Front Coil Spring Help Needed!!!

[VBH289]

I have a set of WH 3.5" springs I got from Miley, and I was so stoked about them I went to put them on, nothing is attached in the front except the drag link, stabelizer bar, and radius arms, and they wont fit... How the hello do I put them dang things in??? Thanks!

 

[73stallion]

may need to compress them a little. i had a hell of a time installing my 2.5's, had to have a friend stand on the hub (push the axle down) while i forced them in place. disconect the track bar, it makes the passenger side easier. you have to install a drop bracket anyway. do you have urethane bushings?

 

[VBH289]

Oh yes, those little wonderful hunks of hard plastic junk... I should have gone rubber on the radius arms!!! Oh well, they are there till I build my super wonderful boxed extened arms! How sould I compress those springs? ?:?

 

[mustangmarty]

I put in a set of 5.5" springs and had the same problem. After wrestling with it for awhile I realized that the radius arms were not coming down far enough, so I unbolted them and pulled them out of the bushings. That let them come down enough to get the springs in. For 3.5" springs, you might not have to take them all the way out, but rather loosen them way up just to get as much bind out of them as you can. Anyway, after that, I bolted everything else up, chocked the front wheels in front and in back (of the front tires) and had a friend slowly lower the jack to let all the weight compress the springs while I made sure the radius arms went back through their bushings. Take it slow. It should work for 3.5" springs as well.

 

[VBH289]

Ah, tomarrow I will try that, alot of work, but hey, thats all the fun of it!

 

[Tgure]

You should be able to rent a spring compressor from Autozone if you have one in your area. ;D

 

[VBH289]

Yea, thats the problem with the valley... there is a whole lot of nothing... and it goes on for 74 miles one way, and 150 the other! (by the way, the SLV is those dimentions) so I dont think I can find a compressing type thing unless I buy one

 

[76Broncofromhell]

Using a spring compressor is entirely unnecessary to put the springs in the buckets. Sometimes you get a little bind out of the trackbar, drag link and radius arm bushings but it's managable. I would just have a friend push down on the axle with his foot while you wrestle the springs in in. It shouldn't be that hard, I can pull mine out in about 20 minutes so there's no excuse.

 

[VBH289]

:-X

well, I did try that, still need about 1" of clearance to take care of that... working on it though ;D

 

[73stallion]

GET A BIGGER PRYBAR! i have one that's 5 feet long, there's nothing i can't install with that thing.

 

[Skuzzlebutt]

I always had good results usnig a jack between the radius arm and frame to gain the clearance needed to install the springs.

 

[RajinCajun]

I used my spring compressor..it made my 5.5" coils safe to install. I personally don't like compressing that large spring even a little with nothing holding it in place..just me.

 

[68ford]

my wh 5.5s went in fine even when i still had stock arms, the axle should drop enough for 3.5s no problem,something has to be stopping it. ?:?

 

[feitctaj]

you guys are smarter than me, when I replaced my springs 15 years ago, I bought a spring compressor, saves me a lot of swearing now.
Like a truck Driver needs another reason to Swear!! %)

 

[Skiddy]

I always had good results usnig a jack between the radius arm and frame to gain the clearance needed to install the springs.

That is what I did with mine no problems.

 

[casadejohnson]

I got a $9 spring compressor from harbor freight and they went in easy. Only problem was that the spring compressor messed up the finish on the springs a little bit.