Guys:

This is a great forum and I really enjoying learning how to fix stuff on my 89 Aerostar XLT.

I think my rear coil springs are bad. I replaced the shocks with the heaviest duty ones I could get from NAPA. The rear end is still low.
I have a generator, pressure washers in the rear and a 25 gal tank of water (Where the last rear seat was).

I van rear has never been this low.

How hard is it to replace the rear coil springs and what special tools do I need???

Thanks in Advance.

 

I know they do sell small pieces that go into your coil springs and will boost their height back up. I bought a set over a year ago for about 25 bucks and they've worked great. I also pull a 3000 pound boat and a 16 foot flatbed trailer almost everday with no problem. I bought mine at O Reilly Auto.

 

No special tools required to change springs, very simple straightforward process. You may want to consider cargo van coils for your application or else standard coils and air adjustable shocks to boost the capacity when needed.

 

Thanks guys.
I may just get the small pieces that go in the coil spring for right now.
Then in the next few months change over to the cargo van coils

 

Another option that I have used, is a coil spring air bag. It allows you to adjust the amount of lift that you get depending on how much air you put in the bag. The one problem that I had, is as they aged, one developed a crack, and started leaking. Here is a link that you can look at. Cost's around $70. http://www.accessconnect.com/chevy_ford_and_gmc_van.htm

 

b2trausch:


Do you just slip these into the coil spring and fill them up?

I guess I have to fill them from under the vehicle?

As far as age, as long as they will last a year or two I will be happy.

Thanks

 

You might want to consider over load springs. J.C. whitney catalog has them. or jcwhitney.com

 

Greetings

I picked up a set of " '500' Rear Adjustable Two Way Spring-Lox" from Autozone for $7.99 and put them on my '96 extended 4WD Yesterday. I think it brought it up 1+" So far, I've not noticed any change in handling. Best of all, when I approach the vehicle in a parking lot, I no longer see the rear end sagging. Eventually, I will replace the springs with cargo springs, but for 8 bucks it was a quick fix.

 

Out of curiousity I looked up the Spring-Lox on the web and found a small depiction of one installed between a coil section. Having never used such products, my immediate question is what keeps the device in place when the coil expands, such as going over a large undulation or hump in the road? Perhaps the illustration is misleading but it appears there is nothing to prevent it from falling out onto the roadway.

 

just a thought, according to the website, it says that you are supposed to use one set per side, just figured you may want to know

 

The black steel bolts are about 3" long, which would mean the springs would have to open up at least that much between the coils before they could fall out, which I suppose is possible, but probably not the way I drive. Also, after jacking up the van, I inserted the Lox in the widest gap in the coil (near the bottom), then I worked it up the spring as far as I could, to a tighter gap, before I began to open it up. Like I say, I gained over an inch. Also, the kit I bought for 7.99 has 4 Spring-Lox in it, enough for both springs.

 

I just bought those big rubber ones and after about 15 minutes of tring to bang them into place (With the vehicle jacked) There just was not enough space between the springs to get them in.

I am going to return them in the morning and look for those Spring-Lox.
That will work. Looks like you just slip them in the spring and start expanding them.

 

There are a number of those little dohickies that insert in between coils of springs to help them regain height lost through sag (plastic deformation and fatigue). I see them on the road every day, probably dropped from springs that have extended too much.

If you want to install them, you might need to use something to expand the coils. I've seen people using spring compressors in reverse for this. You might be able to use a large screw driver or tire iron to do this.

I would not use the metal ones for any extended periods of time. They will put excessive stress on springs that are already weakened from fatigue.

 

The only way I could mount the Spring-Lox was to assemble them piece by piece inside the springs, there was no was to get them in fully assembled, although I didn't think about trying to futher expand the coil as xlt4wd90 suggests.

 

I went ahead and got a set. Installed them last night, and they certainly do give the van a better look, especially when towing my boat.