What is the best way to install front springs on a 71 skylark? Please keep in mind my lower control arms have the rubber isolators in them. Thanx a bunch
Rubber isolators/cushions are for the rear springs, they go on top. You need to use a spring compressor to seat the spring properly.....do a search here and you will find the info you need....been covered many times.
what i usually do is just use the threaded set of jaws on the compressor and feed them up through the shock hole in the controll arm. then i send the threaded rod through the top shock hole and then attach it to the jaws. that way the spring is held to the frame of the car. just be careful as i suggest getting a compressor with nice deep jaws as some others can and will slip off.
Agreed, if you don't feel comfortable compressing a spring don't. I repalced the CA bushings on my Dodge ram used a spring compressor and a jack just to be safe. couple cranks on the compressor, couple pumps on the jack. Worked pretty well for me. I've seen guys do it with just a jack, but I wouldn't. my .02
the rubber isolators came with the lower control arms. That idea with compressing them into the frame seems good to me. they don't have to be compressed a lot ( i took them out with out a compressor, but i do have one), just enough. lol next time or in the future, I'll just bag it and let drag on the crete.:blast:
Irrelevant what came with the arms......they (rubber cushions) do not belong there....you have to orient the spring "end" just infront of the oblong hole in the lower arm......they have to be oriented correctly or they will make noise.
my 65 skylark actually has an indent up in the frame spring pocket also. i don't believe that my camaro does or the 76 monte carlo did either. i was going to cut just 1/2 of a coil out but then it wouldn't have sit correctly up top so i had to cut 3/4 off. remember if you do it and if the compressor doeasn't look right then most likely it is going to slip. i always have a jack under the control arm and some sort of rod going through the spring and control arm just as a safety. when doing it on jackstands i have a piece of plywood to stand up in the wheelwell just in case once you start to back off the compressor from the top. good luck.
Just finished putting bushings in my lower control arms of my 73 Riviera. The secret in reinstalling the front springs is to have the car high enough to let the control arm hang completely down. When you go to install the spring put it in at the top and set it on a large pry bar that you have the tip in the hole of the lower arm that the shockgoes thru. Put a floor jack under the spring cup of the lower arm perpendicular to the arm so that when you start jacking up the jack will roll. To seat the spring in the cup use another large pry bar between the 3 or 4 coil of the spring.Pull up on the bottom pry bar while pushing down on the other pry bar on the 3 or 4 coil. Spring will pop right in. Then pump up the jack slowly all the way. I have put in 1000's of springs this way. Never had one get away. But if you don't feel comfortable let a shop do it.
So from what I'm getting at here the spring has to pop into place? When I took them out they slide right out of the pocket so I do not understand why they have to pop back in. I'll look at my service manual.
First of all... I do NOT recommend doing it like this BUT... If you decide to read on... so, here it goes. In the past I needed to compress my springs for my 1994 Cobra. Things were tight in there and we couldn't get the spring compressed with the rented compressor tool on. SO... we used the compressor to compress the springs as much as necessary. Used several pieces of heavy (very heavy wire) in 4 different places. Wrapping it around the spring from top to bottom. slowly released the compressor. This left the spring in its compressed position. Put the spring in place and jacked the suspension up as high as it would go. Then used a ratchet strap to trapping the spring in place. Took bolt cutters and cut the wires. Dropped the jack, let the suspension sag down and it left enough slack in the suspension where we were able to pull the wires out. As I said... this is certainly not the safest way... but it worked great.
I know you guys think Im way biased, but if you want a really good compressor that works very well, the Snap On WA92 is one of the best. Its expensive ($230), but considering the dangers involved, its well worth it. Ive used it numerous times. I would recommend staying away from places like Harbor Freight for compressors and the like I love doing front springs. Not scared of them in the least, but I have a healthy respect for them. Like everything else, you to pay attention to what your doing and think a few steps aheads.
It pops in because you have slight pressure on the lower arm with the floor jack. I have never used a spring compressor . The 2 pry bar system works for me.
No offence intended, but it sounds as tho you have no idea what your doing, TAKE IT TO A SUSPENSION/SPRING SHOP, front coil springs compressed are DANGEROUS!! They can crush/remove human body parts:eek2:
