Removing front spring.

[marcello7x]

This is my first post, i bought a 1950 business coupe that was suppose to become a cruiser for my parents but my mom can't do the no power steering thing. Anyways, im going to drive it around untill i finish my other project and or sell this one.

I need to remove the front spring so i can cut it a little, having never worked on one of these front ends before i'd like a little direction on which point would be the best to disable to remove the spring. Here is a pic i found online, I want to make reassembly as easy as possible.

I was going to try and disconnected where the upper A arm meets the spindle, but didn't get far since everything was soo coated in dirt that i spend 45 minutes scraping everything. Im going to pressure-wash everything and start then.

[Smokeybear]

That's where I unbuckled mine. Be prepared to mess with the rubber boots that protect the crossbolt (I'm not sure of the real name) because it's a bit of a bear to get it back together. It still seemed easier than loosening the bottom. On the coil part of your work, be sure to cut a half a coil at a time until you get it right, I ended up cutting off one full coil and it dropped about 3 inches. A good rule of thumb I read once was if you cut one inch of coil (overall height of coil) you will get twice as much drop.

[marcello7x]

Thanks, i'll go ahead and disconnect there then. I've cut a few coils before and know what you mean, unless you have backup coils cut 1/2 or less at a time. Im going to be leaving the back stock for now, so i don't want a drastic drop. I had spring helpers in before and that alone dropped me about an inch.

[marcello7x]

One more question, mine had too much dirt on it to tell. Is it just a bolt that slides through with a nut on the end? Take off the nut and hammer the bold out?

[Don Coatney]

If you have plans to sell this car why do you want to cut the springs? If I were looking to buy a car I would not look at one that was lowered by coil cutting.

[claybill]

i think the bolt threads also. be careful. get a used set of springs to cut , slide them in as the other slides out. ti[; use a cutting wheel rather than a torch (heat).

Edited April 4, 2012 by claybill

[Andydodge]

I find it easier to undo the lower outer pin/bolt..............support the lower A arm on a floor jack, undo the nut and undo the pin/bolt, then carefully lower the A arm till the spring can be removed. This way you don't have the brake drum & spindle flopping around as they a re still attached to the top arm and the canber/caster is NOT affected which happens when the upper outer pin/bolt is indone.........anywa only do 1/2 a coil to start.............regards, andyd

[marcello7x]

Thanks for all the help guys. I was about to start tearing it all apart and remembered to check here again. Don's comment made me think. I would be in the same boat as he would with not wanting a cut-spring car if i was buying it. Never know if it was done right or not. So i left it as it was.