Removing and installing trunk springs...

[Bob Ritter]

Have rebuild the trunk lid hinges on a 1948 Plymouth convertible, but now I'm having problems installing the springs, none of the service manuals are of any help. Has anyone have any information that will help, or installed any springs? I finally figured it out, it takes two people a pry bar, a long narrow punch, and clevis pin. You need to grind the clevis pin on the end so that it aligns the spring and the hinge holes easier. You use the pry bar to pull the spring down and align it with the hinge holes, this is where the other person becomes very handy.

Thanks, Bob

rritter2@ca.rr.com 

 

Edited May 31, 2020 by Bob Ritter
To answer my own question.

[dmartin_egroup]

Good evening, Bob:

I have not seen how your car's trunk lid springs are arranged, but let me share some general ideas from the past.  Some springs, notably hood springs, which are coil springs (hopefully similar to your trunk springs) can be stretched WHILE NOT ON THE CAR by some outside means (use your own ideas).  While holding the spring stretched, place suitable-size washers between each coil, holding them possibly with tape.  Now you can release your tension and the spring only shortens a little bit.  The washers keep the spring extended enough to easily slip it on to the attachment points.  Then when you move the trunk lid to stretch the springs, the washers are released.  Think about this principle a little while, it may be useable in your case.

 

Dennis Martin

[Bob Ritter]

Dennis,

I like your idea of using the washers to keep the hood springs stretched to install, but only if the fender is on, other wise a pry bar works great.

Bob Ritter

[9 foot box]

   I think you can compress the spring in the guide pin with it attached on the lid, and rotate it up and align with the forward slots that the front pin set in. You have to fabricate a spring compressor. 

[Bob Ritter]

The rear trunk springs are very easy to compress because they are self locking  But to compress the springs you must remove the trunk lid, use a board to pull the hinge down to lock springs. But this does not help in removing or installing the hinges, because housing has a metal cover and the springs are to short and are hidden by the cover. The best to remove and install the springs is a srew driver and a punch in my opion.