swapping rear coils??

[superfly68]

can anyone give me a heads up? thought i'd have to unbolt the rear-end but now i hear that's not an issue?

[Tx Firefighter]

There's one bolt on the bottom and one on the top of each coil. Let the rear suspension hang and unbolt the coils. Reverse to install. It's real easy.

[1971 Cheyenne]

uhhhh, remember to put the jackstands under the FRAME

[c10crazy]

I have been wanting to try this swap as well using the monte carlo springs and wasn't sure how to do it.
To clarify: 1) Place jack under pumpkin
2) After truck is lifted place jack stands under frame and remove jack to let suspension hang.
3) Unbolt springs and swap!
Please correct me if I missed something. I really want to do this correctly. This sounds like a 1 or 2 hour job!.

[Terry S]

Basically you guys have got the idea, but there are a couple of other things to consider. You'll probably have to take the shocks off to allow the rear end to drop enough to get the stock springs out. Also, when you go back in with shorter springs, it can really mess up the ange that the shocks sit at. If I'm remembering this right, the more you drop the truck, the more horizontal the shocks get. Somebody (chassis tech?) makes a relocator kit for the upper shock mounts, or you can just grind out and relocate the stock upper shock mounts to a position that keeps the shocks more vertical. If you do this, it will really help the ride later on, but you may have to change to shorter shocks, depending on the amount of drop.

Also, based upon past ecperience, I would recommend soaking the bolts with penetrating oil before you try to take everything apart, since they tend to be pretty rusty.

Finally, don't be suprised if you find that the spring retainers (the big ear-shaped pieces that the bolt go thru to hold the springs on) are rusted thru and need to be replaced.

If everything goes okay, c10crazy is correct, this is about a 1-2 hour job, but if things are stuck and rusted, like all my junk usually is , count on this taking most of the day.

Good luck

ts

[67sss]

ts....nice job on explaining it , especially........If everything goes okay, c10crazy is correct, this is about a 1-2 hour job, but if things are stuck and rusted, like all my junk usually is , count on this taking most of the day.

[dubie]

I did mine last summer and it is very simple.

1. block the rear frame section up becasue as soon as you remove your coils, the rear end of the truck drops right to the stops

2. Remove the top and bottom bolt and take out your retainer cups

3. remove the old coil

To replace them

1. install your new coil with your lower retainer cup , and bolt it up.

2. lower the truck until the upper coil is almost on place . Then slip your retainer cup into place and start the bolt

3. Then lower it the rest of the way down and tighten everything up.

This should only take about 1 hour to complete if your bolts come out easy enough

good luck

[WRMZ71]

I like how everybody says if the bolts come out easy. Changing them coils is a piece of cake for sure but then you get them stuck bolts, and there stripped and you have to air chissel em out of there anyway yea i would advise a good soaking of WD-40 or something of the sorts as well. That 1-2 hr project took me 2 days to do all four

[dubie]

oh, I guess I should have said that I have a forklift that held the back up and a torch to cut the bolts. Thats why it only took 1 hour to do. The bolts, even after soaking the hell outta them in WD40, they still wouldn't come out

[cableguy0]

no sense in trying to get the bolts out by hand cut em off with a torch or an air chissel otherwise you will be fighting for hours upon hours to find out that those bolts are really stuck in there