Rear spring install @$R%@%$

[Chevyguy]

Man I got hosed on this job.

On my Chevy this took like 30 minutes, just take the lower shock bolts off, pull the axle down, and the springs will come out.

I had the car all ready, then read my Chiltons. Ok, so I remove the lower control arm bolt and lower it down. Does not sound too bad. Except the (*(**&*&* bolt won't come out. Plus Chiltons said to discard the old bolts anyways. It was too dam hot today so enough of that.

Is there an easier way to do this short of cutting the bolt off? Any tips from guys that have done this in their driveways??

[cyberstang5.0]

I've done this to several mustangs... It's pretty easy.

Raise the lower end as high as you can get it, and support the body with jack stands. Then lower the rear axle. Place a jack under the lower control arm right under the spring. I place a rag between the jack and the control arm so I don't scratch the lower control arm. It helps if you take the sway bar out (if you have one). Give it one pump to take the pressure off the bolt. Unbolt the bolt that connects your control arm to your axle. If it gets stuck like yours is, then I will hit the end of the bolt with a hammer to "pop" it out, or just unscrew it. After the bolt is out, slowly lower the jack and the spring will just fall out.

I know you probably know how to do this, but I just wanted to let you know exactly how I do it. Since your going to be replacing the bolts, it's ok if you beat up the onld ones.

Oh, BTW: the axle might give you problems when you reinstall it. I had to kick, and push, and pry the axle into it's place so the bolt will slide though. This is just because the axle shifted while you removed the control arm. It's ok....

Hope this helps you out...

[Chevyguy]

I would have to remove the backing plate from the axle to get enough clearence to bang the bolt out. I did notice when spinning the bolt inside the bushing it seems to make the bushing go up and down slightly, meaning it is bent slightly. That could be the reason it won't come out easily.

I had removed the stabilizer bar first, and tried to remove the tension from the axle with the jack. I had the jack positioned just under the spring pocket.

I am just trying to find if there is an easier way to get the bolts out, or if mine is unusually stuck in there, or if I can use another method, like the Chevy method of disconnecting the shocks.

[cyberstang5.0]

Removing the shocks wont' help. The only other suggestion other then rent a spring compressor, is maybe squirt a little bit of oil on the bolt to see if that helps it slide out better. Sorry man...

[chris91LX]

Not sure what you have going, but I didn't have to remove the bolt on the CA to pull out the spring, just removed the shock bolt and dropped the axle housing, like you said you did on your Chevy.

[cyberstang5.0]

That won't work too well, the upper control arms will hold the axle. I've tired it on both of my stangs.

[Chevyguy]

I've heard from a few that have dropped the axle via the Chevy install method. I assume based on Cyber's and Chiltons advice that this will most often be unsuccessfull. Some axles may be able to drop down enough depending on variances in the control arms etc.

I'll probably just get a new set of bolts and blast the old ones off with larger weapons Sawzall, torch, air chisel etc...

[chris91LX]

Do you have aftermarket uper CA's, didn't have a problem sropping mine enough, but I still have the stock uppers. You might want to try pulling a bolt off the upper instead of the lower, I know that bolt is one tough sob to put back in. Good luck either way you go.

My experience installing the rear springs was just like cyberstang5.0, right down to fighting the axle to get the bolt holes to line up again.

After the nut was off, I used a breaker bar for this, I found tapping one end with a hammer while turning the other end helped back it out some. I also made several adjustments to the floor jack under the control arm to find the easiest path.

Not sure if cutting one end of the bolt off will help since you will still have the bolt in the hole, just no way of getting it out.

[mikew88gt]

It's been a couple of years since I swapped in a set of drag springs but I thought I was able to disconnect both shocks to get enough play to replace the springs. I think that after disconnecting the shocks I put the jack under one side of the axle to compress one side and that allows the other side to drop even more allowing you to pull the spring out with just a little effort.

[Dark_5.0]

I used one jack to jack up the car and put another jack under the lower control arm to take the tension off of the bolt and the bolt slid right out. It took me about ten minutes a side

[srv1]

Chevy. i have done both GM and Ford 4 link rear springs. i did them on the ground. you dont need to take of any control arms, sway bars or anything else except the lower shock bolt and the quad shocks if you have them. jack the car up and let the axle sag(put the car, not the axle, on jack stands). with both quad and lower shock bolts diconnected, use a pry bar and pry the bottom of the spring out. if that doesnt work so well, jack the opposite side of the sagging axle up so it pushes the other side down. do the same for the other side. installation is easy. do the same to put them in and pry the bottom of the new spring in the seat. if you are stong enough(depends on which springs he uses for the rear) you can compress the springs a little by hand and the aid of the pry bar and they will go right in. same works on GM's(except the FBods cause of the trailing arm), but the spring pocket is on the axle(you already know this), not the lower control arm like the stangs. oh i also did them by myself.

[gofastmercury]

When tighting those controll arm bolts make sure the car is supported by the axel, not the body. This is so you don't preload the bushings and get wierd handling. This is one thing I check on a car that sits low on one side, or just has weird handling. See it all the time.
just my .02.....