Changing Springs

[Craig K.]

I forgot how much fun it is changing stock, and installing near stock length springs.

Pulling out the original fronts was not too bad. I have been trying to put the new ones in, and have not been doing too well.

I got a spring compressor from Auto Zone, however the hook attachment will not pass through the LCA access hole, the hole is too small.

So I was going to split the outer tie rod joint to lower the LCA even furthur. Well my pickel fork I think is for a ball joint, and doesn't have as an agessive ramp compared to a tie rod pickel fork, so I can't split the joint.

Guess I will need to hit up Auto Zone again and see if they have some other stuff I can try.


On my '85 all of my springs were so short that I never had problems like this, man what a pain.

Anyone have any other ideas?

[Italian LX]

I assume this is for your Cobra, right? If so, SN-95 springs should be a lot easier in the front than fox-body cars.

So I was going to split the outer tie rod joint to lower the LCA even furthur. Well my pickel fork I think is for a ball joint, and doesn't have as an agessive ramp compared to a tie rod pickel fork, so I can't split the joint.
I never use pickle forks -- I've never had any luck with them and they tend to tear up the boots on the joints. Just take a BFH and whack the shit out of the side of the spindle knuckle (where the tie rod goes through). Most of the time, the tie rod will just fall out of the spindle. This method also works well when trying to seperate ball jounts from the spindle. :nice:

[QWKSNKE]

yep.. we learned that from an alignment guy ;)

[coupe]

...SN-95 springs should be a lot easier in the front than fox-body cars.


:think: No way. Slvrbullit went through it &too. For some reason, the SN95's have some hellacious springs in front. But if you mean installing lowering springs, then yea...no problemo. :nice:

[95GTMan]

:think: No way. Slvrbullit went through it &too. For some reason, the SN95's have some hellacious springs in front. But if you mean installing lowering springs, then yea...no problemo. :nice:

installing lowering springs is a breeze. Now installing drag springs is a PITA. ;)

[Craig K.]

Yeah I am changing the springs in the Cobra.
I got the first stock one out with no problem. I am installing M5300G springs (Eibach Pro kit basically) and I can't get the new one in without a compressor or disconnecting the tie-rod, or the other option would be to run no top insulator (I think this would be a bad idea on a street car).

I tried beating the knuckle, and that didn't work. I got two other spring compressors from Advance, and hopefully can get something to work.

What a pain.

[Shorty]

FWIW i had the same problem with having the compressors on the outside of the spring. i ended up compressing the spring off the car then putting SEVERAL large wire ties (the home A/C kind) removing the compressers then they slid right in. might be kinda dangerous, but it worked. :shrug:

[Craig K.]

Well I ended up using a tie rod end splitter fork. Word to the wise, there is a up side and down side to those forks.
I ended up tearing the boot on the drivers side, but found some Motorsport ones at John Bleakley Ford for $22.00, they are the ones that came on the 2000 R, so I will just change out both in another couple of weeks.

Once I get completed (hopefully tomorrow) I'll post some pic's and measurments.