Instructions for changing front springs on 54
- Thread starter 1fastgramp
- Start date
rick55
Senior Member
I bought a tool similar to the Ford tool from Concours Parts $15. No damage to ball joint or rubbers. The fork type spring compressors didn't work for me when changing springs as the springs are too tight in the spring towers to allow a compressor up there. Couldn't go inside the spring cause they were too big and hooks were contoured the wrong way.
With the engine still in the car the best method I've found is as Y-Blockhead outlined. With no engine in the car the jack method won't work cause the weight on the springs isn't sufficient compress the springs. My method in that situation is use a short piece of 2"x3/8" spring steel. A piece of bumper bracket is perfect . It needs to be long enough to sit across the coils of a spring, drill a 1/2" hole in the centre of it. Then get a long length of threaded bar pass it through the top shock absorber hole. Lock two nuts on the bottom and then put a washer on the top and a nut and then start tightening/shortening the rod. The spring wil compress safely and when it clears the bottom a arm, remove the bottom ball joint and swing the a arm down and out of the way. Unwind the rod and release the spring. Installation is a reverse. This is completely safe and a similar method to the Ford method of removing coils springs from late model Fords with the coil spring resting on the top control arm.
Sorry it reads a bit like war and peace.
With the engine still in the car the best method I've found is as Y-Blockhead outlined. With no engine in the car the jack method won't work cause the weight on the springs isn't sufficient compress the springs. My method in that situation is use a short piece of 2"x3/8" spring steel. A piece of bumper bracket is perfect . It needs to be long enough to sit across the coils of a spring, drill a 1/2" hole in the centre of it. Then get a long length of threaded bar pass it through the top shock absorber hole. Lock two nuts on the bottom and then put a washer on the top and a nut and then start tightening/shortening the rod. The spring wil compress safely and when it clears the bottom a arm, remove the bottom ball joint and swing the a arm down and out of the way. Unwind the rod and release the spring. Installation is a reverse. This is completely safe and a similar method to the Ford method of removing coils springs from late model Fords with the coil spring resting on the top control arm.
Sorry it reads a bit like war and peace.