C-2 front end 101

[vigman]

So in an effort to make the C-2 like it's younger brothers...one of the plans is to change the front brakes from drum to disc.

So has anyone had experience with the dual Y
internal spring compressor...this looks like the easiest way to get the spring compressed and pull the front end apart... Is it worth the 84 bucks?

Any feed back?

Vig!

 

[IH2LOSE]

Vigman I am new to this forum,The forum I came from we had a tool loaner program I would see if thats available on this forum.

I would also like to say saftey first and if the tool is afordable BUY IT. Life is very fragile and one little mistake with a compressed spring can be life changing.

Be carefull!

I have the rear bushing retainer press tool if anybody needs to use it.

Also are you going to convert over to a dual master cylender for saftey

 

[Mac]

So has anyone had experience with the dual Y
internal spring compressor...this looks like the easiest way to get the spring compressed and pull the front end apart... Is it worth the 84 bucks?
Vig!

One of my favorite topics! One of the brothers, who posts both here and at that udder place, Chuck G, has some pictures of a wonderful little invention for compressing front springs that is safer and much less expensive that the internal spring compressor. Basically, it's a piece of heavy threaded rod, a couple nuts and a piece of plate metal with an oblong hole in the middle.

The concept is this- remove your shocks, place the piece of plate metal between the coils and insert the threaded rod from the bottom, through the hole in the plate metal and then through the hole at the top of the shock tower. Place a nut or two at the bottom of the threaded rod. You can tack weld a single nut or compression lock two nuts together. Put a washer on the top of the shock tower and then a nut. Take your favorite wrench and start winding that top nut. As the threaded rod pulls up the plate, it will compress the spring into the shock tower which is, after all, designed to sustain the pressure of the spring. In short order, your spring will be safely compressed and you can use a pickle fork to knock out your ball joints and drop your A arms.

Chuck, do you still have those pictures??

 

[vigman]

Ya know..I was thinking just about the same thing.

A flat piece of metal formed to the top of the A arm with some MANLY all thread running the length of the shock ( plus a bit extra ).. with some style of universal joint ( ala craftsman socket u joint device 3/4 drive) welded into the middle to take up the angle on the release.

Then I looked at this at Ecklers...

Some members have loaned tools in the past..but there is no formal program... and I believe Scott ( 71 shark ) is still looking for his auto transmission pressure gauge!

I like making tools.. but sometime I out think my self.. I made a hood shock compressor for the two small gas shocks for the C-4 hood.

I spent 4 hours building the thing.. and it turned out great.... I needed to colapse the gas shock 1/4 inch to get it on the pins.. Bada bing bada boom I was done faster then you could say Bob's yer uncle!

Then another member stated that was odd... why didn't I release the MAIN hood strut and wouldn't that give me the clearance I needed!



So now I ask BEFORE I leap...

Vig!

 

[vigman]

And the fruits of my DOH!

Here it is!

 

[Mac]

A number of people have used this "Maryland Backyard Spring Compressor" idea with good results. It's easier if you have a picture rather than trying to visualize. I hope Chuck Gongloff kept his pictures and can attach it for you.

 

[67HEAVEN]

Chuck G. is the guy with the idea, but I did copy the stuff for posterity.

Here's the info and two photos.
------------------------------
Easiest way is to make your own spring compressor out of "allthread". Get a length about 1/2 inch diameter, so it will fit through the upper shock hole. You'll need about 18 to 24 inches in length. Get a square of SS about 5x5 inches. Drill a hole in the center. Slip the plate between the coil...put the allthread through the hole and up through the shock hole. Use washers...tighten the bolts. Drop the lower A frame. Unloosen the bolts and un-compress the spring. You can also forget the spring compressor and loosen the lower A frame from the inside. Place the inner shaft on a floor jack. Then lower the floor jack to decompress the spring. Installation is the reverse. Hope this helps. Be careful....springs can kill you, or do serious damage to your bod. Chuck G.

Photo 1
Photo 2
Yep, Chuck G.'s Maryland Spring Compressor. Does it work? You bet.
Here's mine is use about a year ago.
Photo 3

Be very careful!!!!!!

