Spring install directions - How I did it!
#1
02-01-2005, 07:34 AM
Spring install directions - How I did it!
Spring install. To the best of my recollection this is step by step how I did mine. I didn’t have to remove any brake lines or abs stuff except for the rear wires had to be raised a little.
Notice: If you do not have the proper tools or skills do not attempt to do this yourself. Sudden release of a compressed spring can kill you. Use these instructions at your own risk. I will not be responsible for your injury, death or damage to your vehicle.
You need a full size floor jack that can be lowered gradually (not one of those rinky-dink things with a small round saddle), two HD jack stands, BFH, hand tools including end wrenches up to 15/16" or equivalent in metric, 1/2" socket set with ratchet and pull handle, and a pair of wire cutters or pliers to remove cotter pins.
On the front raise the car by the front cross member that goes under the engine. Be careful not to get on the oil pan with the jack. Put two jack stands under the outer hump of the spring seat on the bottom of the control arms with the jack stand handles facing the rear of the car. Lower the car to take the preload off of the control arm bushings and sway bar. Leave the jack under the cross member. Take the sway bar links off and loosen the control arm bolts. Raise the car back up almost the full extent of the jack. Reposition the jack stands under the frame rails and ease the jack down. Turn the key to the first click to unlock the steering but not on where the instrument lights are on. Turn the wheel all the way in one direction. Remove the cotter pin on the tie rod end that is outward and remove the nut. Thread the nut back on finger loose for a few threads to protect them. Get a BFH, I use a 2 ½ lb. sledge hammer, and strike the end of the steering knuckle where the tie rod end shaft goes through. Be careful not to hit the tie rod end itself cause that might tear the boot or damage the threads. It may take several hits to get the tapered shaft to drop out. Turn the steering wheel the opposite direction and repeat this on the other side. Now place the floor jack under one of the control arms and make sure the saddle is hooked on the outer edge of the lower spring seat. The jack needs to be positioned at a right angle to the car so it can roll in the direction the control arm pivots. Jack the control arm up to compress the spring. Loosen the ball joint nut till it is finger loose but don't remove it completely. Lower the floor jack until it is just below the control arm and tighten the handle so it won’t go down. Pivot the brake assembly out of the way and strike knuckle where the ball joint shaft goes through with your BFH. Be careful not to hit anything but the knuckle and knock the sh*t out of it. The ball joint shaft will eventually let go and drop down. Jack the control arm back up, remove the nut and ease the jack down until the spring is loose but leave the jack under the control arm. Clean the dirt out of the lower spring seat, transfer the isolators and put the new spring into position. Hold the spring in position so the lower pig tail will line up in the seat of the control arm and keep the top in so it will hook into the upper perch. Raise the floor jack slowly till the spring is just held in place and recheck the position. You can rotate it as needed if you didn't jack up on it to tight. When the spring is in position raise the control arm the rest the way up while guiding the ball joint shaft into the knuckle on the bottom of the strut. Put the ball joint nut back on tight and install a new cotter pin. Repeat this process on the other side. After you have both sides done jack the car back up and position the jack stands back under the outer hump of the lower spring seat. Remember to face the release handles to the rear so they don’t get in the way of the sway bar links. Lower the car gradually till the springs are fully compressed. Install the sway bar links and tighten the control arm bolts. It is actually better to tighten the control arm bolts with the car on a drive on lift but this method will be good enough to prevent damaging the bushings. If you have aftermarket bushings that pivot on the inner sleeves you don’t have to load them to tighten the bolts. Put the wheels back on and lower the car.
On the rear jack the car up under the differential housing. Do not put the saddle of the jack under the backing plate as this will bend it and cause the rear end to leak. Be careful when jacking it up here cause the jack may shift position as you are jacking it up. Raise the car high enough so the lower control arms can be let down to release the springs. Place the jack stands under the axle tubes about midway between the center and the control arms. Lower the car gradually till it is resting on the jack stands. Remove the wheels. Remove the sway bar and loosen the front and rear control arm bolts. You may have to pry the exhaust over enough to get a socket on the front control arm bolts (use a pull handle here). Be careful not to damage the ABS wires when removing the sway bar bolts (slide the rubber grommet up out of the holder). Place the jack under the spring seat on one of the control arms and jack it up a little. The jack needs to be facing the same direction of the car so it can roll forward as the arm comes down. Remove the rear bolt (you may have to play around with the jack tension to get it to come out easily). Lower the jack gradually until the spring is loose but don’t remove the jack or let it all the way down. Take the spring out and transfer the isolators to the new spring. Hold the new spring in position and raise the jack until the lower control arm bolt hole is lined up. You may need a tapered punch to line up the holes. Put the bolt back in and install the nut but do not tighten it all the way. Jack the control arm up until the car is almost off the jack stand on that side but do not upset the car so it falls off the stands. Tighten the bolts on the front and rear of that control arm. Repeat this on the other side and put the sway bar back on. Put the wheels back on and lower the car.
Note: On the Ford Racing C springs most people cut the top coil off of the rear springs to lower the rear in proportion to the front. I used a 4 ½" angle grinder with a metal cutoff wheel on it for this. Be real carful not to let the cutoff wheel bind cause it will shatter. Wear a face shield! The cut should be made near the end of the pigtail. 315's will rub slightly when you drive at an angle over things like a transition from a driveway to the street after you do this but not bad enough to marr the tires.
