Best/easiest way to install coil spring

[siggyfreud]

Hey all,

About the install the coil spring in the truck after finally getting the LCAs sorted.

The frame currently has the engine/trans sitting in it, but nothing else on the front end aside from the suspension parts.

The frame isn't high enough with my jack stands to get the spring inside its area, and under the LCA to jack it up from the ball joint end. Besides that, it looks like it would be really tough to keep it aligned in its resting area on the bottom end.

I'm thinking the two options are:

#1 Use a spring compressor, get it in there and attach the lower ball joint to the spindle. I'll need to jack up the frame more because it's not high enough to even set the spring at an angle in the LCA.

Or

#2 Unbolt the LCA ubolts, attach the LCA to the spindle, then put the spring in and jack up the rear, which would be more up and down with less swing and keep the spring in its resting area.

I have done #2 before, however I had the entire vehicle weight. Not sure if there is enough weight to compress the spring, or if I'd just keep lifting the frame. I don't want to shove it off the other stands.

Any thoughts on if the spring will compress well before I start lifting stuff, or should I go rent myself a spring compressor?

Thanks.

[donthekawguy]

Are they stock springs? If so you will have better luck with jacking up the truck to get enough room under it to use a jack on the lower arm. once you get it jacked up high enough the spring will line up in the pocket. The weight of the motor should be enough to compress the spring.

[gimmy 64]

i agree with don. jack up the frame just enough to get your jack under it and the use it under the lca. if it is a drop spring you should have no problem

[siggyfreud]

Not a drop spring, so it was a bit tough.

What we ended up doing was pretty much Don's approach. We connected the ubolts, jacked up the frame and then put the spring in. I used a compressor, though that ended up being more pain that it was worth, as the tool got stuck in the pocket, so we ended up unbolting the lower ball joint again, relieving the pressure, removing the tool, and jacking the LCA back up.

The biggest issue was that there wasn't enough weight on the frame, so as the spring compressed it was lifting, rather than compressing. It ended up taking me and my friend, (about 430lbs combined) standing, him on the frame, me directly on the spindle, to get them mated and a nut put on. It was quite the sight seeing two guys standing on a frame, while trying to jack up the LCA, align the ball joint, and get a castle nut on it .

All turned out well though! Doing the other side tomorrow. BTW I ended up moving the LCA forward .5" by redrilling the locating holes. Clears the headers now fine (well at least the side I did).