Quick n Dirty Spring Swap

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Quick n Dirty Spring Swap

June 29, 2009, 06:10:02 PM

Anyone have a quick-n-dirty way to swap the springs? The Haynes manual has me separating all sorts of ball joints. Is there a quicker way?

I have the engine out if that helps.

Quick n Dirty Spring Swap

Reply #1 – June 29, 2009, 06:40:39 PM

I've not tried it on the 'Bird but it worked on the 94 Mustang fronts. Don't waste your time on Advance Auto Parts spring compressors - I had zero luck with either type.

1. A compressed spring stores a lot of energy - BE CAREFUL! A better idea is to tightly wrap some chain through the spring and around the strut so it doesn't have room to fly out of there.

2. Support the car on stands.

3. Put a jack under the lca and remove the 2 lca bolts. Breaker bars are your friend if you don't have air tools.

4. Dropping the jack will decompress the spring - DO IT SLOWLY!!! This is where you want that chain...

5. Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly but requires 2 jacks, preferably one of them on wheels so you can adjust it's position if needed.

The book also calls for new lca bolts when you remove them. They're supposed to be torqued to ~150 lb/ft in the 94.

Did I mention to be careful?

There's a write up around here somewhere on installing adjustable control arms that gives a good technique for the rears...

Quick n Dirty Spring Swap

Reply #2 – June 29, 2009, 06:45:32 PM

I have had good luck with the compressors in the past. Is it clearance issues? Perhaps one of the axial kind that thread through the middle of the spring.

Quick n Dirty Spring Swap

Reply #3 – June 29, 2009, 06:52:23 PM

Quote from: danzajax;280205

Can I thread a spring compressor in there to take the load off the spring?

Not the one I 'rented' from Advance. The axial kind had individual pieces seemed to be small enough to work through the hole in the control arm but the arms didn't line up properly with the coils and I couldn't get it to compress much. I spent about 2 hours trying to get it and I never could get it set up in any way that would've allowed me to insert the spring either using the method I described or with the ball joint seperated. The McPherson style (external) ran into the control arms, and was in general too long to allow everything to go back together. ymmv and if the rental is free at your local AP you might want to try it, it is the safe way.

This is similar to the first (internal/axial) one I tried http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/2ZPL6

This one looks more like the one the service manual calls for. http://www.etoolcart.com/fordcoilspringcompressor204-071.aspx as you can see the price isn't diy friendly....

and here's 'the book' http://www.drrummel.com/Mustang/FrontSpringInstallationInstructions/FrontCoilSpringRemoveal.pdf Looks pretty much like the instructions in the printed service manual.

Quick n Dirty Spring Swap

Reply #4 – June 29, 2009, 07:59:11 PM

Hmm. Suck. Your LCA method is a little scary. It might be time for new ball joints afterall.

Quick n Dirty Spring Swap

Reply #5 – June 30, 2009, 12:32:51 AM

I swapped springs on mine awhile back, was a right PITA, too.
The first night, I managed to get one in place, albeit without the spring isolater in the top. I stuck a long bar down through the strut hole, and through the hole in the arm, so if it popped off, it wouldn't kill me. But like I said, that was wasn't right, so the next day I rented the spring compressors and did it that way, but it took awhile, and I had to "finesse" the compressors about before I was able to get them off of the spring. It was a hot sweaty, slow job, but I wasn't swapping the bushings (yet) or I would've just taken off the whole arm...

Quick n Dirty Spring Swap

Reply #6 – June 30, 2009, 08:42:36 AM

This is as down and dirty as you can get
I basicly took them out in reverse order as putting them in.

here's the in pics
with the strut off, compress the spring a little to get it in the arms.
then jack it up and take the compressor out so it doesn't get stuck in the spring.
finish jacking it up so you can bolt the struts in. If your motor is out, you'll need some one else (or 2)on the front of the car to push the front end down, because you'll start jacking up the front end before you get the strut through the holes.

Quick n Dirty Spring Swap

Reply #7 – June 30, 2009, 11:08:28 AM

Quote from: danzajax;280211

Hmm. Suck. Your LCA method is a little scary. It might be time for new ball joints afterall.

Your call. There's more than one way to skin a cat. I think it's scarier trying to compress that spring enough to get it in there at the angle called for with the ball joint seperated and nothing between me and it if something slips. :) As long as your jack has nice smooth control the method I used is pretty safe, even without the compressors and chains. If the spring pops out it goes toward the inboard side of the car and the strut/spindle assembly are between you and it.

