Coil spring compressor.

[jjrbus]

I am finally getting around to replacing my front coil springs, 02 Chevy 3500 RT 200 popular.

I have been reading and watching videos, I have it jacked up and partially disassembled.

I went and borrowed a spring compressor from Auto Zone came home and this does not fit in the springs! There are 2 types of internal compressors, one with hooks on each end and one with a bar on one end with hooks of the other. The one with the bar does not fit, there is not enough room between the the coils for the bar to fit and the hooks are too small for the coils I would not trust them even if they would go it.

So I started net surfing the internal ones with the hooks on each end if they state anything it is the compressors are not for coils springs with a diameter of larger than 3/4 inch! One even comes with a coil gauge to check!

These are Moog 81012 with a 1.03 diameter bar. Can;t anything be easy?

 

[booster]

I am finally getting around to replacing my front coil springs, 02 Chevy 3500 RT 200 popular.

I have been reading and watching videos, I have it jacked up and partially disassembled.

I went and borrowed a spring compressor from Auto Zone came home and this does not fit in the springs! There are 2 types of internal compressors, one with hooks on each end and one with a bar on one end with hooks of the other. The one with the bar does not fit, there is not enough room between the the coils for the bar to fit and the hooks are too small for the coils I would not trust them even if they would go it.

So I started net surfing the internal ones with the hooks on each end if they state anything it is the compressors are not for coils springs with a diameter of larger than 3/4 inch! One even comes with a coil gauge to check!

These are Moog 81012 with a 1.03 diameter bar. Can;t anything be easy?

Anything with hooks is not going to be up to the job, AFAIK.


I am pretty sure that this is the OTC compressor that the factory service manual says to use, and is the one I have and several others on the forum have used.


https://www.amazon.com/OTC-7045B-Fr...ext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=AB87CDXOA11T3&gQT=1

 

[jjrbus]

Out of the 50 videos I watched and 75 posts I read not once were size limitations of the compressor mentioned except length!

I have looked at the round one you posted and wondered if it would work, my neighbor used one once and said he liked it.

The online service manual I have Specs a J 23028-01 it is $576


https://www.eautotools.com/OTC-J-23028-A-p/otcj23028-a.htm?srsltid=AfmBOorW04-fI3h0DqBN-SC0ITMwEmOAmJVRYOcKmXAeBkg0HeCv0Ov9

 

[booster]

Out of the 50 videos I watched and 75 posts I read not once were size limitations of the compressor mentioned except length!

I have looked at the round one you posted and wondered if it would work, my neighbor used one once and said he liked it.

The online service manual I have Specs a J 23028-01 it is $576


https://www.eautotools.com/OTC-J-23...fI3h0DqBN-SC0ITMwEmOAmJVRYOcKmXAeBkg0HeCv0Ov9

The only pix of that one in the link I could find showed two different styles and lots of adapters, so can't say much about it,


I have the OTC I mentioned and it does work fine.


You have the previous generation but I am quite sure Marcopolo used on the generation of van you have, except it wasn't a cutaway. I will try to find his thread on it.

 

[booster]

I found Marko's thread. compressor a few posts in.


https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f8/1997-2002-express-savana-coil-springs-4136.html

 

[jjrbus]

Thank you. I have read Marco's post several times since looking into this and forgot he showed the compressors he used. I have no paint marks to denote top of springs on mine either.

I would not have a problem chaining the existing spring to the control arm and lowering the arm to remove it, the new spring looks scary!

 

[booster]

Thank you. I have read Marco's post several times since looking into this and forgot he showed the compressors he used. I have no paint marks to denote top of springs on mine either.

I would not have a problem chaining the existing spring to the control arm and lowering the arm to remove it, the new spring looks scary!

Going back in without a compressor is done a lot in shops, but I did it once and won't again.


Whether or not going in would be an issue will depend on how log the new spring is compared to the old one. If it is the same length as a stock spring it should pop into the pocket and stay there as you swing it up. I watched them do mine at a shop the first time when they replaced the springs and that is what they did without issue. I will be taking mine back out soon to finish the frame modification to get more caster. I will be using the compressor.

 

[jojobafanzi]

I give coil springs great respect or any spring really. Since you are watching videos on what to do, go to Youtube and do a search on "coil spring compressor fail" and learn what not to do.

 

[jjrbus]

Going back in without a compressor is done a lot in shops, but I did it once and won't again.