 

[00fxd]

I have spring compressor that I have never used. If I was to remove my springs today I would, >1 Jack car up and support car on frame behind front wheel on jack stand. Remove wheel and shock >2 Floor jack car up on lower a-frame close to the wheel [careful of the ball joint grease zerk] til the weight is just off the stand. >3 Chain spring to hold it back in case it escapes under pressure. That can hurt bad. >4 Remove lower ball joint cotter key and nut. Lower the floor jack til there is a small bit of pressure on the lower a-frame. Instead of using a fork [I have one of those too], whack the knuckle on the side where the ball joint stud goes thru with a heavy hammer. If you hit it hard enough 2-3 times, the stud will pop out under spring pressure an the a-frame will stop on the floor jack. >Gently let the floor jack down and the spring will fall out on to floor except for the g$# d*%m chain which will be a pain to get off and you probably didn't need it anyway. And then you'll say "Hey, that was easy!". This how they do it in front end shops and quite often they don't bother useing the chain. The first few times you should use a chain til you see how it all works. If I've forgotten anything, anyone, feel free to jump in.

 

[vigman]

Hmmmm interesting

Not quite what I had in mind.. but you gave me yet ANOTHER IDEA!

And 00fdx It's really hard to compress springs..if you don't have the engine weight in there to do that.. That why I was looking at a compression tool like this....time for COCKTAIL NAPKIN DESIGN GROUP!.....


Vig!

 

[ChuckG]

I'm honored that you kept pictures of the famous "Maryland Spring Compressor". Makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Seriously, it really works well. Chuck

 

[00fxd]

Your right vig. Didn't realise your car was engineless.

 

[maxrevs85]

Vig , I made one darn near identical to that one of Chuck G's. Used it on a 92 Camaro..... works great. Also have done it the other way, scary though....LOL....

 

[PTighe]

I made up one of those "Maryland Home Style spring compressors", like Chuck G had and '67 posted a picture of. They work great.

The only change I made in mine was to use a 5/8" all thread instead of 1/2", it will fit through the shock tower and will not bend under tension like a 1/2" will. I also did not weld the top nut to the all thread, it's unnecessary and a lot easier since you can screw down the top bolt from the top, instead of laying on your back, trying to fit a wrench inside the spring to get at the bottom nut.

 

[Milehigh66]

Vig,
I built Chuck's Maryland spring compressor as well, It is really easy to build and works great, not only that, it was really cheap to build. The only problem that I had with it was because of BB springs, they really want to bow out when you wind them up in the tower so you have to be carefull how you position the bottom plate so it is towards the outside of the spring. you know how it goes, 1 hour for the first spring, ten minutes for the second.

Kurt

 

[vigman]

5/8 OOOOOOOO Bigger Better SAFER~

I LIKE it~

Going to bug the guys in Machine shop tomorrow!


Vig!

 

[Mac]

The only change I made in mine was to use a 5/8" all thread instead of 1/2", it will fit through the shock tower and will not bend under tension like a 1/2" will. I also did not weld the top nut to the all thread, it's unnecessary and a lot easier since you can screw down the top bolt from the top, instead of laying on your back, trying to fit a wrench inside the spring to get at the bottom nut. [/B]

Good ideas! How about welding the bottom nut instead? Chances are the bottom nut will bind in the hole in the plate as you wind the wrench on the top nut. If not, put a wrench on it and turn it until it hits against the shock tower, then keep winding from the top with another wrench.

 

[ChuckG]

For what it's worth, I've had TERRIBLE luck with the "internal" style spring compressors.....trouble getting them within the spring, and trouble getting the spring to compress enough because the "legs" of the compressor between the coils keep the spring from "compressing".

The "Maryland" style compressor isn't my original idea. I first used one a decade or more ago. I no longer have "possession" of the compressor, as I passed it along to another friend last year when he did his front end. Chuck

 

[Dave65]

I used a "double Y" spring compressors to remove the front spring during a body off on my 65, but only used one of the "Y's". I removed the non-threaded "Y" and fed the bolt end through the upper shock mount hole. I was able to get enough of the spring to compress it sufficiently to remove the spindle. It was not quite long enough to expand the spring but there was not enough tension on the spring to bounce too far.

I used the same set up to replace the spring and it did not take too much pushing and pulling.

:bang