Front springs won't seat in the control arm pocket

[Frank Enstein]

The whole time I did it, I felt like I was handling an IED.

You WERE! Stored energy is no joke. I always drop my longest 3/8" extension down through the center of the spring to CMA.

 

[arrg]

The FSM has you completely remove the LCA, place the spring into position in the frame pocket and in the LCA, and then jack the whole assembly back into place and reinstall the pivot bolts.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

You need the correct tool to compress the spring. Those junk parts store rentals are a good way to get seriously hurt or killed. I added this to my toolbox and used it on both the 99 Tahoe and 97 Express. Even though I still feel like I am handling an IED, it has not once slipped or shifted once you get tension on it. Once you get the spring compressed enough to get it into the pocket on the lower control arm, I use a floor jack to jack it up slightly. To get the spring onto place you will have to rotate it into the upper pocket with the LCA fully down. Then slip the knuckle into place and install the nuts on both sides of the ball joint enough to fully catch them. Then tighten them evenly until they fully seat. Then torque your ball joint nuts properly. Then you can remove the jack, loosen and then dissasemble the spring compressor and remove it. Any other cheap spring compressor is suicide! Another tip, you want both sway bar end links unhooked and you need to push the sway bar up to rotate the ends of it out of the way. Oddly enough despite using the same lower control arms, the Tahoe had a sea green rubber spring seat on the lower control arm, the van had a black upper rubber seat. Both were ate up and the springs had punched through them over the years. GM discontinued to the one for the Tahoe and Trucks and it is not available anywhere as a reproduction. Moog still makes the upper ones for the vans. I used the upper rubber seats on both the Van and Tahoe. You fit the rubber seat over the sharp protrosions in the pocket before installing the springs. No more popping when the spring jounces and rebounds from either.

OTC 7045B FRONT COIL SPRING | Tool Discounter

FRONT COIL SPRING. Shop OTC FRONT COIL SPRING at Tool Discounter

www.tooldiscounter.com

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[The_Family_Tahoe]

The last time I did mine, I used the compressor tool, on the inside as you mentioned, compressed the spring enough to get it in place, installed it with a small floor jack under the lower control arm. That way I could release the jack enough to get the spring compressor out, but not so much so that I lost all tension on the spring. Once I got the compressor tool out, then I jacked the floor jack up to install the spinal. Then finished jacking the lower control arm in place. Yes it's a PITA, but that works pretty good.

Could you lost a link to the compressor tool you used?

 

[The_Family_Tahoe]

You need the correct tool to compress the spring. Those junk parts store rentals are a good way to get seriously hurt or killed. I added this to my toolbox and used it on both the 99 Tahoe and 97 Express. Even though I still feel like I am handling an IED, it has not once slipped or shifted once you get tension on it. Once you get the spring compressed enough to get it into the pocket on the lower control arm, I use a floor jack to jack it up slightly. To get the spring onto place you will have to rotate it into the upper pocket with the LCA fully down. Then slip the knuckle into place and install the nuts on both sides of the ball joint enough to fully catch them. Then tighten them evenly until they fully seat. Then torque your ball joint nuts properly. Then you can remove the jack, loosen and then dissasemble the spring compressor and remove it. Any other cheap spring compressor is suicide! Another tip, you want both sway bar end links unhooked and you need to push the sway bar up to rotate the ends of it out of the way. Oddly enough despite using the same lower control arms, the Tahoe had a sea green rubber spring seat on the lower control arm, the van had a black upper rubber seat. Both were ate up and the springs had punched through them over the years. GM discontinued to the one for the Tahoe and Trucks and it is not available anywhere as a reproduction. Moog still makes the upper ones for the vans. I used the upper rubber seats on both the Van and Tahoe. You fit the rubber seat over the sharp protrosions in the pocket before installing the springs. No more popping when the spring jounces and rebounds from either.

OTC 7045B FRONT COIL SPRING | Tool Discounter

FRONT COIL SPRING. Shop OTC FRONT COIL SPRING at Tool Discounter

www.tooldiscounter.com

You must be registered for see images attach

Great. Thanks for the image of the compressor.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Could you lost a link to the compressor tool you used?

I linked the proper OTC tool above. Not cheap but worth every penny! Use wreches to compress it, never an impact!!!

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Get a pair of the 96-02 Express van rubber spring seats and install them before the spring in the upper pocket. Thank me later! No spring popping or clunking going over bumps.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

You must be registered for see images attach

Spring seats I used. 1 per package.

 

[kennythewelder]

Could you lost a link to the compressor tool you used?

I rented it from O Rilleys. Here is a pic.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

I rented it from O Rilleys. Here is a pic.

Tried that one installing Moog replacement 454 SS front springs in the 99 Tahoe. 454 springs because of the 8.1s weight. After launching the fork across the shop a couple of times when it slipped, denting my clothes dryer in the process, returned it and bought the OTC tool on Amazon. glad I had it for the Express because the 3500 Express front springs are even taller and stiffer than the 454SS ones.