Spring removal (1 Viewer)

[Cruiserhead05]

I need to take off my rear spring to swap them, they got installed on the wrong sides and now i have slight lean to the drivers side. What do you guys advise, internal or external spring compressors? i am going to trying to pick up the compressor(S) today in town and do it sometime soon.
Thanks.

 

[Junk]

You don't need spring compressors. They should almost just fall right out.

 

[Cruiserhead05]

Junk, You serious? well i just went by autozone and they had an internal one for 50 bucks. i didnt buy it, i just rented it. If i bring back in 90 days i get a full refund....i think thats the one and only thing autozone ever did right. its a nice system, renting the tools out and all. Well maybe one day this week or this weekend i will jack the rear up and through some jack stands under it and see what i find. Contemplating whether or not i should pick up a few 5/10 mm ome packers since i will be pretty much into the job. we'll see.

 

[IdahoDoug]

I just jack the rear up until the tires are off the ground, using the frame. Then remove the tires. Disconnect the shocks, and use the truck's bottle jack to push first one side of the axle down, then the other. You'll be able to push the axle down enough to release the springs one at a time. Just watch your brake lines as you'll have a lot of tension on them about the time the springs will come out. This may not work if you're putting packers in - you'll have to disconnect brake line mounts to allow enough room in that case.

DougM

 

[tucker74]

You don't need spring compressors. They should almost just fall right out.

Yep - once you remove the lower shock studs the axle will drop ... and out they come (watch the breather/brake lines).

Tucker

 

[Safado]

I think some of you are missing the point. The instructions provided would be fine for adding new springs, but he has to swap the DS with the PS. So once the shock is off and the axle is a full droop, yeah the spring comes out, then he has to get the other one off at the same time and then swap them. I think the spring compressors are your best bet for this job. Autozone and Checker both rent the things, plus you can also buy a set at Harbor Freight pretty cheaply. You will need more than one set however unless you plan to release the springs off of the vehicle. Good luck.

 

[Cruiserhead05]

I picked up a coil spring compressor at autzone this afternoon. i got home and was about to do the swap but im not totally sure my jack stands are going to be big enough and more importantly, the only person home is my little sister. if the 3 ton rear decided to fall on my face i dont want to rely on my sister to save my life. plus, my jack is leaking oil....its old, i need to pick up another before i get into the job and have it fail on me.

 

[tucker74]

I think some of you are missing the point. The instructions provided would be fine for adding new springs, but he has to swap the DS with the PS. So once the shock is off and the axle is a full droop, yeah the spring comes out, then he has to get the other one off at the same time and then swap them. I think the spring compressors are your best bet for this job. Autozone and Checker both rent the things, plus you can also buy a set at Harbor Freight pretty cheaply. You will need more than one set however unless you plan to release the springs off of the vehicle. Good luck.

Ya - I don't see your point here man. I did both rears at once - frame on jack stands, axle at full drop, insert springs, jack up axle and attach shocks. Did I miss something ... this would be the easiest way to swap IMO

Tucker

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

I don't like spring compressors, had them come loose too many times when being used properly, and that's a LOT of stored energy that goes BAM. I would give it a shot without them before using them, especially since everyone is telling you you should be able to.

Ary

 

[Beowulf]

Cruiserhead05,

Forget the spring compressor; you're more likely to hurt yourself with those things. Follow the advice you are being given as it comes from people that have done this before. Raise the vehicle on the frame, remove the shocks, lower the axle with a bottle jack, and pull out the springs.

-B-

 

[Kalawang]

Junk is right.


Kalawang

 

[Cruiserhead05]

Do you guys even think i'll need to remove the tires. when i had the rear up on jack stands yesterday the tires were restricting it from dropping enought to get the springs out. guess i should remove the tires as well, to make things easier

 

[tucker74]

You have to remove the tires

Tucker

Did I really just answer that?

 

[turbocruiser]

Do you guys even think i'll need to remove the tires. when i had the rear up on jack stands yesterday the tires were restricting it from dropping enought to get the springs out. guess i should remove the tires as well, to make things easier

Well, you answered your own question there bud. You either need a taller jack and taller jack stands or you need to remove the tires and wheels so that you can let the axle drop more. I'm still somewhat worried about your jack though if its leaking oil like that, I would not rely on it at all.

Just in the hopes it helps, I was at sears recently and saw a really nice "SUV" jack that lifts higher than most floor jacks will. I think it was 98 bucks, might be the best 98 you spend. HTH

Ohh, this is only my paranoid opinion but there was another thread somewhere where someone was trying to lift their rig higher than the jack and jack stands would allow. Several methods were proposed for elevating the jack and the jack stands ( wood blocks, cinder blocks, etc ). As a rule, I think this is a totally terrible way to jack off for higher heights. I've seen cinder blocks simply shatter unpredictably and I've seen wood blocks lean and lop over, get large dents and divets from the corners of the jack stands and the wheels of the jack and sometimes even rot pocket if they are left laying around outside. If you really need the extra elevation I would make some more stable platforms by taking exterior 3/4 inch plywood, lay flat 2 by 4's or 2 by 6's evenly and tightly on that plywood and then put another piece of that plywood on top to make a sandwich. If you need more elevation than one layer of 2 by whatevers would make, then add another layer of 2 bys perpendicular to the first layer and finish with the top layer of plywood. You can even have 3 or 4 layers of 2 bys safely. Each layer gets secured to the other with nails and construction adhesive which is smeared evenly with a roller. The whole platform should be several inches larger in all directions than the thing that they support. Again, this is an overly paranoid approach but when you're under your rig it makes much matter! HTH