Installation of Front Coil Springs

[Deleted User]

Does anyone out there have a trick to installing the front coil springs? I do have a spring compressor but on installation I can't get part of the spring compressor out. It worked well taking them out. But reinstallation is another story. Also, there is no real weight in the front right now as the engine has been pulled. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.



Glenn

nick s

it's would definitely be easier with the engine weight to hold it down, soyou may want/need to throw a couple hundred pounds up there while doing the job.
Use two floor jacks one under the A-frame (under the inside of the spring) and one under the tire. Another thing that will help is to substitute some longer bolts (smaller diameter may even help more) temporarily then swap out for the correct ones after you draw it into place.By adjusting the height on the two jacks you can actually line it up fairly easy.

Uncle Josh

I've done this several times using a couple of lengths of threaded rod in one of the front and rear mounting holes.



The jacks sound like a good idea to line things up while you're doing it.

Lee ODell

Ken U-Tx wrote:

I used a jack under the lower control arm, and longer guide bolts to get the inner lower arm pivot shaft in place. I also chained the spring to the lower control arm so it couldn't pop out under pressure and do some real harm! Those springs can kill you if they get loose.

It wasn't a Hudson, but a spring let loose and before Dad could react, it grazed his grasses as it flew by his head . If his head had been over a couple more inches I dought he would have reached his 85th birthday. Chaining the spring is a good safety precaution. He was one of the best suspension repairman in our area and let his guard down by not taking necessary safety precautions.



Another safety precaution when working with coil springs is, not to set it on its end when installing a spring compressor. Aways lay it on its side. If the spring clamp should break, I've had that happen, the spring has no place to go. It just flops a little. But, if it is standing on end when a clamp breaks or slips off, all that storged energy will send it flying like a cannon ball out of a cannon.



Have a good day and be careful. Lee

[Deleted User]

I recently reinstalled the front springs in my 54 with the engine out and the fenders and front end off. With the front end jacked up and to hold the frame down, I ran a 2 x 4 from the front cross member up to a ceiling support in the garage. With a floor jack I lowered the control arm, set the spring in place, then used the jack to raise the control arm. Worked great. Be sure that the spring is properly seated. Each end of the spring has to seat in kind of a notch in the control arm.