When you replaced your frt f-body springs or struts, othen than a B.F.H. did you need a pickle fork or other seperating device to break down the suspsnsion once you removed the nut/cotter pin?


PLMK

 

I didn't. Just a tap with a hammer and it popped right off. I live in the Seattle area and we don't get lots of corrosion though. Might not be so easy in the midwest or northeast.

 

Ditto just a few medium strength taps to the head of the bolt that the cotter pin goes thru and it came loose on both sides. No pickle fork or extream force needed.

 

Just don't do what I did and leave the Sway bar connected. It was my first time with no instructions.

 

Just finished pulling both sides out, not too bad, by my self it took me about 3 hours which included many runs to my roll away chest inside for tools and to hunt 2x4 blocks, etc. A few whacks with a shop hammer and they broke apart. The only thing left to do is to pull the nuts on top which are soaking w/rust penetrant and take them to pep boys to have them compress the springs and swap out the shocks. 1/2 way home gents.

BTW-Found yet another f*&king screw in my tires, this makes like the 10th or 12th since I bought my car about 3 months ago, it came from the last owner with a combo of 5 nails & screws in the 4 tires, no extra fee for that, I kid you not, drove it all the way home from indiana like that too, I am a lucky S.O.B. for sure!!! This makes me want to hold off getting new tires for a while.

 

Please for Gods sake... DO NOT TAKE THAT JOB TO PEPBOYS!!!! I did the exact same thing you did. Took the time to do the job myself and then took them to Pepgirls.. they over torqued the top nut with air tools and twisted the rod on the top weakening the whole thing.. which after 40 miles of driving snapped in half. Lesson learned the hard way at the cost of one Koni DA. Get a spring compressor from Autozone.. they even rent them out. Its not as hard as it looks. Just take your time and be cautious. But please.. not pepboys.
BTW don't take the top nut off the assembly until you have the spring compressed. You'll have a projectile on your hands

 

Hey Mike, Dont worry, were not, we are waitng for the compressor to come back in, its rented out. I agree, pep boys pretty much suk.

 

This K/D tool any good to use for our fbody springs?

 

Cajun, that looks very similar to the one we used on my car.

 

James - it worked ok?

 

Yup, worked great. Just leave enough room to connect your airtool or socket wrench LOL.
I uncompressed my way into a corner once and couldn't get the wrench off.
Ended up having to recompress, rotate and try again.

 

Thanks James...
Anyone know what to torque the top nut on the shock/strut after re-assembly?

 

I did 33ft/lbs for the top nut did have the book.
The Haynes repair manual has 32ft/lbs for the top nut..

 

3 hours just to get them out? damn! took me an 1hour and half to have them out and new ones in!

but looks like ur getting the job done just be carefull when usnig the spring compresser!

 

THANKS Dopy!

 

yah that compressor looks just like the one I used too. Sadly my socket would not fit on there, the bolt was too close to the spring perch.. I had to use a wrench.. PITA. But yes, those will work fine. Just go slowly and equally on each side.. dont compress one all the way and attempt the other.

 

So it goes on upper re-assembly: bilstein shock, bilstein washer, gm thick spacer w/ long black dust shield (which got beat to hell upon removal) thru top of coil spring met by shock perch, oblong rubber thing and then locknut torqued at 32ft lbs., correct? F*ing nut took me 2 hours in this 100 degree heat to finally cut off with dremel, hope the drivers side isn't so bad...

 

mine was amazingly easy, front and rear. not a speck of rust, which helped of course. just 2 or 3 taps on the head of the bolt, and the A arm snapped right off. i did it all alone, and took the spring/shock to my local parts store and had them assemble it. its a real parts store, not some shithole like autozone or pepboys. they deal primarily with gas stations and repair shops, and have a completel machine shop in the back. if you do it yourself or have it done, and youre using Koni adjustables, make SURE you rotate the adjustment window so it faces the OUTSIDE of the car.....my shop didnt, and i had to take mine back a second time.

 

I used a pickle fork. This is not expensive and saves parts/time/effort.

 

Not sure how this would save time since nothing was "stuck" together, the biggest delay was the frozen/rusted nut 3/8" that had to be cut off...pickel fork is only used when you cant get your ball joint to seperate, correct? Which mine did with ease...and these were on a 99 car w/55k miles...