I've got a '63 Cross Country Wagon. Coil springs in front on what looks like a strut?? How does one compress these springs. My standard spring compressor won't fit up in the hole to grab enough spring. I can get them smashed down real far but have nothing that'll hold'em. AMC had a special tool of course I'll never find one. Help me someone, this old surf wagon needs an altitude adjustment!!! Big Wrench
You have a trundle front end. Looks like a strut but it's not. The pivot bolts to each side of the upper a-frame through a trundle setup. These springs are VERY dangerous when being removed and re-installed. I have seen cars jump 2' in the air when the spring clamps are released. Go to any old Rambler/AMC dealership and ask if they have the tool. All it is is a half round plate that's about 6 to 8" tall with a small hook on each end. It takes 2 of them. You put one on front and one on the back while compressing the spring and lift it out. Scary business. I have always removed these springs by heating them and collapsing them, cutting them a time or 2 after collapsed and putting new springs back in. To put them back in, we used a press or ramp type hoist and compressed the new spring with the spring cups on top and bottom. Once it's compressed enough, clamp on the spring clamps and slowly release the compression to be sure you have the hooks well caught in the cup eyes. To give you some idea of the stored energy, we used a ramp type hoist once with a big block el camino on the hoist with some junk engine parts in the back to get the spring compressed enough to get the clamps on. Set it on top of the tower and lower the car back to touching the spring fully compressed. We then bounced the front bumper and the spring cups will fall off. It can really jump and scare the crap out of you. I have seen one fall off the spring base and hit the inside of the fender, it junked the fender. The guy that used to do mine for me had a friend killed when one shot out from under the car and took the top of his head off while he watched the spring clamps release from beside the tire, that's why he taught me to bounce the bumper and not by the tire. Good luck, SPark
http://theamcforum.com/forum/ Post a wanted ad there, might even be able to borrow one from somebody. Just a thought.
his '63 has trunnions. You can do it without special tools but the fronts are scary. You will see holes in the spring perches top and bottom. Two on each end. Jack up the left rear to compress the right front. They had a pair of hooks that went in the holes to keep them compressed.
Thanks Spark and sixbnger, I have a service manual and it had all the info but didn't know about the tool. I used a couple of heavy duty turn buckles to hold the springs once compressed, then used my big compessors to undo the tension in a vice, crazy but it worked. 2 coils gone in the front and now she has a nice rake. I might take one from the rear but we'll see. Thanks again to all!!!!
Awesome timing, I have a buddy that just bought a 64 wagon and was going to drop it. This is nice to know that it isn't just an easy task with a floor jack. Then we end up getting someone hurt! Thanks!
Sorry, you are correct on trunnions vs trundle, been 35 years since I messed with one. As for my reference to an old AMC/Rambler dealer, what I ment was there are plenty of dealerships around the country that were at one time a Rambler or AMC dealer. Since those companies went poof, they many times moved to another line or were already selling another line and just went on doing business. I can think of several dealers that were at one time an AMC/Rambler dealer and now sell Chrysler or GM products. The tool may still be hanginfg there (it was usually owned by the dealership and not the mechanics since it was a service specific tool) and they may not even know what it is or why it is there. SPark
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