Front Spring Removal
Short answer: There are two camps. Experienced techs report you often don’t need a spring compressor on a first-gen F-body — the spring relaxes enough to pry out with a big bar and foot-press back in. Others strongly prefer a compressor (free to rent at many parts stores) for safety. Either way, a compressed coil stores huge energy.
Reinstall options (both compress the spring):
- Use an internal (middle-of-spring) compressor, set the spring between the A-arms, and bolt up the ball joints.
- With the spindle bolted to the upper ball joint, set the uncompressed spring in place, then slowly jack the lower A-arm (using the car’s weight) to compress it and bolt in the lower ball joint.
One no-compressor method: jack the car high, loosen (don’t remove) the upper and lower ball-joint castle nuts, give the knuckle a few brisk sledge taps to pop the joints, then jack under the lower A-arm, remove the lower nut, and lower the arm (spring chained) until the spring drops out.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
← Frequently Asked Questions
We’re having a hard time getting the compressor inside the spring. With the rectangle base, it won’t fit past the plate that holds the spring up. Any suggestions?