deep sockets, that I know of, using all-thread allows you to loosen both top and bottom nuts.

If this sounds like a lot of work, know that this operation is potentially dangerous, and I can guarantee that if you plan on keeping your Healey you will use these homemade tools again someday (no matter how well they're rebuilt Armstrong shocks will leak eventually).
 
Bob_Spidell said:
I use 4 pieces of all-thread, 3/8" coarse IIRC, cut to about 8" long. Use appropriate nuts with flat washers on either end, remove one bolt at a time and replace bolts with all-thread with nuts and washers, and cinch them up, with even amount of thread on top and bottom. Then, loosen each all-thread nut a little at a time, and drop the spring straight down, else the spring plate can get 'kinked' and stuck. Use of a driver drill or impact wrench with deep sockets removes some of the tedious work, but if you don't have them a ratcheting socket works well too. The spring will retain some pressure for most of 6" or so; since there are no 8" deep sockets, that I know of, using all-thread allows you to loosen both top and bottom nuts.

If this sounds like a lot of work, know that this operation is potentially dangerous, and I can guarantee that if you plan on keeping your Healey you will use these homemade tools again someday (no matter how well they're rebuilt Armstrong shocks will leak eventually).
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Thanks for the Information!!!
 
I started with 4 of these but now only use 2. If you are uncomfortable with this, suggest 3 or 4 for a comfort level.

Support the car on jackstands by the frame rails. Use your jack to support the lower trunnion of the kingpin. The lower A-arm must be away from the frame rail in order to clear the spring pan as you lower it.

Remove 2 diagonal bolts from the spring pan and insert tools (with couplers at top) and cinch them up snug. Remove the other 2 bolts from the spring pan. Securing the couplers with vice grips or box-end combination wenches, undo the lower nuts a little at a time until the tension is off the spring and you can lower the spring out the bottom of the A-arm. As you undo the spring pan, raise the jack under the lower trunnion in order to keep the A-arm angle appropriately toward the horizontal.

With these you quickly undo the spring pan with an electric wrench or ratchet wrench.

MAKE SURE THE JAM NUTS DON'T COME UNDONE! I STAKED THE END OF THE ROD - WELDING OR A ROLL PIN WOULD BE BETTER.

SpringToolsHealey.jpg
 
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