Installing Front Springs - Need Help

How are you doing this? Why not use the MFE method from the Corral, where you unbolt the inside two control arm bolts, and lower the control arm down with a jack.. supposedly the spring just falls right out and you throw the other one in, and jack it back up!

im not too conversant with what the differences are with your set up vs a stock set up.

what i had to do, which may work for you, is use a piece of pipe as a shim under the head of the spring compressor rod. this kept me from having the rod hit the frame above the coil perch (or else i could not compress the spring far enough).
just an idea.

also, do you have a jack under the LCA? which method are you using (jack the arm with the ball joint attached, or the other way around?)
good luck, Jason

i feel for ya. are they different dimensions than the reg springs? i had a mac compressor and an inner compressor. the inner worked fine (i was too lazy to make the clam compressors the dealer uses).

the inner ones worked for me. i took the hooks apart and placed them in the coils where i wanted them (they would not slide up high enough assembled). then i threaded the rod through with the shim and they worked.

i have the feeling none of this is helping you, but i posted in case something i say could be adapted to work for ya. good luck.

This is what I did when I swapped my front springs.

For Removal:
1) I rented a spring compressor. I believe the intention of the spring compressor is not to compress the spring to get it out, but to stop the spring from flying out out once the l/c arm is unbolted.
2) Placed a jack under the motor side of the l/c arm, with the balljoint and strut connected.
3) Placed a chain around the k member and also around the jack. Just in case the spring left loose the car would not fly into the air.
4) Jack up on the l/c arm to relieve the tension on the spring.
5) Removed the 2 rear l/c bolts.
6) Lowered the l/c arm.
7) Carefully push the spring out toward the motor, since the balljoint is connected.

Installation)
1) With the balljoint and strut connected I positioned the jack under the motor side of the l/c arm.
2) Positioned the spring in the l/c arm.
3) Start to jack up the l/c arm. Once there is a little bit of tension, place the chain once again around the jack and k member. This will keep the car from lifting away.
4) Insert two rear l/c bolts.

I did not use a compressor for installation, although it is recommened. It took me around 2 hrs for my drivers side, the l/c arm kept moving to the side. The passenger side took 30 minutes. Go figure. Be careful, as you probably know, there's enough tension in a compressed spring to crack a brick wall. So I'm told. These are the steps I took, perform them at your own risk. Good Luck.

90mustangGT said:

The whole car lifts up before I can get the bolts in the K-member, I tried it.

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I had the same thing happen, the problem was my jacks were not at the end of the control arm. Kinda physics lever issue- takes less upward force to compress the spring from the end of the a-arm than it does when under the middle of the a-arm. After I got out at the end it was no problem, and my front springs are 850 pounds compression. Obviously the front end of the car weighs more than that, if you have to get the whole front end off the jack stands to compress the spring, then do it!

Yup. You have to place the chain around the K member and then under the jack. Fasten the chain together with a bolt/nut. When you start to jack up the l/c arm the chain should tighten and not alow the car to lift.

I did springs at my buddies shop and had a hell of a time with the proper compessor tool. I vowed to never change springs again and did coil overs on my current 88 notch. After installing and working with coil overs, i dont know waht i was doing messing with regular springs.