Step 3

Here I have some spring compressors shortening the spring to about 16 inches. This is enough to allow me to insert the spring in the top saddle, jack up the lower control arm and fit the inside edge of the bottom coil into the bottom saddle. First I put the wheel hub on the bottom ball joint and finger tightend the nut to hold it in place, then with a couple of crowbars and more pressure from the jack I was able to pry the bottom of the coil all the way in to the bottom saddle. Once the spring was in place it was just a matter of jacking up until the top ball joint was in reach and put the nut on that one. Before going too far though, I ran a 3/8 inch ready rod thru the hole that the shock mounts into, down through the hole in the lower control arm and put a nut on the top and a plate on the bottom with double nuts. That way I could cinch up the ready rod as I jacked up the arm and if one of the straps broke two things would NOT happen. First the spring couldn't go shooting out in some unpredictable direction and second, the rod would hold until I could get another strap in place. Good thing I did it that way as one strap broke (from my old set) and then one other strap broke ( from a new set).

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