Is there a 123 steps in taking apart the front suspension?

[Boise69]

I'm taking apart the front suspension one side at a time to install new spindles, rotors, shocks and to clean and paint. Whats the tear down sequence? I'm afraid of the spring and the tension that might cause me harm

[dznucks]

You've got step one down.....respect the spring

i had a rented spring compressor from autozone break on my first front end rebuild. Sent me to the ER with a couple crushed fingers.

You can jack the truck up and put it on jack stands. Then put your jack under the ball joint of the control arm that you are removing the spring from. dont jack up on the contorl arm, just bring the jack up to where it contacts the arm or is about 1/2" form contacting the arm. After removing the lower ball joint nut, use a ball joint seperator to break it loose. Once you've done that, you will be able to lower the jack and safely remove the compression from the spring. the spring should fall out on the ground. i would definitely use a spring comressor to reinstall the spring.

Everything else is pretty straight forward.

[Hottrucks]

heres the short version I'm sure you can fill in the details

put truck on stands
pull wheel and hub
take off tie rod end
swing spindle to one side
loosen upper and lower nuts off ball joint ( leave them on a couple turns)
place jack under LCA (just touching)


to remove ball joints or tie rod ends use your BFH and smack the cast area where the taper goes though MOST will pop apart....

lower LCA and remover spring

do what you need to and reassemble ..leave out the smacking with BFH part

[cdowns]

theres really not much to worry about with the springs they wont fly out and severe boddy parts/// doing that job i feel its foolish to not install new balljoints and tyrod ends while you've got the suspension all apart

[Hottrucks]

^^^^ thats a good way to get someone hurt..theres a reason that everyone shows so much respect to the spring...is it dangerious ..yea if you dont follow some safety tips like using the jack to control the LCA as it drops if theres not something to catch the preload then when the Lower ball joint gets popped its going to be bad...but with the jack and being careful there is no problem or safety issue!!

[PanelDeland]

I like to loop a chain thru the CA's and spring then connect it with a bolt thru the chain.I've never had one fly out or even jump when I took it apart(except the smacking with a BFH part)but I almost always err to the side of caution.