[Rawkon]

i had problems compressing my springs. I had the right tools but the spring compressors worked until i tried to put the springs back in. the spring tool kept on hitting my control arm and it made it hell trying to intsall the spring.

 

[Rawkon]

haha i ended up using a big compressor thing my dad had in the garage then i used a big time heavy duty chain and chained the springs down. I know it was stupid to use chain but thats all i had and i had to be done that day. you can get any tool you would need like the spring compressors from Pepboys they carry everything you can think of. basically you buy the tool and when you come back they refund you the money. like a hold on your credit card or somethin like that. but since your going more then a couple inches your gonna be getting new longer control arms and that should make things easier when your reinstalling your springs. i also had problem with my bump stops. but it wasnt that big a deal.

 

[Tweaked]

Be carefull If you use the treaded external compresers. I use them to hold mine in place after we compressed them in a strut compreser and the bars bent out over an inch with all that pressure.

 

[bullram]

Hello please dont take offense to this post, but you dont need a compressor to install the springs, I do this all day long at work,my springs were 3" lift springs and I still didnt use a compressor,jack it up pretty high, use good jack stands,remove the shock first, you have to take off the tie rod end off the spindle , then put a jack under the spindle or controll arm, jack it up to relieve tension on the spindle upper ball joint nut, loosen the upper ball joint nut unscrew it to the top,(DO NOT REMOVE IT AT THIS TIME), remember the jack will have the tension under controll.Lower the jack to put pressure on the ball joints then take a good size hammer and smack the (SPINDLE) right below the upper ball joint, the nut that you loosened will hold the spring from jumping out, (THE NUT WILL JUMP TO THE TOP OF THE BALL JOINT WHEN YOU RELEASE IT) but it cant go anywhere if you leave the nut on the ball joint ,but have it loose about an inch, then jack up the spindle underneath again, to take the tension off of the ball joint nut, remove the balljoint nut , now slowly lower the rotor and spindle down and you will see the spring loosen up, it will only go down so far before the spring will roll out on the ground by itself,if this worries you , put a piece of rope around the spring to hold it in place but it wont jump out if you follow these directions.. to install the spring ,stock springs are easy, lifted are ,a little tricky, just make sure the truck is raised very high, this is the key,the lower the spindle and rotor are the easier it is to get the springs in,I put mine in by placing the rubber cushion on top of the spring then raised the spring up into the top part of the control arm, the slid it into the lower part of the control arm, it will not slid all the way in, just ue a large screwdriver and help it in, put the jack under the lower controll arm ,jack it up, the spring is in two pockets, upper and lower, then when it gets up to the controll arm put the nut on it,,I am sorry if this was too long , I just know lots of you could do this yourself with minimal tools and save money,but as I always say "( if you feel the slightess bit uncomfortable trying this , by all means let a professional do it)" I just wanted to help

 

[Rawkon]

Ok yeah i tried that the first time, taking the spring out i didnt need to compress anything, but when i was putting the spring back in thats where i had trouble.
I had the spacer on top of the spring and i had it jacked up real high. my problem was my control arm and spindle where prett far apart. my spring was lifting the truck and not compressing. thats why i had to compress the springs, to get the controll arm and spindle to bolt together.

 

[WMIF]

sometimes that method works. i have done it myself, but it doesnt always. you cant just automatically say that you dont need a spring compressor. i have had situations that needed and some that didnt. if you have one, it definately makes it easier, but if you dont sometimes you have to imporvise.

 

[bullram]

Well , that is true Hawii, but this is not a 4wd that he is installing them on , this is the same one I have done and do a lot of, I was just stating that it is not manditory to have the compressors, they do get in the way and are hard for the average person to work, many times I have had one foot on the bottom control arm and one hand on the spring to get that extra inch to let the coil and spacer to go in, I did a 2wd yesterday 3 inch lift springs and add a leaf, came out perfect , when I post I am trying to help the do-it- yourselfer, if any one needs help i will try and help with repairs, just dont read more into the post, than it is , just a helpful suggestion... thanks

 

[bullram]

RAWKON did you have both sides in the air the first time you told us about, you need to do only one at a time to use the weight of the truck against the spring to get the controll arm to go into the spindle.. just a thought.........

 

[Rawkon]

I did do one at a time, I dont know what i was doing wrong. I got them in though. Things would have been a lot easier if i had a bigger spindle and or control arm.