How do I remove my Coil Springs on a 70 F100?

[NOLIMITS]

Well I purchased some new springs for my truck and I cant quite figure out how to remove the old ones. Can someone please tell me what I might need and how to remove them.

Also I'm planing on cutting the springs. If I cut three coils how much would that lower my truck and would it affect the camber dramatically.

Please Help

[fordman]

cutting off 3 coils will drop the heck outof it. i think ezernutt cut 1 1/2 coils off and it went down like 1 1/2 inches i think he said.

to remove them take the two bolts out from the top of the coil tower. now jack up the truck and let the spring and i beam coem out of the coil tower. now take a socket 1 1/8. to get the nut of of the king bolt that holds the coil spring washer on to the king bolt. once the nut and washer is off the coil spring comes off. if the spring isnt out of the tower by the time you have the truck jacked up you may want to use a coil spring comrpessor to get it out of the tower without if flying out and hurting yourself. i've never had to do it that way but it can happen. do one side at atiem and make sure to put the correct spring on the correct side. the tall spring goes on the passenger side.

[Alvin in AZ]

Didn't have a 1+1/8" deepwell socket back when I took mine apart the first time.
Did have a "number 37 wrench" and a homemade grinder tho, so opened the
1+1/16" end up to a snug-fitting 1+1/18" and used that. :)
Here it is in front...
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/toolbox.jpg
...bigger-end I opened-up from 1+1/4" to 1+5/16" so it'd fit the pitman arm nut.
Turns out they made wrenches that size and found a couple later, they're called
a "37A wrench". Sometimes they use the numbers and fractions both. :)
And sometimes neither. LOL :)

Alvin in AZ

[fordman]

that i sbecause they used to call bolts by numbers. like a 1/4 inch botl is a 14 i think.

[Alvin in AZ]

http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifact ... rench.html

My dad used fractions and my grandpa on the farm always used the numbers. :)
My 37A ain't listed. :/ But I've got about four 37A Williams (plow wrenches;) a couple with
both the fractions and the number 37A on 'em. :)

The one I opened-up is a Williams, IME the Billings and Herbrand were softer and junky! :/

Alvin in AZ

[BobbyFord]

I'm not trying to glom the thread but why does Moog list the same part number for R&L springs when we all know that they're different...

[Alvin in AZ]

I'm not trying to glom the thread but why does Moog list the same part
number for R&L springs when we all know that they're different...

IMO... It's because having them different was a dumb idea? LOL :)
IME, on my Dent it sure as heck was! :/
My pickup never set straight in the front.
I straightened it up by finding another spring like the stiffer one
(that was on the passenger side) and matching them up that way.
Both sides are 4+1/4" (+/-1/32") now...
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/rideheight.jpg

Alvin in AZ

[flyboy2610]

I would strongly recommend coil spring compressors, or a stout piece of chain wrapped around the spring. You do not want that thing flying off the truck... especially in YOUR direction!

[convincor]

unbolt the shock, the spring clamp at the tower and jack the truck up. The only thing left to hold the beam from dropping is the brake lines. Never needed a compressor.

As for the spring length, if you look them up at NAPA, the stanard springs are shown with 2 different heights. The variable rate both are the same.

std. part # NCP 2771921
# Coil Spring Coils : 9.75 Driver Side/ 9.25 Pass. Side
Coil Spring Free Height : 16.06" Driver Side/15.69" Pass. Side
Coil Spring I.D. : 6"
Coil Spring Load Height : 11.5"
Coil Spring Type : One Tangential End; One Pigtail End
Design Load : 1625 Driver Side /1750 Pass. Side
Spring Rate : 357 Driver Side/417 Pass. Side
Wire Diameter : .672" Driver Side/.703" Pass. Side

variable rate
part # NCP 2775182
# Coil Spring Coils : 10.8
Coil Spring Free Height : 15.75"
Coil Spring I.D. : 4"
Coil Spring Load Height : 11.5"
Coil Spring Type : One Tangential End; One Pigtail End
Design Load : 1730
Spring Rate : 407
Wire Diameter : .725"

[Alvin in AZ]

Wire Diameter : .672" Driver Side/.703" Pass. Side
Wire Diameter : .725"

Mine are ~.745".
The one laying on the ground with the purple paint on it is ~.725" and would be OK as a minimum. IMO ;)
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/coilsprings.jpg

>-all three springs-> Coil Spring Load Height : 11.5"
Get it? :)
The wimpier the spring, the taller it is unloaded. :)

x2
I've never needed a spring compressor except on a '86 Lincoln that we didn't want to take -that far- apart.

Alvin in AZ