Front-end Rebuild: spring compressors...
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Car: '89 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
Engine: L98
Transmission: TH-700R4
Axle/Gears: B&W 2.77 Posi
Front-end Rebuild: spring compressors...
The last time we rebuilt the front-end on my '88 Camaro, we rented from Autozone these spider-looking compressors that consisted of a long bolt with two hooks at each end of the bolt, and then a nut on the end to compress the sets of hooks together. We were never able to actually compress the springs enough to get them out of the car and, ultimately, we had to just forget about compressing the springs. We ended up putting a jack under each A-frame, releasing the strut, and then gradually lowering the A-frame to the ground. Putting the springs back was even more of a PITA, because we were forced to use the compressor, and we also had to make our own spacers to make it compress enough. We ended up having to use the impact wrench to torque the nut to compress the spring. To make matters worse, without warning, the hooks on the compressor could release, causing the spring to decompress all at once. Scared the hell out of me--surprised I didn't loose an arm! I think that must have happened almost ten times before we got it it.
Now, we're wanting to rebuild the front end on my IROC, and that's going to have even tougher springs. So, I'm wondering if any of you might have some suggestions about this. Are there any tricks to compressing these things? Should I be using a different type of compressor?
I appreciate any suggestions...
Thanks
Now, we're wanting to rebuild the front end on my IROC, and that's going to have even tougher springs. So, I'm wondering if any of you might have some suggestions about this. Are there any tricks to compressing these things? Should I be using a different type of compressor?
I appreciate any suggestions...
Thanks
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Car: '88 Iroc, '91 RS, and a '70 RS
Engine: 5.7 TPI; 5.0 TBI; ZZ4/T56 on the ag
Transmission: A4, A4, slated to be a T56
I used the autozone compressor but had to use a 5" pipe nipple to make it work. I got the nipple at Home Depot for about a buck.
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Car: yy wife, crazy.
Engine: 350, Vortecs, 650DP
Transmission: TH-350
Axle/Gears: 8.5", 3.42
Originally posted by ebmiller88
I used the autozone compressor but had to use a 5" pipe nipple to make it work. I got the nipple at Home Depot for about a buck.
I used the autozone compressor but had to use a 5" pipe nipple to make it work. I got the nipple at Home Depot for about a buck.
Except I cut my own outta some old pipe I had layin' around.
I haven't used one on my car yet. I used it on my '83 Chevy 1/2ton 2wd. That's even more dangerous of a job IMO. I had to remove the 2 U-bots that hold the lower control arms to the frame. That was a '1 spring-per-night' job
AJ
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Car: '82 Camaro
Engine: 383
Transmission: TH-350
A tip on using the spring compressor, make sure you are compressing as many coils as possible. You will have to get the top hooks of the compressor far up in the spring pocket were you can't see in order to get the springs out. Look at the first pic posted by urbman. To make life easier get the top hooks up another coil or as close to the top as possible. If you don't, the coils you don't have hooked will uncompress as you compress the rest of the spring and make it harder to remove. Took me two days to get mine out. An imact wrench made it easier, just don't round off the compressor bolt. Bets of luck with it.
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Car: it doesnt really drive right now
Engine: 383
Transmission: 700r4
I used the jack trick you mentioned in the first post and also cut down and modified the autozone compressor to work. To put them back in, I jacked the A-arm and compressed it with my impact wrench and then repeated about a dozen times.
Big pain in the *** just to change motor mounts.
SB
Big pain in the *** just to change motor mounts.
SB
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Car: it doesnt really drive right now
Engine: 383
Transmission: 700r4
Originally posted by Jza
Not as big as trying to do it with the control arm in the way.
Not as big as trying to do it with the control arm in the way.
SB
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Try looping a long, heavy-duty chain thru the a-arm, coil spring and the top of the crossmember a couple of times, don't even have to attach it anywhere. If you have enough chain, even if the spring WERE to pop loose, it's not going anywhere.
I definitely agree having done it, how easy it was. Lift the front of the car at least a couple of feet above normal, gives you more than enough room to lower the a-arm all the way down with a jack and just yank the spring out of the pocket. Sometimes putting it back in requires creative use of a pry bar!
Good luck!
I definitely agree having done it, how easy it was. Lift the front of the car at least a couple of feet above normal, gives you more than enough room to lower the a-arm all the way down with a jack and just yank the spring out of the pocket. Sometimes putting it back in requires creative use of a pry bar!
Good luck!
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Car: yy wife, crazy.
Engine: 350, Vortecs, 650DP
Transmission: TH-350
Axle/Gears: 8.5", 3.42
Originally posted by SilentBob
Agreed. You can only drop so many nuts into the crossmember before it isnt fun anymore.
SB
Agreed. You can only drop so many nuts into the crossmember before it isnt fun anymore.
SB
That's funny though. Mainly 'cause you've touched on the truth. The first time crap like that happens, you think "Man I gotta hold onto that sucker". Then after the 3rd one you start throwing wrenches, then take the time to figure out what can be done to stop it.
As you get older you'll learn that you should at least
STOP THROWING WRENCHES!!!
AJ
Last edited by AJ_92RS; 05-14-2002 at 07:22 PM.
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Car: it doesnt really drive right now
Engine: 383
Transmission: 700r4
Originally posted by AJ_92RS
LMAO!!!! I hate it when I drop my nuts!!!!
LMAO!!!! I hate it when I drop my nuts!!!!
SB
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Car: 1986 Firebird
Engine: 2.8 V6
Transmission: 700R4
Originally posted by ebmiller88
I got the nipple at Home Depot for about a buck.
I got the nipple at Home Depot for about a buck.
I'm surprised nobody picked up on THAT joke.
So the purpose of urbman's and ebmiller's modification was to get the "lower" hook to grab something? Why couldn't the hook have been flipped "upside down"? I like the metal plate idea, though.
#15
Originally posted by Hulk0202
Drop the a-arm, insert the spring, raise the a-arm with a jack. Its not hard, its not dangerous. Its easy, and you dont need a stupid tool.
Drop the a-arm, insert the spring, raise the a-arm with a jack. Its not hard, its not dangerous. Its easy, and you dont need a stupid tool.
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Car: 92 Camaro RS
Engine: 350 Crate Motor
Transmission: Tremec TKO
Axle/Gears: 10 Bolt 3.73
I've never used a spring compressor on mine.
My springs are so short now, that I can put the spring in,lift up the A-arm and attach the ball-joint by hand.
-Rich-
My springs are so short now, that I can put the spring in,lift up the A-arm and attach the ball-joint by hand.
-Rich-
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Car: yy wife, crazy.
Engine: 350, Vortecs, 650DP
Transmission: TH-350
Axle/Gears: 8.5", 3.42
Originally posted by TomP
So the purpose of urbman's and ebmiller's modification was to get the "lower" hook to grab something? Why couldn't the hook have been flipped "upside down"? I like the metal plate idea, though.
So the purpose of urbman's and ebmiller's modification was to get the "lower" hook to grab something? Why couldn't the hook have been flipped "upside down"? I like the metal plate idea, though.
AJ
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