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You have to remove the coil springs.
If i remember correctly you have to remove:
- Front wheels/tires
- lower shock bolt
- brake caliper (just remove the pins to get it out of the way)
- upper spring retainer nut & clip
- lower spring nut (inside the spring, i think 1 1/8 or 34mm)
- sway bar bolt/nut
Once that is all removed, its a matter of pushing down on the hub and pulling the spring out by hand. The extender and spacer both go on the bottom mount and the coil sits on top of those.
I had a strange problem with my spacers. I did same as posted on this thread. My problem was the stud extender. After I installed it, the shoulder of the nut was higher than the bottom of the spring so the concave washer was not flush with the bottom of the spring. I had to get the truck home, so what I did was turned the washer upside down. It held the bottom of the spring in place for sure. Not sure if the concave part really needs to be that way on the bottom of the spring
Would it be easier to rent or borrow spring compressors then just remove top retaining bolt? Maybe there is not enough room to compress?
No, the bottom 1 1/8" nut inside the coil needs to be removed. Also, the spring is not under much tension when everything is unbolted and the spindle is lowered down. A spring compressor would work in an application where you had to mount a spring on a strut.
Originally Posted by ToddS
Doesn't the big bolt under the spring just hold the swaybar mount? Can you just unbolt the swaybar? Asking because most people don't have 34MM wrench.
Most people probably don't work on their own vehicles too often. The nut must be removed because it holds a large (about 3" diameter) washer that holds the bottom of the spring to the lower suspension. The correct socket was less than $10 at the autoparts store. Also, 2 tips for removing that nut: 1. soak it a week prior with PB Blaster. 2. get yourself multiple socket extension pieces. You can put the socket in the center of the spring and then attach extensions out the top of the spring hanger. It's a direct rachet then.
Thanks Clarke I couldn't tell that the big washer was holding the spring in place. I thought it just sat there. Figured it was like my mustang and nothing held it in place other than weight.