Whether or not going in would be an issue will depend on how log the new spring is compared to the old one. If it is the same length as a stock spring it should pop into the pocket and stay there as you swing it up. I watched them do mine at a shop the first time when they replaced the springs and that is what they did without issue. I will be taking mine back out soon to finish the frame modification to get more caster. I will be using the compressor.

I am hoping I do not have to do the control arm mount mod to get it in specs. Not something I want to do myself.

 

[jjrbus]

I give coil springs great respect or any spring really. Since you are watching videos on what to do, go to Youtube and do a search on "coil spring compressor fail" and learn what not to do.

I did not think of that but did not like what I seen a few people doing! Eric the car guy on you tube had one come loose.

 

[booster]

I am hoping I do not have to do the control arm mount mod to get it in specs. Not something I want to do myself.

The upper arms where the cams are really aren't all that hard as you just put camber bushings into them and don't have to take out the springs for that.


I am moving the mounting holes for the lower control arm because the tire would have hit the wheel wheel on the right if had much more caster. I basically turned the lower arm forward a bit and got caster increase and more tire clearance. I am nearly done with it but my right arm/shoulder gave out a few weeks ago and may need rebuilding surgery. The MRI was ugly. Real hard to do the heavy parts, overhead drilling and grinding stuff with one arm. I have an appointment with the surgeon at Mayo next Thursday to find out how it going to go. Depending on how quick the surgery gets scheduled, I will be very close to not being ready soon enough to finish the van for our spring trip.

 

[jojobafanzi]

I did not think of that but did not like what I seen a few people doing! Eric the car guy on you tube had one come loose.

I watched a mechanic do a pair once. He strapped the coil springs to the bench in a cage he welded up to prevent components from taking off and doing damage. He also made some comment about body parts and fingers.

 

[jjrbus]

The upper arms where the cams are really aren't all that hard as you just put camber bushings into them and don't have to take out the springs for that.


I am moving the mounting holes for the lower control arm because the tire would have hit the wheel wheel on the right if had much more caster. I basically turned the lower arm forward a bit and got caster increase and more tire clearance. I am nearly done with it but my right arm/shoulder gave out a few weeks ago and may need rebuilding surgery. The MRI was ugly. Real hard to do the heavy parts, overhead drilling and grinding stuff with one arm. I have an appointment with the surgeon at Mayo next Thursday to find out how it going to go. Depending on how quick the surgery gets scheduled, I will be very close to not being ready soon enough to finish the van for our spring trip.

I have the camber caster kit in mine and no tire rubbing. I am replacing the springs in hopes it will bring the caster camber into specs. I think moving the lower hole is above my pay grade.

VA told me my rotator cuff is not so bad that it has to be redone but is bad enough that they will redo it if I want. I have had 4 other surgery's and do not want another one.

 

[jjrbus]

I watched a mechanic do a pair once. He strapped the coil springs to the bench in a cage he welded up to prevent components from taking off and doing damage. He also made some comment about body parts and fingers.

Watching You tube videos and thinking OMG he is sticking his fingers in there or I cannot believe he is moving the jack.

 

[jjrbus]

The plan now is to wrap a chain on the existing spring and control arm and remove with a jack. The old coil spring has lots of room between the coils to do this. I want to remove the control arms so I can clean them up and replace ball joints and such while I source a spring compressor.

The new Moog 81012 has little room between the coils and would take a small chain to do the same thing, this would be using the chain as a backup to the compressor.

I had to go to Harbor Freight to buy metric sockets, I do not have a 27 mm for the ball joint nuts. Looking around while there I noticed their heavy duty straps, they are rated for 10,000 pounds. Does using the straps which will easily fit in the new springs for back up to the compressor sound like a sane idea?

 

[booster]

The plan now is to wrap a chain on the existing spring and control arm and remove with a jack. The old coil spring has lots of room between the coils to do this. I want to remove the control arms so I can clean them up and replace ball joints and such while I source a spring compressor.

The new Moog 81012 has little room between the coils and would take a small chain to do the same thing, this would be using the chain as a backup to the compressor.

I had to go to Harbor Freight to buy metric sockets, I do not have a 27 mm for the ball joint nuts. Looking around while there I noticed their heavy duty straps, they are rated for 10,000 pounds. Does using the straps which will easily fit in the new springs for back up to the compressor sound like a sane idea?

