Hey guys this is the coil spring tool that I’m using. I was installing a new spring but couldn’t get the spindle close to get the nut tightened. I got a Jack on the bottom of the A-arm but it is jacking up the car. Any ideas on getting the coil to sit in the correct spot. Is it supposed to curve when compressing it with the tool?
Wrap a chain over the frame rail and attach to axle on jack and use it as a compressor from bottom of aframe. And BE CAREFUL
The only time I ever put coil springs in a 60’s Shivvy, they had a few coils missing. They’ll slide right in if you do that.
Hmmmmmm I’ve always been able to get gm coils in with out the tool. Even the non dropped ones. Anything special about these springs?
Back that off and reclamp, need to locate the compressor to get an even pull / compression on the spring. Having it bent like that adds to the danger, plus it doesn't fit.
I try to position the jack right at the outboard edge of the control arm. Is there an engine still in the car for weight? If you notice opposite side or end of car is going down towards floor/ground, block that end up, before jacking.
The internal spring compressor should have 4 hooks that grab opposite sides of the spring top and bottom. So the spring stays mostly straight. The threaded rod should be approx in center of the spring. I'm also one that puts shorter springs back in.
I chained a car down to a trailer, then used a jack under the a-arm with a heavy chain around the spring tied to the oposite frame rail for safety all while working on the the trailer deck. Hooking the chain to the jack base also works if the jack is a heavy duty type. Either way, have a safety chain hooked tot he spring to hold it incase something goes bad. Buddy of mine years ago had one come out and break his arm.
What I have done is make a longer threaded rod. Put it thru the upper shock hole then compress the spring. I've done it several times. It is a lot easier to do with a shorter spring.
yeah just went through this mess with our 61 impala. Took a day of just messing with compressor before I got them in. Also had cut a coil prior. Good luck on the rear end if you have to do those as well. Darn near just yanked the whole rear end out.
You have too much spring there Not a bona fide expert,,, buuut In my salad days I replaced the fronts on both a 57 210 2 door and a 55 Nomad Both times I used a regular long standing spring shop with ties to NAPA. My Uncle's tax # got me a discount. The '57 went fine ( I always worked alone at night then. ) The Nomad was a bear, having stated that they were for an SW with AC to get the Hi-Boy look. Much wrestling even chained weight to the front bumper to get the ball joint stud into the A arm The front sat high sure but passing over the right kind of bump ( there were many ) caused the upper arm to crash to the end of it's travel. BANG Certain city streets were a real pain to drive on. Causing bystanders to look and jeer at my bucket of bolts. Never got the Nomad envy from others except once when the neighbor family of the previous owner spied it in the station one night. Their memory was of an old junker. ( bought for $75 gutted abused and sheet metal cut up front for the drags ) Anyway your picture shows a spring that has way to much beef. ( to my eye ) to be practical. Happy Hunting etc.. Also thinking back to other eras when I worked at service stations, there were newer cars to be resprung. No emotional attachments and all went smooth. Should not not be a struggle.
Those are made to compress the spring in an arch. The two long arms, one top and one bottom align with each other, the two shorter arms, one tip, one bottom align with each other. As you tighten the shorter arms will grab first and start putting the bow into the spring then the longer arms will start catching up and compressing the other side of the spring. You will and should end up with a nice bow in the spring. Now the important part, you must first figure out the springs pigtail location, let's say the pigtail sets in the pocket straight out, you set the spring compressor so that the short arms are straight in and the long arms are at the spindle. Second part, the spring compressor has to have the arms aligned with the front crossmember. Not forward and backwards running with the length of the frame. Once you have the arms in the proper location on the spring and the spring bowed in the proper position installing it should be easy. The compressor is made to bow the spring so that the top of the spring fits into the top pocket and bows the bottom of the spring towards the pocket in the arm and should set into that arm pocket as you raise the arm into position. The one I've used for over 40 years I added a coupling nut between the bolt head of the compressor and the arm bracket. This moved the arm bracket up the threaded rod and allowed me to stick the bolt head of the compressor thru the shock hole in the lower arm making it easier to get to the bolt head of the compressor. I've used it that way for 40 yrs on everything you could thing of, station wagons and front lift springs under race cars are the worst. Anyone that ran race cars in the 70's and 80's have to remember the moroso front drag springs and how incredibly long those were ! ....
What are the springs you're trying to put in? If they won't compress with the jack and the full weight of the car, seems like they'll be too stiff?
What I often do is take the top set of arms off and put a nut and washer on and stick that end through the shock hole you can then compress the spring in place
This is a stock 63 impala moog coil. Just curious does it matter which side of the coil goes up or down?
ABN coil spring compressor tool sold on Amazon is the type I’ve had luck with, it compresses the spring and keeps the spring more strait. I keep the threads on the on the main shaft well greased. For some reason couldn’t copy and paste.
If the pigtail is the same top and bottom it doesn't matter which way its installed. The coil spring doesn't care at all, it's just the pigtail design that will determine that. ....
That’s what I thought. I’m gonna have my wife hold the spring assembly while I Jack up the A-arm in case anything happens I don’t get hurt.
Put the jack were it points straight in at the front crossmember and put the jack pad right under the lower ball joint. This allows the jack to follow the path of the arm as you raise it and putting it under the ball joint gives you the most leverage against the arm and spring.... ...
Stock for...? Big block, small block, etc? Moog has 4 different part numbers for front coils for a 63 Impala. Some are taller than others, some are stiffer than others.
The pig tail is 1/4” from being in the pocket. I used a strap wrench to rotate the coil as close as I could to the pocket.
Okay, that's the one for a 6 or V8 but it's a little taller than some of the other options. I have the same Moog springs to go into my 62 but I'm no help because I always cut a coil or two off of my springs. They fall right in.
I did my '66 Belair last year, same compressor, new name brand springs. Length was the same as the old ones, coil diameter was a little heavier. I changed them at a friend's shop, I used to do these alone somehow. The first side was an out and out fight. Sat it down...it looked like a figure-8 car and too high. And it took us 5 hours, but we did other things too. I made the decision, out it came and we lopped off TWO coils. I found a nut to fit the compressor rod threads, 1/2-13. Get the spring situated, centered the tool best as possible. Put the compressor rod thru the shock hole and held it with a washer and nut, 90% of the battle was over. Dropped it down and it looked good. The second side we did on the next morning. 2 hours flat, we were done. We did the alignment the following week.
I've done long ones that suck, as this thread easily confirms. Most I've never even needed a compressor. Drop the bottom arm slow, small ratchet strap to catch a pop out of it does, drop out, and stuff in the new, strap again, jack up the car (whole car motor n all), nut the joint. Did a 66 Vette once and fk me those bastards were long! I used a compressor on those. That job sucked and to this day I don't know why the guy wanted em. Not broken, not rusty, not sagged. That was mid-90s. I still have the old ones!
Back in the day, when I was in high school and we’d cut the coils on my 67 Chevelle, I would undo the lower A arm at the inner bushings instead of the ball joint. Maybe that would be easier for your 63 as well.
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