Removing Front Spring Isolator Without Breaking Ball Joint

[95strokerPSU]

I'm looking to remove the lower front spring isolators without having to unbolt eveything and break the ball joints loose. Would it be possible, with the car jacked up, to put a spring compressor on the spring and compress it enough to remove the isolators? I'm just trying to drop the front a little more, but I don't have the time to unbolt everything. Thoughts?

 

[urban96]

that should work, if that dosent allow you enough space to get it out then you could unbolt the top strut bolt, and undo the swaybar endlink and the a-arm should lower down enough then

 

[94-302-vert]

I also vote to unbolt the strut and endlink for the swaybar... may even get away with just the strut.

Assuming you have aftermarket springs. Stock springs are too long to put back in without a compressor, or at least that is what I remember having heard.

 

[HISSIN50]

Agreed. The end link (in OEM fashion anyhow) is a pedestal mount - one nut (15mm IIRC) and it comes off. That and the two lower strut bolts and the LCA pivots down far enough for a Prokit spring to come out (my frame of reference). I seem to recall a severe drop on your car Dave, so that should work.

If that will not work: Unbolt the end link. Then put a nice big floor jack with a large saddle pad under the inside of the LCA. Remove the two pivot bolts and slowly and carefully lower the jack down. With this method, you can remove a spring for an F250 (that's installed in a Mustang) - it gives you TONS of room because the strut and BJ are the pivots.

Good luck Dave.

 

[95strokerPSU]

Thanks for your replies.

I have the Pro-Kit springs and after seeing Juiced_94's drop with just the lower spring isolator removed, thats what I want to do. Hopefully I'll have a chance to do it this weekend and I'll let you guys know how it went.