Front Coil Spring Installation
 

I just recently completed a suspension over haul of the rear and it went well. I installed upper/lower control arms, koni shocks, eibach springs and poly bushings. All in all no major problems.

Now I am working on the front and I am the point where I am trying to install the new eibach springs and Koni Struts. Does anyone have any hints as to the easiest way to install the springs. They are almost 2" shorter than the stock ones and they are still a pain in the *** to get into place. Do you HAVE to use the FORD spring compression tool? Or, can you get away with something else?

Any hints on this installation would be great!

Thanks . . . Cam

It's a pain even with the strut unbolted at the base and the controll arm dropped down allowing you to run the compression tool shaft thru the hole with it tilted? What's in your way?

when I did my BBK springs I used a compressor to get the old ones out because I didn't want them flying across my garage.

To put the new ones in I just used a little muscle. Drop the control arm right down and slide the top of the spring into place, muscle the bottom into the groove and you are set.

are you even close to getting the spring in uncompressed?

I just did the front springs 2 weeks ago in my car. I only added the 4 cyl springs but here was the easiest way. Bolt everything up the way it would be if you were finished installing the spring. If you have the spring out (or even if its in) unbolt the control arm from the frame, not the strut. If you have the car in the air, use a good floor jack to hold the control arm up as you unbolt it. Slowly lower the control arm down, take the spring out, put the new one back in, and jack the control arm back up into place. Took an hour on the first side for us until we figured out the best way to do it, and literally took us 15 minutes to do the other side. Hope this helps.

Chris

Yeah, it's easier and safer to unbolt the A-arms than the strut. I just swapped in the 4cyl springs too. The hardest part is getting the A arm bolts off. A guy named MFE on the corral did a write up on it, works like a charm and you don't have to worry about the spring flying out.