Success! Front Spring Removed

[Mark H.]

Thanks to Tom Nowak's spring compressor design, I was able to remove the driver's side front spring today.

Here it is, ready to begin.

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Next, fed the compressor tool through the bottom control arm. I used an old mat from under a treadmill on top of Tom's block, and two pieces of it between the frame and the bottom washer at the top.

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Next, I compressed the spring and broke the top ball joint loose.

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Then I decompressed the spring and toward the end, broke the lower ball joint loose.

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Then it was a question of letting the lower control arm down. I got hung up a little at the end - the threads on the rod got caught up on the edge of the top hole, but after trying various things I was able to jiggle it free a little at a time while holding the lower control arm up with one hand.

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Now to clean everything up, replace the bushings, paint and reinstall. Then the other side. Thanks to Tom and everyone else for the help along the way. I was pretty nervous doing this, but it went very smoothly and compressing the spring itself took some time but not a lot of effort - everything turned easily.

[Thomas N.]

Re: Success! Front Spring Removed

Mark
Glad it went well for you! Great job, now time to get cleaning!

[Douglas C.]

Re: Success! Front Spring Removed

Mark,

Great job! I'll have to try this method when I get around to my SWC. For my current project ('63 Convt.) I used the old fashioned spring compressors on-loan from Advanced Auto. Nothing like have several 100 pounds of force in a compressed spring about 2 inches from your face.

--Doug

[Patrick H.]

Re: Success! Front Spring Removed

Mark,

Great job! I'll have to try this method when I get around to my SWC. For my current project ('63 Convt.) I used the old fashioned spring compressors on-loan from Advanced Auto. Nothing like have several 100 pounds of force in a compressed spring about 2 inches from your face.

--Doug

After trying 3 different "old fashioned" spring compressors we swapped to using Tom's tool with excellent, safer results.

Note that I find it easier to remove the bolts holding the inner control arm shaft when the spring is compressed, not wait until the end.
When recompressing I also raise the entire arm with the tool until I can attach the inner control arm shaft.

[Bob I.]

[Bill M.]

Re: Success! Front Spring Removed

I use same method but I cut the rod inthe middle and used a rod coupling to put it back together. When it gets stuck in the hole of the upper arm I separate agin at the rod coupling. Then pull half the rod up through the upper arm