Reinstalling front springs.

[BWillis]

Anyone have a good tip on the easiest way to get front springs back in?

Should I remover the spring plate or try to jack the A arm up with it in place?

Thanks!

 

[healeyboz]

Definitely jack it into place. You might need an extra hand to help push down the car depending on how stiff your springs are. Are they original?

 

[jlaird]

Jack up the A arm with em in place.

 

[Billm]

That may be the best way but I have always had trouble getting all of the bushings to go in easily so I first put the a-arm in place and then use some 6" long pieces of 5/16 allthread and bring the spring pan up to it.
-Not a better way, just different-
Bill

 

[spritenut]

Jack the car up real high, remove the top trunion bolt on the king pin and lower the A arm to point to the ground.
Stick the spring in, you may have to give it a nudge by hand or even a kick with your foot. Be carefull not to kick the car off the jack stands.
Jack tha A arm back up and put the trunion nut back on.
With the arm lowered, there is no pressure on the spring, this works just fine when you remove the springs too.
Spring pans never come off the A arms and it's a 5 minute job.

 

[healeyboz]

Agreed.


A 5 minute job if you can get the trunion bolt lined up. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[BWillis]

I removed them my lowering with a jack but on the first look before reassembly the A arm it pointing nearly straight at the ground. It just looks like it will be tough to get a jack under there and have it push straight up on the arm.

I'll give it a shot.

 

[BWillis]

Worked perfectly!

Thanks!

 

[jlaird]

There ya go, wasn't that easy? Special tools, gesh.

 

[regularman]

Just be careful with springs, learnt my leeson on them at 18 working at a garage when we were attempting to put a new spring in an old cadillac converitable (the kind with the 500 cubic inch engine). We were using the boom and winch off the wrecker to pull the a arm up and the the spring came out. Went straight up in the air (almost out of sight) at the service station in the middle of town with heavy traffic. Luckily it came back down in the parking lot (took out a chunk of pavement). We used some exhaust u clamps to keep that from happening again. Was like a bomb went off. Lesson learnt /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

 

[jlaird]

Oh yea, but the BE spring setup with a floor jack is the only way to go. When they get up just a bit they are locked in unless you do something real dumb.

 

[regularman]

Its been so long I forgot how I did my midget front springs. Hopefully I won't be ding them again unless something on my tube shock conversion breaks.