Coil Springs
Coil Springs
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,494
Likes: 0
Coil Springs
I did my springs on my '79 2WD about two years ago...forgive my rustiness. That big nut you're referring to is a bear to remove. I remember simply using an adjustable wrench and a lot of patience manuevering between the spirals. It was the same way putting it on. Not a chance getting a torque wrench on it...I think I put a wrench on the nut and used a breaker bar on the bolt end. I'm mainly replying because I didn't need to use any kind of mechanical restraint on the springs. You have to support the frame up rather high, loosen the raidus arms a bit, put a jack under the beam, remove the upper retainer on the spring, lower the jack, the beam lowers and the tension comes off the spring. I remember just grabbing it out after everything was lossened. There was no flying spring shooting out across the street or anything like that. Just be cautious. If you're in the same boat I was (worn out original front end), you may want to plan on having new pivot bushings installed too.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,335
Likes: 1
From: waco
Coil Springs
Tetraruby is right. I changed my springs last year. I did not need a spring compressor. That big nut is 1-1/8". I went to autozone and bought a wrench for cheap. I threaded it through the spring and pulled off the nut. I highly recomend soaking that nut with some type of penetrating oil. It is a bear.
