lowriderbowtie
04-14-05, 09:46 PM
This will be a guide on how to install lowering coil springs in an 82-up S10/S15/Sonoma. This is my way, I find it to be the easiest. And ive worked hard writing this up!! Enjoy!
Removing the Coil:
Take a measurement from the ground to the fenderlip. You will do this at the end of the installation to make sure your truck lowered as much as it was suposed to.
Jack the truck up and place 2 jack stands under the frame behind the wheels. You need it up high enough so that you can swing your Lower Control Arm down to get the spring out (and back in).
Take the wheels off.
Take off the top shock nut (9/16th's)
Take off the 2 shock bolts that hold the shock from the bottom. (9/16th's)
Pull that shock out through the bottom and put it aside, and dont loose the bushings and washers.
Take the sway bar endlink off. Make a mental note on how to put the endlink back together. Start by putting a 9/16th's socket on a 1/2" rachet and grab a 9/16ths wrench. You need to turn the bolt from the bottom and hold the nut at the top and it will come free. Put it all aside and once again, dont loose the sleeve, bushings, or washers.
Take a floor jack and jack up the lower control arm right under the coil spring to take a load off of the spring.
Now you are ready to loosen, but DO NOT REMOVE, the castle nut on the lower ball joint (15/16ths). You have to take the cotter pin out to loosen the castle nut. I usually loosen it so that there is about 1/2" between the castle nut and the spindle.
Get about a 3 pound hammer and wack the SPINDLE (not the ball joint) right at the joint where the ball joint stud comes through the spindle. This might take you a few good wacks, you will know you broke the ball joint free when that 1/2" between the castle nut and the spindle has dissapeared.
Get that jack back under the lower control arm and jack it up to take that load back off the coil spring. Now that 1/2" is back...you can completly remove the castle nut now and SLOWLY lower the jack. The coil spring will be ready to come out. You may have to use your foot to push the lower control arm away and pull the coil spring out of the pocket.
Dont loose the rubber spring insulator that is on top of the spring. If the isolator didnt come out with the spring, then it is still up in the spring pocket.
Installing the lowering coil:
You will need to place that rubber isolator on the top of your new spring. I like to tape it on there with black tape or zip ties, cause it will fall off the sping on you when you go to install it. NOW if the isolator stayed up in the spring pocket, leave it there! Its less of a headache if it stayed up there!
You need to place the sping properly up in the upper spring pocket. If you look up there, there is a metal ring that the coil spring needs to sit around. If you have the sping not sitting properly around the ring, it will not lower you very much, if any at all.
Use your foot again and push that lower control arm out enough so that you can get the spring to sit in the back of the spring pocket.
Chilton and Haynes says the end of the spring must cover 1 of the drain holes and partially cover, or, not cover the 2nd one.
Now is that spring sitting properly up in the top spring pocket? Double check!
Get your jack fired up and start jacking up the lower control arm, and get the lower ball joint stud through the hole in the spindle and tighten your castle nut.
Lower the jack and take a flash light and look up into the coil spring through the hole the shock came out of, and make sure the coil spring is still sitting properly!
Tighten up the castle nut with the 15/16ths (you'll know when its tight enough). You need to now line up the castle nut with the hole in the stud for your NEW cotter pin. Keep tightening untill you can get your cotter pin through.
Re-install the sway bar endlink and tighten it up good (again, you'll know when its tight enough)
Re-install your shock and tighten everything down.
Finally, throw thoes wheels back on, take your frame stand out, lower your jack.
Now take the new measurement from the ground to the fenderlip...is it as low as it should be? You may need to put a few miles on to seat the springs and settle them.
You need an allignment now...you dont want your tires getting trashed! Cheap insurance.
Well thats how it goes. Its very easy. It takes me 90 mins MAX to do both sides. Just make sure you are very careful when when removing and installing the coil springs...they are under alot of pressure, and could easily kill you if they happened to fly loose. Just be careful. Oh and you know you did it right when you cant get your jack out from under the front of your truck and you have to jack it back up and put some 2x4's under the front wheels so you can get the jack out! haha
Any questions, PM me. I can also help you out with installing spindle's, Leafs, or blocks.
