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Re: Coil spring installation

PostPosted: Thu Jul 28, 2016 11:47 am
by chevyart
im a little confused from the various posts..the flat cut end of spring goes into the upper control arm and the angled cut end of spring goes into lower control arm end, and is lined up in place by rotating the cut end against a nail or other round object inserted into the small hole on bottom of control arm . is this correct. i think you can make a visual check of correct postiioning of spring by looking at cut end in a slot at bottom of lower control arm. is that right.? also i thought that all h-bodies have the springs positioned this way. is that correct. thanks art

Re: Coil spring installation

PostPosted: Thu Jul 28, 2016 1:05 pm
by CaptainPainn
I won't say for everyone else, but in MY Vega, the flat part of the spring sits in the lower control arm. And the top part of the spring you rotate until it hits that tab. Only adjustment you get is by cutting the coils.
Are the Cosworths different, or am I missing something here?

Re: Coil spring installation

PostPosted: Thu Jul 28, 2016 2:20 pm
by 67shovel
One safety tip I learned the hard way when my coil spring was in one of those "finger type" compressors and it slipped and broke my thumb. After the incident I went to inspect the situation and the compressor was still engaged but had spun up the coils in order to relieve the pressure. My smarter than me buddy said thaa\t he always clipped a vise grip on the coils to lock the fingers in place so they can't rotate. "Then I get back and tap it with a hammer to see if its ready or wanting to slip.

Re: Coil spring installation

PostPosted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 11:03 am
by dindin
Finally got the springs installed, when looking for torque setting I found sheet show that flat side is down, I have some pictures of everything..I ending buying a rather expensive tool for this one, just felt very uneasy about the whole job and wanted to be safe, I did have to file the shock hole some to get the rod through, went pretty good once I got going, I place the jack under the control are as I eas compressing the spring, once the spring got high enough I gave the jack a couple pumps and the spring slide perfectly into the pocket..I then connected the knuckle .

Here are some pictures I took

front coil vega instructions.6.jpg


coil tool 2.5.png


coil install tool .5.jpg


in arms 3.5.jpg

Re: Coil spring installation

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 7:38 pm
by gasketman
Hey Dindin, Don't mean to cut in but I have been using the threaded rod trick for years . Don't even have to have an engine in the car . I used a 9/16 rod with a radial thrust bearing like from a puller and made a thick tapered plate to hold the arm at an angle . If you don't you won't be able to push the arm toward the car mount holes . Worry about the ball joint later . I double nut the top end so it won't unscrew and kill you . I use a heavy duty machinist nut to crank on the bottom with a couple thick washers . You would be surprised how easy it goes . Just my 2cents . I just changed my Monza back and forth twice when my AJE arms didn't work .Machine a slot in the thick tapered plate so it won't chew up the rod .