steering and suspension Changing Rear Springs

[Andy74tii]

Quick question -- when changing rear springs, is it required to disconnect the cv joint at the wheel? The last time I did this, the car was completely apart anyway, so it was not a question. Is there any harm to changing springs out if you do not take out the CV joint?

Thanks,

Andy74tii

[Dabliz02]

I think you will not need to remove the cv joint to remove the spring.  Just remove the lower strut bolt and see how far the arm moves down.  Just make sure it does not pull on the brake lines (it shouldn't I think).  CV joint should flex enough to remove the spring.

[c.d.iesel]

support rear of car on jack stands

place jack under control arm and lift 1"

disconnect bottom of shock - lower jack

SLOWLY! and the speing might come out.

you may need to disconnect the anti-sway bar,

and you may need to remove the securing C-V joint

screws at the hub so the arm will lower more -

all depends on what spring is in there now

which dictates your path weedhopper.

you may also need a spring compressor

if they are the original tall springs

stay kool

[baller908790]

support rear of car on jack stands

place jack under control arm and lift 1"

disconnect bottom of shock - lower jack

SLOWLY! and the speing might come out.

you may need to disconnect the anti-sway bar,

and you may need to remove the securing C-V joint

screws at the hub so the arm will lower more -

all depends on what spring is in there now

which dictates your path weedhopper.

you may also need a spring compressor

if they are the original tall springs

stay kool

Do what C.D said. 

[Andy74tii]

thanks CD and all!

[jgerock]

If you have stock springs, you will most likely have to remove the outer CV joint to let the trailing arm drop enough to remove the spring.  Just remember to release the handbrake!

[M3M3]

do what CD said, including disconnecting the sway bar, AND...don''t for get to release the e-brake.  if brake is on, trailing arms will not drop all the way.

[Cyclone101]

I did this yesterday with stock springs. I had to use a spring compressor as I didn't want to remove the other parts(sways, cv).

[downhillwolf]

So can someone removes original spring with CV and swaybar removed or does one need a spring compressor?

[halboyles]

1 hour ago, downhillwolf said:

So can someone removes original spring with CV and swaybar removed or does one need a spring compressor?

Depending on the length of the spring you might have to also disconnect one end of the shock.

['76mintgrün'02]

Definitely.  Isn't the shock what limits downward travel?

I am pretty sure you can carefully lower the arm using a floor jack, once those three thins are disconnected.

I just dug up some old photos, from when I did mine.  It looks like I used a scissor jack.

You can see that the spring does not have far to go, before being fully unloaded.

[Fatherof3]

Get a bunch of monster zip ties

 

Disconnect lower shock, compress suspension, secure compressed spring with a load of zip ties, 

un-compress suspension and remove spring

[M3M3]

the shock physically limits the travel, but the half shaft CV joints are the limiting factor.  you do not want to force the CV joints past their normal operating range.   if you have to disconnect the shock, disconnect the halfshaft.

[TobyB]

For a stock spring, you'll have to either undo the CV or use a spring compressor of some sort.  There's not a lotta room

for the normal type of compressor, but those ty-wraps scare me.  So I unbolt the CV.

 

And yes, the shock mount has to be unhooked at the bottom.

 

Use a small jack under the trailing arm, as the spring has significant preload on it.

 

Most aftermarket 'lowering' springs do not.

 

fwiw

t

 

[2002Scoob]

2nd, 3rd, 5th whatever the use of a spring compressor.

Fatherof3... that zip tie method is downright negligent. So sketchy and dangerous. Car springs hold a LOT of potential energy.

When I did my H&R's it took compressors to do both the removal of stocks, and installation of new ones.


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