How to swap suspension coils

[Greg5567]

I looked around the site and I couldnt find anything that told me actually HOW to take coils out and put new ones in so I figured I would go ahead and ask before I "experimented" myself...

I have 8" Skyjacker Coils and someone that wants to trade me their 6" SJ Coils. Im pretty sure they are going to want mine the day they give me theirs, so it would be pretty nice to know how to swap so it can be done.

 

[engdept]

Set the front of the frame on a jack stand. Then lower the beam down slowly and let the coil come out of the upper coil bucket. Then take the 21mm nut off from inside the lower part of the spring and it will fall off. Repeat in reverse to install.

 

[CopyKat]

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/Winter2002/coil_spring_install.htm

 

[gotmudd]

Set the front of the frame on a jack stand. Then lower the beam down slowly and let the coil come out of the upper coil bucket. Then take the 21mm nut off from inside the lower part of the spring and it will fall off. Repeat in reverse to install.

if you don't have one already, you will also want to have a "spring compressor". you can get one one from a parts house or rent one from a tool rental place. without one, i see very bad things happening. your springs are under tension and you need a way to relieve the tension slowly or you could have a big lump on your head or worse . engdept has the rest of it good, except that when you let the beam down, if you can't control the rate of drop that spring will not drop, it will pop out of it's bucket taking brakelines and whatever else tha's in it's path out with it.and even if it does just "drop" it will be a PITA to get the new ones in without first compressing. also, with a compressor you won't have to lift the front of the vehicle as high either, just high enough to get front tires off the ground.

 

[CopyKat]

if you don't have one already, you will also want to have a "spring compressor". you can get one one from a parts house or rent one from a tool rental place. without one, i see very bad things happening. your springs are under tension and you need a way to relieve the tension slowly or you could have a big lump on your head or worse . engdept has the rest of it good, except that when you let the beam down, if you can't control the rate of drop that spring will not drop, it will pop out of it's bucket taking brakelines and whatever else tha's in it's path out with it.and even if it does just "drop" it will be a PITA to get the new ones in without first compressing. also, with a compressor you won't have to lift the front of the vehicle as high either, just high enough to get front tires off the ground.

Not nessesary at all to use a spring compressor.

 

[gotmudd]

sorry my bad, i'm used to replacing springs on cars and wasn't sure. my motto, better be safe than sorry, thanks for the insight.

 

[Greg5567]

Well im taking my 8" Coils out and replacing with 6" coils and thats IT....and im curious now, do i need the spring compressor or not?

or...better question is which way is a better more reliable way to do it..I just noticed the springs I have in my truck right now, arent exactly straight up and down, they bend a little.....not sure why...

 

[brendank]

No, you won't need the spring compressor. Worst case, you have to pry down on the radius arm or the beam to get a little bit of extra room. I usually just step on it, actually.

 

[KELLY88]

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/Winter2002/coil_spring_install.htm

Everything you need to know. CopyKat linked me to it yesterday with pretty much the exact same question. No need for a spring compressor, at least not for these trucks. Jack it up and put the frame on jackstands. Then use the floor jack to slowly lower the axle, one beam at a time, to take the tension off the spring. Then tear it apart, put the new coil in and put it all back together.

 

[Greg5567]

Everything you need to know. CopyKat linked me to it yesterday with pretty much the exact same question. No need for a spring compressor, at least not for these trucks. Jack it up and put the frame on jackstands. Then use the floor jack to slowly lower the axle, one beam at a time, to take the tension off the spring. Then tear it apart, put the new coil in and put it all back together.

Thanks a bunch!!

 

[canyoncritter]

just food for thought here, but you will need to have a alignment after swaping the springs as well......

and with your truck being a xtra cab, the 6inch springs if they are skyjackers are going to sit at about 14.5 inches long....so you might want to measure this for clearnce of those big tires before swapping out springs.....

 

[Greg5567]

just food for thought here, but you will need to have a alignment after swaping the springs as well......

and with your truck being a xtra cab, the 6inch springs if they are skyjackers are going to sit at about 14.5 inches long....so you might want to measure this for clearnce of those big tires before swapping out springs.....

Well im hoping to have my 35" tires by the time I swap my springs, if not I will just have to wait.

 

[canyoncritter]

ok good deal....If you get a chance and want to give the board some genral info, could you meassuse the 8inch springs for us.

what the lenth of the springs are while on your truck

the free lenth of the springs when they are out of the truck

the wire diameter ( if you have a pair of calipurs)

and how many rounds are in the coil