I stopped using a chain a long time ago, and now, if needed use ratchet straps. With the compressor I haven't felt the need to use them.


With a stock spring dropping the arm should be no issue, except for the fear factor of not knowing how low you have to go as you tilt the arm down so it will come out with a little jerk. If the new spring is longer, you might need the compressor.

 

[booster]

As it turned out, my arm felt a bit better today so I decided to give the disassembly a try so I can move on with the lighter work of making the doubler plates and welding them in. A bit painful but no damage done.

I was basically starting where the van would be if the shock was out but nothing else.

The pix will show some of the things that make it relatively easy, except for cranking the compressor up with a 1 1/4" wrench and no you can't get a socket on it as it would have to be very, very deep of a socket. So impact wrench was out.

I removed the wheel, caliper, caliper bracket, rotor, splash guard, and wheel hub, but left the knuckle on and both ball joints connected to start.

I put a jack under the lower balljoint and jacked it up to take some of the the load off the compressor that I had already put in. Compressor is not all that hard to get in the right position once you figure out how works best. Once it was compressed so that I had less than about 1/8" between the coils with the compressor and the spring was nearly loose when I lowered the jack to let it sit on the upper control arm stop. The jack was then moved to not be on the lower balljoint as it would spin there, and moved just inside the balljoint on the forward side of the arm. A second jack was placed just outboard of the rear pivot of the lower arm to just snugly hold it up. I took the upper balljoint loose and put arm up and blocked out of the way. Then I lowered the first jack until the spring was loose in the pocket.

At this point, you would think that the spring would come out, but it won't quite come out at that point because of the compressor long rod through the small shock hole and the deep spring pocket.

To get the spring out the easiest and safest, I think, is to first remove the rear pivot bolt by tweaking the jacks to take the load off bolt. Then do the same for the front bolt but only push it out as far as just getting it through on side of the support bracket and inside the bushing. This will allow the arm to tilt some.

At this point you can lower the rear jack and the front jack enough to pull the spring out the rear side of the lower control arm. If the rubber snubber drops with spring pull it off before removing the spring as it makes it easier.

You can then jack up the jacks to level again and remove the front pivot bolts, lower the jacks and lower arm is out.

Reducing force needed to crank compressor tight.

Rear of arm lowered.

Ready to remove spring. It is probably best to have knuckle off at this point, but it didn't matter in getting the spring out. I took it off before lowering the jacks.

 

[booster]

I have the camber caster kit in mine and no tire rubbing. I am replacing the springs in hopes it will bring the caster camber into specs. I think moving the lower hole is above my pay grade.

VA told me my rotator cuff is not so bad that it has to be redone but is bad enough that they will redo it if I want. I have had 4 other surgery's and do not want another one.

I can certainly believe that as the left side of our van looks like it will be able to get to near 6* caster and be clear of the wheel well. There is something wrong, probably from the factory as we bought it new (but Roadtrek drove it 1100 miles to get it to the dealer) and the dealer had it for over a year on the lot. As soon as we get to near 4* on the right side we are getting close to hitting on the rear of the wheelwell when turned to the right. We also have oversized tires that are about 1" larger diameter so lose 1/2" of clearance right there. The big thing that moving the holes is that it not only increased max available caster, it also moved the wheel forward about 3/8".

On the left side, it appears that the most it would ever need would the camber kit to take care of the camber trying to go too negative with high caster.

 

[jjrbus]

It is a lot easier when you know what you are doing. Was not that difficult a job, I had one cotter pin that refused to come out and I could not swing a hammer to unseat the ball joint. So I used an air hammer and screwed up the castle nut which cost me 20 minutes of frustration to get off.

On the other side I will loosen the LCA nuts so the arm will drop easier and have a straight shot for the floor jack instead of going in at an angle. Whole thing made me nervous as I did not know what to expect. Much ado about nothing though!

I am surprised that the new Moog 81012 is a bit shorter than the original spring, not much about 3/8 inch.

I may have a spring compressor like yours, I am waiting for a call! https://ibb.co/CvHY8Dd

 

[booster]

Yeah the cotter pins suck, but then again the interference nuts are a PITA as you can't use a ratchet and socket on them because of having to hold the ball from turning with an allen wrench.


On cotter pins, if they break off, you can often just drill them out before you try to turn the nut off them. I have done that often.