The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network







Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.

Go Back   The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network > General Truck Forums > Suspension

Web 67-72chevytrucks.com


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 06-29-2005, 05:31 PM   #1
cowboy33713
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: metro Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 241
Installing front springs-is there a "trick" to this?

Howdy:
I am nearing the end of my 67 front end rebuild but am having trouble installing the driver's side A Arm spring; had some initial trouble with the passenger side, then suddenly it all came together. The driver side acts as though the spring is too long, which I know ain't so 'cause it was in there before. Know that positioning is a bit of an issue on the top side, with the "small" coils and their seating, but spent more than 4 hours yesterday doing the "reposition and try again" driil without finding a postion the spring liked. The a-armshave full travel without binding, the spring will not compress enough ( when the lower a arm is raised with a floor jack to compress it, per the manual's procedure), to allow the lower ball joint's stud to get all the way through the steering knuckle and allow the nut to be installed. Am I overlooking something?
Thanks for any help.
cowboy33713
cowboy33713 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2005, 10:32 PM   #2
unixadm
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 61
I've had it where the upper A-arm will not come down low enough on A and B body cars. I've also found that if you've got a couple of buddies who can sit or pull down on the fender to add more weight to the front end, it can help compress the spring even more. If all of that does not work, you can also compress the spring with a spring compressor.
__________________
- '72 Chevy C20 4x4 LWB Fleetside, 350/SM465, NP205, '73+ Axles (D44/14B FF 8-lug), 4 Wheel Discs - Updated Pics
unixadm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-30-2005, 08:23 AM   #3
cowboy33713
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: metro Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 241
unixadm;
will have to give the added weight road a try - there is no way to get a conventional spring compressor out of the spring again once it has been installed; the hole on the bottom of the A Arm is too small for a spring compressor to go through. Thanks for the suggestion!
cowboy33713 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-30-2005, 10:46 AM   #4
raggedjim
Senior Member
 
raggedjim's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Murray, Kentucky
Posts: 3,476
I had that problem once when I tried to do it without the front clip, engine or trans in the frame... The frame kept coming up. My buddy who works in a collision shop had a portable hydraulic set that he used to pull everything in place. That was a long time ago...

Good luck, Rg
__________________
Roger

'68 Short step - https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=849675
'69 ('70?) 2wd Blazer
'70 GMC Jimmy 2wd
'73 Firebird - https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=853203
raggedjim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-01-2005, 04:48 PM   #5
cowboy33713
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: metro Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 241
Roger:
Theres's another idea or two in your contribution! Would require a bit of fabrication, but a fairly simple thing like "c" clamp that would fit under the lower ball joint and over the lower eye of the sterring knuckle ,with a small hydraulic cylinder jack to power it could be really nice! There's a tool idea.
Will try to use gravity first, though. I have a brother who lifts weights. A bunch of his bigger plates on a chain (say a hundred pounds or more), hanging from the frame rail on that side should help gravity pull it together.
Thanks, to all!
cowboy33713
cowboy33713 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2005, 12:10 AM   #6
LONGHAIR
just can't cover up my redneck
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Columbus OH
Posts: 11,414
The "trick" is to run a chain around the frame and the front axle of your floor jack. Then gravity is not a factor, the vehicle's upward travel is limited by the jack which is then raising only the lower control arm...........
LONGHAIR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2005, 12:17 AM   #7
newin72
Account Suspended
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: East Texas
Posts: 545
I think maybe your spring is not seating properly in the top cup. I had this problem with mine. make sure the bottom of the spring is set properly, then push the top of the spring ALL THE WAY BACK (towards engine) as you jack up the bottom, this will help it fall into place.

hope this works....
newin72 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2005, 07:05 AM   #8
cowboy33713
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: metro Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 241
longhair:
Well, I wouldn't have thought of that bit with the chain for at least another week, if at all. Sounds like the clear winner for the guy whose "buddies" are always busy when dirty (they think) work is to be done, like the couple of guys I know. Well, the one guy I know locally. Okay, he's my brother,and has two jobs while going to college. Anyway, chain I have.Will post an outcome.
Thanks
cowboy33713
cowboy33713 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2005, 10:14 AM   #9
cowboy33713
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: metro Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 241
Update:
The chain around the floorjack's axle proved itself out. As described, it removed the need for extra wt to compress the spring. Once it was all set up, with the spring properly placed, a few strokes of the jackhandle had the
lower balljoint stud through the steering knuckle easily.
Thanks to all for the help. Can now move on to replacing the brake lines (which crumbled when I was disassembling the front end) with the nice stainless stuff LMC carries.
Thanks again!
cowboy33713
cowboy33713 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:54 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright 1997-2022 67-72chevytrucks.com