Lowering my 69

[montejones]

Im new to suspension and I have a basic question for you all... Iam having trouble installing my new front lowering springs, can someone please explain the process to me.. iam afraid i will do something wrong and have a spring fly to my face... everything is stock and i dont have disc brakes... thanks!!

[low 84]

ok first thing is to put the front up on stands, block back wheels and take off front wheels. Then remove cotter pin on tie rod, then castle nut, then remove the tie rod from the sterring knukle (you can thread the castle nut half way back on the tie rod and then hit upwards on the nut with a hammer to get the tie rod to come off. just make sure you don't hit the threads on the end of the tire rod or you'll be cussin later. this might also damage the castle nut but you can get a new one.) now remove the cotter pin from the upper ball joint. and loosen the castle nut about three threads (DO NOT TAKE IT ALL THE WAY OFF). now people do diferent things to get the ball joints to seprate, but i just take a big hammer and hit he top of the spindle (you might have to remove the break assembly to do this) and you will hear a pop which is the upper ball joint seperating from the spindle. i think you can get away with just seperating the upper ball joint since your not replacing spindles. Now before i lower the a-arm i like to chain the spring to the lowwer control arm cross shaft just fro safty. Now place a floor jack under the lower control arm and jack ti up to put pressure on the spring. Now you can take the castle nut all the way off and then SLOWLY lower the jack. your lower a-arm should come down with the spindle break assmbly on it. And hope fully your spring will become disengaged. Then you can unchain it and reinstall new spring. in revers order. Make sure you seat the new spring correctly in the lower and upper spring pockets so it will seat correctly. I htink this is most of the procedure but if you have any more queations please ask. I know the first time i did this i was pretty hesitant as to what to do.

hope this helps.

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Pot holes are my enemy

'84 1\2 ton swb, 350 5\7 drop

just sold '64 1\2 ton
4\4 drop with built 350 (my toy)

[ColinOpseth]

those are good instructions but why aren't you rebuilding your whole suspension if you're taking it apart?

another thing.. TORQUE TORQUE TORQUE!! Don't forget to retorque everything and then get your truck aligned after.

You need new shocks or you'll bottom-out your stock ones.

When the ball joints break they make one helluva bang. *BANG* So don't be scared, but it'll give you a load in your pants the first time

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Webmaster: www.GMPerformance.org

[montejones]

Great, thanks guys i really appreciate all the help, ill let you guys know how it going, thanks again

-monte

[low 84]

yea do all that stuff colin said that i left out. also good luck. let us know how it goes

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Pot holes are my enemy

'84 1\2 ton swb, 350 5\7 drop

just sold '64 1\2 ton
4\4 drop with built 350 (my toy)

[78ondaflr]

I would have to agree with everything above, except, shocks..
If you are only going down two inches or less the stock legenth shocks should do, but put some good gas shocks on and you will love the ride... Any lower than two inches and you will have to buy shorter shocks!
Good luck..

"DRAG IT LIKE YOU BUILT IT!"

[MOTHERTRUCKERS]

Sorry but that is wrong, to replace coil springs jack the truck up to get the wheels off the ground then put jack stands under the frame rails at your front cab supports (flat part of frame)remove the tires, put a floor jack under the lower a-arm and remove the lower a-arm ball joint cotter pin and castle nut and using a pickle fork between the spindle and lower a-arm drop the a-arm down using the floor jack and take out the spring then seat the new spring and jack the lower a-arm back up and replace the castle nut, cotter pin etc. No coil spring compressor I have ever seen will work on 63-72 trucks and is not needed because these trucks have progressive rate springs and will not fly out like passenger car springs. e-mail me if you need more information, we do about 90 of them each year in our shop.

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www.mothertruckers.net

[SCOTI]

Be careful w/the pickle fork method if you don't plan on replacing the ball-joint boot 'cause they sure are easy to tear when they get old. The hammer on the side of the spindle method works most of the time...just take your time.

[low 84]

MOTHERTRUCKERS there are many ways to do this i just stated one way. your way is just as good if not better, if you have a fully equiped shop, but alot of people don't. the way i listed works fine, i know because i've done it. he's most likley not wanting to replace his ball joints and using the pickle fork its easy to screw up the boots if your not exactly sure what your doing thats why i and alot of other people just hit the spindle to seperate, and the only reason i said to separate the top one is because the last time i did it one of my lowers was stuck so bad that i had to take the control arm off and seperate with a sledge (this was after using every other method known to man). and the top ones tend to seperate easier in my opinion.

so either way will work and alot of people prefer the way i have stated.

[MOTHERTRUCKERS]

I hear ya! They can be a real *****.

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www.mothertruckers.net

[low 84]

you got that right, some come apart easy as can be and some are so stuck you think they got welded in there