rear spring adjustability

kneedragger25

Registered User
So im in the process of lowering my sc i finshed the front by cuting one coil off each side. now cor the rear, i dont wanna hear or cut these, buying drop springs is not in my budget. the front looks great and i wanna be able to adjust the rear height. im looking for something that will allow me to clamp two coils tobhether. iknow they make some to do the opposite.
 
So I got those today and no go the spring dia we have is bigger than the cut out those have. So I made the holse bogger with a dremel and compressed two coils toghether and the height some how is the same. so It looks like ima cut them like the front. No my question is whats the easiest and safest way to remove and install the rear spring with out a spring compressor?
 
Editing my response since you made that response while I was typing. To get to the rear springs, get the car up on jack stands and pull the wheels. Remove the bolts that secure the rear knuckles to the LCAs and support the knuckles with jack stands or something similar. Disconnect the sway bar from each LCA. Put a jack under the LCA to support it, then remove the bolt that holds the shock to the LCA. Slowly release jack pressure so that the LCA hangs down.

Even then you may need a pry bar to get the springs out. Putting the cut coils back in will be easier since they'll be shorter, obviously.
 
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So thats the same way I read a few mins ago but I missing something. It sound easy. But the catch is I need to remove the three bolt holding in the LCA and remove the LCA completly. Because today I just removed the 1 outer bolt that holdes the Outer knuckle to the upper mount and let the LCA swing down but didnt hve enough room even prying on the arm didnt work. I have spring compressure but they are too long and interfere with the LCA when installed, I may need to cut off the excess bolt.
 
Try unbolting the BOTTOM two knuckle mounting bolts.

BIG hint: Support the LCA with a jack so that there's some compression, unbolt the lower knuckle bolts, tie the knuckle up , and then ease the jack down.

To lower it - try picking up some Mark VIII aluminum LCAs. There's a bit of drop that comes automatically from them, due to the Mark VIII using airbags instead of springs.

RwP
 
Ok so I leave the knuckle bloted up to the UCA and alo leave the LCA bolted to the rear Frame. If I am correct in what I typing I did that today but the LCA wouldnt go far enough to clear te darn bump stops. can I just remove those than the spring.
 
Ok so I leave the knuckle bloted up to the UCA and alo leave the LCA bolted to the rear Frame. If I am correct in what I typing I did that today but the LCA wouldnt go far enough to clear te darn bump stops. can I just remove those than the spring.

From The Slums - a lot of guys there just stood on the LCA to get it to budge.

Then again, if you swap to the Mark VIII LCA, you'll be pulling the inner bushing, the sway bar end link, and the lower shock mount ANYWAY. So drop the whole thing, spring and all.

RwP
 
lazy mans way

the easiest way I have seen done is to heat the rear spring with a cutting torch till the car sits at the desired level :cool: Just gotta be careful to heat the spring rather than cut it, usually a loop of spring in the center. Hell with the car on a ramps/ lift you can even leave the wheels on:D
 
DO NOT HEAT THE SPRING UP. it also makes the spring prone to breaking aswell. the only other way of removing the springs without using a spring compressor (safely, and without any damages) is to remove the 4 bolts holding up the rear subframe and lower the entire subframe. you will also have to unbolt the drive, anti-lock brake wires, and exhaust in order to do this. the brake lines and e-brake cable can stay in so long as you dont intend to remove the subframe.
 
Just borrow a spring compressor from Autozone....they ask you to leave a deposit (around $60), but you get it back when you return the tools.
 
Just borrow a spring compressor from Autozone....they ask you to leave a deposit (around $60), but you get it back when you return the tools.

for the most part autozone only charges the cost of the tool plus tax.. to rent it.. and if you decide to keep it you just bought it.. my autozone tells me i can keep rental tools all the time.. and 1/2 the time they are a better tool then they sell on the sales floor.
 
with all the money we spend on these cars.You guys are to cheap to buy a good spring set. JUST STUPID AS HELL. Save 250 up until you can buy a real set of springs. Cause it could come back to bite ya in the ~~~ later.
 
I have a spring compressor, but it doesnt fit with out hitting the LCA. I gues since I dont need all the treads it comes with I can shorten the compressor to fit I guess. we will see. And I have done all three cuttug heating and getting drop springs. Heatings is ok if you dont want durable. drop spring only got to what you buy 1.5 1.25, now cutting allows me to fine toon the height. I cut 3/4 of a coil first and see how it looks if I want more than I finish the hole coil and so on.. I like to be able to fine tune mine. like the front I took a little at a time and drove on some steep driveways till I was almost ready to touch the lower bumper and Im done. I need to do the same for the rear but was looking at clamps tha did not work what so ever.
 
for the most part autozone only charges the cost of the tool plus tax.. to rent it.. and if you decide to keep it you just bought it.. my autozone tells me i can keep rental tools all the time.. and 1/2 the time they are a better tool then they sell on the sales floor.

Yup! :)

I ended up keeping the spring compressors the third time I needed them. :rolleyes:
 
with all the money we spend on these cars.You guys are to cheap to buy a good spring set. JUST STUPID AS HELL. Save 250 up until you can buy a real set of springs. Cause it could come back to bite ya in the ~~~ later.

Not everybody has the financial freedom (or desire) to slam down money to buy expensive parts all the time. Nothing wrong with modifying what you have!
 
I have a spring compressor, but it doesnt fit with out hitting the LCA. I gues since I dont need all the treads it comes with I can shorten the compressor to fit I guess. we will see. And I have done all three cuttug heating and getting drop springs. Heatings is ok if you dont want durable. drop spring only got to what you buy 1.5 1.25, now cutting allows me to fine toon the height. I cut 3/4 of a coil first and see how it looks if I want more than I finish the hole coil and so on.. I like to be able to fine tune mine. like the front I took a little at a time and drove on some steep driveways till I was almost ready to touch the lower bumper and Im done. I need to do the same for the rear but was looking at clamps tha did not work what so ever.

Good points too.

Autozone has a set of compressors that look like these: http://www.amazon.com/OEM-25550-Strut-Spring-Compressor/dp/B000CMDPLM

Is this the time you have? It's exactly what I use. I may end up cutting them to fit better, but they will work on the front and back if you get them in the right positions.

Some sets of the scissor-type work too (maybe not all types though). I've used them on the front and back too.
 
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