[Warrior 2011]

Im rebuilding the front end of my car and its time to put the coil springs in. But they are a big PITA. I have been compressing the spring but i still cant get it in there. It also seems that the new coil spring saddle doesnt want to move at all either and im thinking that that is part of my problem. Any help or tips would be greatly appricatied.

[Jonk67]

Are they stock height springs? are you using and internal compressor with a stack of washers or a piece of pipe added to the top of the center threaded rod? The spring compressors are usually too long for the bottom area where the saddle is and the bolt hits before you can get it to let go (hence adding a spacers to the top). Of course you've got to line up the top of the spring inside the shock tower first.

Is your suspension at full droop? frame supported with jack stands and spindles/tires just hanging there?

I installed 1" drop 560 springs and they were 4" shorter than the stock springs I took out (stock 16", 560's 12" off the car.) I can remove/install my new springs w/o use of a compressor even, they slip out at full droop, this won't happen normally as the rest of the suspension connected - sway bar, strut rods, and shocks will prevent it.
Jon

[Warrior 2011]

yea they r stock springs. and i just finished putting everything on(upper ball joint, lower control arm w/ ball joint, saddle, endlinks, and i have my spindles on it) i believe that it is at full droop. but the saddles dont move at all and i cant get the coil compressed enough it seems. Can i remove the shock tower part that is inside the wheel well? That would help a ton.

[dferre13]

I am in the middle of a full restoration of our 68 and yes you should be able to take the outside covers off the shock towers to expose the springs. Mine has 6 bolts per tower.

[Jay H 237]

You can tap the saddles with a hammer if you need to move them, they should be tight like that.


The piece of pipe idea is great. I didn't have enough washers hanging around the day I installed my roller perches back in May so I wound up cutting about 3.5" off the threaded rod in my spring compressor with my die grinder so it would work.

[Warrior 2011]

ok thanks im going to try to get that cover off. Btw is it just held on there w/ bolts or is there also something else there that is bonding it to the inside of the wheel well.

[Keving]

Just bolts.........

[Warrior 2011]

ok i got the cover off it was just stuck but a rubber mallet took care of that

[dferre13]

Glad yours was just stuck, on mine someone had at sometime did a poor job of changing the fender aprons and had partialy welded the coil covers on.

[Warrior 2011]

yea i was afraid that that was the case with mine.

i got the drivers side rebuilt and have the passenger side torn apart so tomorrow im going to finish rebuilding the passenger side and then im gonna put my brakes on.