Quick Spring Question

[JPSmit]

I'm pulling the rear axle/ springs tonite. Are the springs under any kind of tension? (other than the weight of the car?) will they bounce at me if I undo them?

Thanks
JP

 

[GB1]

Car up on jack stands, floor jack under punkin, with a lil tensions and you will be fine.

Patrick

 

[JPSmit]

Jack stands under axle or on bottom of car?

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Under the bottom of the car just ahead of the front spring hanger.

 

[Bugeye58]

JP, don't forget the rebound straps!
Jeff

 

[GB1]

Yes, after the car is secured; a suitible spot is placed for the J stands, preferable under the spring plates (allowing access to the bolts, get the arse up nice and high; the rear should be jacked about 1/2"-1" and then the following needs to be removed.

Wheels DOH /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
Brake Flex Line (one side)
E Brake connection (just the clevis pin on the cable and nut locking in the cable)
Straps
Shocks
Springs

Just lower the jack and you can slide it out.

If I forgot something, please help me guys.

I would recommend this order.

Insure that the jack is centered on the punkin so he doesn't tip from side to side.

John are you changing the springs?

Patrick

 

[fmichaels]

also remember that two of the four nuts on the front leaf spring bracket are captured (i.e., welded to the bracket). two bolts are removed from inside the car. those bolts screw into the nuts that are welded to the bracket. depending on the condition of the bracket, they are a PITA.

 

[JPSmit]

John are you changing the springs?

No plans to at this point. It all looks pretty good. (At least until I get it apart)

JP

 

[fmichaels]

oh well then you don't have to worry about the spring brackets then. my bad!

 

[Hap Waldrop]

I just did this the other day on the race car. If the spring are in a doop then there is very tension on it, I normally put tow extra jack stand under the tube section of the rear end housing to support it when all the brakets are freed, and then put a floor jack on on the center of the housing, remove the jack stand on the rear housing and use the floor jack to roll the whole assembly out from under the car.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Hopefully you won't find like I did that the Spring Brackets were loose allowing the bracket itself to rotate. Rear axle moved on the DS Bracket as much as 1/2" going into a corner. V shaped groove worn into the spring bracket as DPO reassembled spring brackets with incorrect sized bolts.

Oh and BTW, the new spring brackets provided by VB or Moss, can't remember which now did not fit. It was a file and grind to fit as the spring mounting bolts would not fit up into the body cavity. I needed to grind almost 1/2 " off of the plate where bolt holding spring on passes through in order for it to fit in place. Not a fun thing that simple project turned out to be.