(I had to validate this post so it would appear. Admins might want to look into this -Matt 4.3 TBI)
Removing the Coil:
Take a measurement from the ground to the fenderlip. You will do this at the end of the installation to make sure your truck lowered as much as it was suposed to.
Jack the truck up and place 2 jack stands under the frame behind the wheels. You need it up high enough so that you can swing your Lower Control Arm down to get the spring out (and back in).
Take the wheels off.
Take off the top shock nut (9/16th's)
Take off the 2 shock bolts that hold the shock from the bottom. (9/16th's)
Pull that shock out through the bottom and put it aside, and dont loose the bushings and washers.
Take the sway bar endlink off. Make a mental note on how to put the endlink back together. Start by putting a 9/16th's socket on a 1/2" rachet and grab a 9/16ths wrench. You need to turn the bolt from the bottom and hold the nut at the top and it will come free. Put it all aside and once again, dont loose the sleeve, bushings, or washers.
Take a floor jack and jack up the lower control arm right under the coil spring to take a load off of the spring.
Now you are ready to loosen, but DO NOT REMOVE, the castle nut on the lower ball joint (15/16ths). You have to take the cotter pin out to loosen the castle nut. I usually loosen it so that there is about 1/2" between the castle nut and the spindle.
Get about a 3 pound hammer and wack the SPINDLE (not the ball joint) right at the joint where the ball joint stud comes through the spindle. This might take you a few good wacks, you will know you broke the ball joint free when that 1/2" between the castle nut and the spindle has dissapeared.
Get that jack back under the lower control arm and jack it up to take that load back off the coil spring. Now that 1/2" is back...you can completly remove the castle nut now and SLOWLY lower the jack. The coil spring will be ready to come out. You may have to use your foot to push the lower control arm away and pull the coil spring out of the pocket.
Dont loose the rubber spring insulator that is on top of the spring. If the isolator didnt come out with the spring, then it is still up in the spring pocket.
Installing the lowering coil:
You will need to place that rubber isolator on the top of your new spring. I like to tape it on there with black tape or zip ties, cause it will fall off the sping on you when you go to install it. NOW if the isolator stayed up in the spring pocket, leave it there! Its less of a headache if it stayed up there!
You need to place the sping properly up in the upper spring pocket. If you look up there, there is a metal ring that the coil spring needs to sit around. If you have the sping not sitting properly around the ring, it will not lower you very much, if any at all.
Use your foot again and push that lower control arm out enough so that you can get the spring to sit in the back of the spring pocket.
Chilton and Haynes says the end of the spring must cover 1 of the drain holes and partially cover, or, not cover the 2nd one.
Now is that spring sitting properly up in the top spring pocket? Double check!
Get your jack fired up and start jacking up the lower control arm, and get the lower ball joint stud through the hole in the spindle and tighten your castle nut.
Lower the jack and take a flash light and look up into the coil spring through the hole the shock came out of, and make sure the coil spring is still sitting properly!
Tighten up the castle nut with the 15/16ths (you'll know when its tight enough). You need to now line up the castle nut with the hole in the stud for your NEW cotter pin. Keep tightening untill you can get your cotter pin through.
Re-install the sway bar endlink and tighten it up good (again, you'll know when its tight enough)
Re-install your shock and tighten everything down.
Finally, throw thoes wheels back on, take your frame stand out, lower your jack.
Now take the new measurement from the ground to the fenderlip...is it as low as it should be? You may need to put a few miles on to seat the springs and settle them.
You need an allignment now...you dont want your tires getting trashed! Cheap insurance.
Well thats how it goes. Its very easy. It takes me 90 mins MAX to do both sides. Just make sure you are very careful when when removing and installing the coil springs...they are under alot of pressure, and could easily kill you if they happened to fly loose. Just be careful. Oh and you know you did it right when you cant get your jack out from under the front of your truck and you have to jack it back up and put some 2x4's under the front wheels so you can get the jack out! haha
Any questions, PM me. I can also help you out with installing spindle's, Leafs, or blocks.
(I had to validate this post so it would appear. Admins might want to look into this -Matt 4.3 TBI)