coil spring removal

[Charter]

How do you pull the springs ? I have a OTC compressor but 4 inches of the spring is in the frame. I'm not sure if my compressor will work. Are the top ball joints riveted ? Any body have a stock right spindle they will sell ? Mine is totally trashed. Half of the outer bearing seat is gone.

[RICH MUISE]

First......safety is a big issue with removal or installation of any coil springs, so whatever you do, be safe and have something going down thru the top of the frame, thru the spring, and lower control arm. Many guys use a heavy chain here.
The spring is heavy enough to support the weight of the car, so keep that in mind when your lowering the control arm, particularly if the engine and front end are removed. Unless you have something to retain all that pressure, the whole front end could lift up when you  crack that ball joint loose, and it will come flying out destroying anything in it's path..
So, with all that in mind, what I did was use 5/8 all thread rods passing down thru everything and some 3/4 x 2" bar stock (actually milling machine clamps from my old days). Make sure you use 2 nuts on the bottomo locked together so they don't unscrew. The bar stock must be long enough to span the holes plus some. I think I just left an inch or two of threaded rod protruding thru the bottom, so it didn't interfere with the control arm going all the way down. You'll need a foot or more of the rod sticking out the top. Snug up the nuts before you break the ball joint loose. Standing to the side, once the ball joint is loose, you can just wind that top nut out to lower the control arm.
I may be the only one that does it that way.

[gasman826]

It's not necessary to remove the spring to replace the spindle.  The shock will hold the spring in place.  For safety, a chain looped though the center of the spring and back around the frame is a really good idea.

[Charter]

I need the springs out. My OTC kinda works like your threaded rod idea, so I can contain the spring. Using a floor jack to let the arm down. Will these springs relax all the way to remove them. Does the spring have to be collapsed some to get it out ? My 1991 mustang GT has to be fully collapsed and it is fully exposed, to remove it safely. Ford F100 they relax and fall out.  Control arm bushings, rubber bump stops, dry rotten. 4 ball joints. After putting the car up on stands, turning the steering was just as tough as if it was on the floor. I removed the brand new zerks to find solid rust in the ball joints that are nicely painted with fresh grease under the paint. I tried digging some of the rust out with a pic, lots of brake clean and WD got it loosened up but they're not gonna take grease. The upper ball joint's look to be riveted on and have to be cut off, or do they have to be pressed in and out ?

[RICH MUISE]

With the car up high enough to allow the lower control arm to swing down all the way, the springs can be in a relaxed state to remove.
It's been 10 or 12 years since I did my ball joints. I don't remember if they were riveted or not, but the replacements are bolted on. I did the ball joints at home, so there would have been no no press in or out necessary. If they were riveted, no big deal, just grind the rivet heads off with a cut off tool and drive them out with a drift pin and BFH.
Just a head's up, lots of complaints with ball joint boots splitting open before the car even gets on the road. China crap. I'm getting ready to replace mine with fairly recently available Rare Parts, made in the USA but expensive at about 150. per if I remember correctly. I will have them confirm the boots are also made in the USA before I pop for that much money. Last time I checked a few years ago, Moog was working on a line of high quality ball joints because of the China made problems. At the time I checked, they had not made them for our cars yet.

[Swank]

Evening,

https://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/products/ford_fairlane_1957

Application says upper, guess they might not have gotten to the lowers yet.

[rmk57]

Next time I have to do ball joints I'm going to look into Torino stuff. I remember someone on here did this and it only required drilling an extra hole or elongating one hole to fit.
The full size Ford ball joints are readily available from Moog to.

[hiball3985]

I'll let you guys do the research but the best I remember Moog parts are produced all over the world and they don't make anything in the US anymore.
I think Rare Parts bought the Moog tooling for the ball joints but they have them produced in China now??

[Charter]

I noticed that the ball joint has a wide gap, Over a 1/4" between a hard rubber ring and the spindle. It has a loose fitting metal cap/cover. If it was greased regularly and I'm not looking to run in rain with this car. Do you think the OEM like stuff that Larry's bird sells will be of a better quality than Moog ?

[Swank]

Apologies for the intrusion into your thread.  Arm bushings are on my list this morning, and i also would prefer not to die by spring today.   
Quick question for anybody, ...for assembly, is there enough weight in the car to re-collaspe the springs by jacking up the lower arm without the engine/trans and front end on the frame?  For purposes of getting the balljoints back in place.

[terry_208]

With a bare frame, I ran a chain over the frame and under a floor jack positioned under the lower control arm. This allowed me to establish enough tension to collapse the spring.   


I also ran a threaded rod through the center of the spring when removing it. 

[Charter]

Thanx Rich. The springs fell right out just like my F100. Ground the rivets off. The control arm bushings have 1 1/8" bolt headed shafts going through the engine mount and rad. support. Do they come out by driving them or cutting them ? New pin kit is $120. The upper kits come with a new cross shaft. Do I cut that out so I can press out the old bushings ? Any tricks for saving the shafts ?

[RICH MUISE]

The lower pins are driven out........I remember spending lots of energy with a sledge hammer to do so. I replaced all the lower pins, probably didn't need to, but I was in a "if it comes off, replace it mode" lol. I think the biggest removal problem is that the stuff is rusted together.
Bushing removal tip: use a drill to drill out the old rubber, then the outer bushing can be colapsed with a cold chisel and hammer. I used 1/2" or 5/8 threaded rod and sockets from a cheap Harbor Freight 3/4 socket set to draw the new ones into place. The point here is not to stress the control arm by pressing them in with a press.
Note the top and bottom bushings install differently....one is from the inside, one is from the outside. I think it is the lower bushings that have the "indicator ring" on the body of the bushing to determine how far they are pressed in.
Hope I'm giving correct info....a decade ago is a long time for a memory getting bad.