Notice: If you do not have the proper tools or skills do not attempt to do this yourself. Sudden release of a compressed spring can kill you. Use these instructions at your own risk. I will not be responsible for your injury, death or damage to your vehicle.
You need a full size floor jack that can be lowered gradually (not one of those rinky-dink things with a small round saddle), two HD jack stands, BFH, hand tools including end wrenches up to 15/16" or equivalent in metric, 1/2" socket set with ratchet and pull handle, and a pair of wire cutters or pliers to remove cotter pins.
On the front raise the car by the front cross member that goes under the engine. Be careful not to get on the oil pan with the jack. Put two jack stands under the outer hump of the spring seat on the bottom of the control arms with the jack stand handles facing the rear of the car. Lower the car to take the preload off of the control arm bushings and sway bar. Leave the jack under the cross member. Take the sway bar links off and loosen the control arm bolts. Raise the car back up almost the full extent of the jack. Reposition the jack stands under the frame rails and ease the jack down. Turn the key to the first click to unlock the steering but not on where the instrument lights are on. Turn the wheel all the way in one direction. Remove the cotter pin on the tie rod end that is outward and remove the nut. Thread the nut back on finger loose for a few threads to protect them. Get a BFH, I use a 2 ½ lb. sledge hammer, and strike the end of the steering knuckle where the tie rod end shaft goes through. Be careful not to hit the tie rod end itself cause that might tear the boot or damage the threads. It may take several hits to get the tapered shaft to drop out. Turn the steering wheel the opposite direction and repeat this on the other side. Now place the floor jack under one of the control arms and make sure the saddle is hooked on the outer edge of the lower spring seat. The jack needs to be positioned at a right angle to the car so it can roll in the direction the control arm pivots. Jack the control arm up to compress the spring. Loosen the ball joint nut till it is finger loose but don't remove it completely. Lower the floor jack until it is just below the control arm and tighten the handle so it won’t go down. Pivot the brake assembly out of the way and strike knuckle where the ball joint shaft goes through with your BFH. Be careful not to hit anything but the knuckle and knock the sh*t out of it. The ball joint shaft will eventually let go and drop down. Jack the control arm back up, remove the nut and ease the jack down until the spring is loose but leave the jack under the control arm. Clean the dirt out of the lower spring seat, transfer the isolators and put the new spring into position. Hold the spring in position so the lower pig tail will line up in the seat of the control arm and keep the top in so it will hook into the upper perch. Raise the floor jack slowly till the spring is just held in place and recheck the position. You can rotate it as needed if you didn't jack up on it to tight. When the spring is in position raise the control arm the rest the way up while guiding the ball joint shaft into the knuckle on the bottom of the strut. Put the ball joint nut back on tight and install a new cotter pin. Repeat this process on the other side. After you have both sides done jack the car back up and position the jack stands back under the outer hump of the lower spring seat. Remember to face the release handles to the rear so they don’t get in the way of the sway bar links. Lower the car gradually till the springs are fully compressed. Install the sway bar links and tighten the control arm bolts. It is actually better to tighten the control arm bolts with the car on a drive on lift but this method will be good enough to prevent damaging the bushings. If you have aftermarket bushings that pivot on the inner sleeves you don’t have to load them to tighten the bolts. Put the wheels back on and lower the car.
On the rear jack the car up under the differential housing. Do not put the saddle of the jack under the backing plate as this will bend it and cause the rear end to leak. Be careful when jacking it up here cause the jack may shift position as you are jacking it up. Raise the car high enough so the lower control arms can be let down to release the springs. Place the jack stands under the axle tubes about midway between the center and the control arms. Lower the car gradually till it is resting on the jack stands. Remove the wheels. Remove the sway bar and loosen the front and rear control arm bolts. You may have to pry the exhaust over enough to get a socket on the front control arm bolts (use a pull handle here). Be careful not to damage the ABS wires when removing the sway bar bolts (slide the rubber grommet up out of the holder). Place the jack under the spring seat on one of the control arms and jack it up a little. The jack needs to be facing the same direction of the car so it can roll forward as the arm comes down. Remove the rear bolt (you may have to play around with the jack tension to get it to come out easily). Lower the jack gradually until the spring is loose but don’t remove the jack or let it all the way down. Take the spring out and transfer the isolators to the new spring. Hold the new spring in position and raise the jack until the lower control arm bolt hole is lined up. You may need a tapered punch to line up the holes. Put the bolt back in and install the nut but do not tighten it all the way. Jack the control arm up until the car is almost off the jack stand on that side but do not upset the car so it falls off the stands. Tighten the bolts on the front and rear of that control arm. Repeat this on the other side and put the sway bar back on. Put the wheels back on and lower the car.
Note: On the Ford Racing C springs most people cut the top coil off of the rear springs to lower the rear in proportion to the front. I used a 4 ½" angle grinder with a metal cutoff wheel on it for this. Be real carful not to let the cutoff wheel bind cause it will shatter. Wear a face shield! The cut should be made near the end of the pigtail. 315's will rub slightly when you drive at an angle over things like a transition from a driveway to the street after you do this but not bad enough to marr the tires.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