Quick n Dirty Spring Swap

Reply #8 – June 30, 2009, 11:17:11 AM

Quote from: doodaa;280272

There's more than one way to skin a cat.

Is there a tab on its ass I don't know about?
I am actually starting to think your LCA Method is the best. Do I need to unbolt the Swaybar?

Quick n Dirty Spring Swap

Reply #9 – June 30, 2009, 12:12:07 PM

What springs are you installing?

I used a compressor for removing front springs...ONCE. Never again.

I've lost count of how many I have removed by just disconnecting the spindle from the strut, dropping the LCA and then just using a pry bar on the bottom of the spring and POP it out of the LCA seat. Obviously you don't stick your face in there while doing it, but they just make noise and drop out. Just stand off to the side. YOu'll soon see that the inclination of the spring's exit from it's perch is down, not to fly out of the wheel well.
I put the front of the car on jackstands and put the jack under the LCA. Obviously you need to get the sway bar and brakes out of the way, but no need to pull the rotor.

If you're reinstalling stock length (long) springs, you'll need a compressor for reassembly, but since I never use those springs anyway and the C-Kits I usually use are much shorter, I just set them in place on the LCA and hold them in place as I jack the LCA up
until the spring grabs in the seat.

Granted, the removal procedure is a "use at your own risk" deal, but I won't do it any other way on a Fox. Wastes too much time otherwise for no reason.

Quick n Dirty Spring Swap

Reply #10 – June 30, 2009, 01:09:01 PM

Quote from: Chuck W;280279

What springs are you installing?

I used a compressor for removing front springs...ONCE. Never again.

I've lost count of how many I have removed by just disconnecting the spindle from the strut, dropping the LCA and then just using a pry bar on the bottom of the spring and POP it out of the LCA seat. Obviously you don't stick your face in there while doing it, but they just make noise and drop out. Just stand off to the side. YOu'll soon see that the inclination of the spring's exit from it's perch is down, not to fly out of the wheel well.
I put the front of the car on jackstands and put the jack under the LCA. Obviously you need to get the sway bar and brakes out of the way, but no need to pull the rotor.

If you're reinstalling stock length (long) springs, you'll need a compressor for reassembly, but since I never use those springs anyway and the C-Kits I usually use are much shorter, I just set them in place on the LCA and hold them in place as I jack the LCA up
until the spring grabs in the seat.

Granted, the removal procedure is a "use at your own risk" deal, but I won't do it any other way on a Fox. Wastes too much time otherwise for no reason.

x2 - Drop the LCA and pop the spring out. Quick-n-Dirty. I've never seen a spring move no further out than to the edge of the spring seat using this method (a little anti-climatic the first time I did it - I expected more. lol.). There is really no need for a compressor for removal unless you just don't feel comfortable doing it that way.

Quick n Dirty Spring Swap

Reply #11 – June 30, 2009, 01:32:47 PM

the first spring i ever removed (in an 84 mustang) hurt like a mofookie.

i took the strut loose from the spindle, took the swaybar loose, then stomped on the spindle to push the LCA down. it popped the spring out alright....i think i broke a few bones in the top of my foot when it hit it.

Quick n Dirty Spring Swap

Reply #12 – June 30, 2009, 02:01:09 PM

Quote from: Dougy_Fresh;280286

the first spring i ever removed (in an 84 mustang) hurt like a mofookie.

i took the strut loose from the spindle, took the swaybar loose, then stomped on the spindle to push the LCA down. it popped the spring out alright....i think i broke a few bones in the top of my foot when it hit it.

Well, you sir, are an idiot. ;)

Quick n Dirty Spring Swap

Reply #13 – June 30, 2009, 02:11:37 PM

Quote from: Dougy_Fresh;280286

the first spring i ever removed (in an 84 mustang) hurt like a mofookie.

i took the strut loose from the spindle, took the swaybar loose, then stomped on the spindle to push the LCA down. it popped the spring out alright....i think i broke a few bones in the top of my foot when it hit it.

yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the way I wouldn't do it. :) That's why I emphasized the fact the springs store energy, even someone that may have dealt with them can forget just how much they can bite you when you don't respect them - or just do something dumb.

Quick n Dirty Spring Swap

Reply #14 – June 30, 2009, 02:14:38 PM

Quote from: danzajax;280274

...I am actually starting to think your LCA Method is the best. Do I need to unbolt the Swaybar?

I didn't have a swaybar on the Mustang as it's a ragtop V6. I'd think leaving it bolted up might help with the realigning the LCA when you put it back together. You can always unbolt it if not....