K-member and A-arms swap - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

Little G · 09-13-2004, 12:27 PM

Has anyone had any experience with this? Could you give me some pointers, things to avoid, things to be sure to do, etc.?

Jersey_TA · 09-13-2004, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little G

Has anyone had any experience with this? Could you give me some pointers, things to avoid, things to be sure to do, etc.?

DON'T drive your car around town without taking it to the alignment shop first. Use a lift if you can.

HardcoreZ28 · 09-13-2004, 12:48 PM

How are you planning on removing the springs? I used a floor jack and some rope for mine, but I have a thirdgen and I'm not sure if yours are under more pressure. I would suggest using a compressor if at all possible. Other than that I second the alignment part. And maybe upgrade to polygraphite bushings and ball joints.

The Fixer · 09-13-2004, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HardcoreZ28

How are you planning on removing the springs? I used a floor jack and some rope for mine, but I have a thirdgen and I'm not sure if yours are under more pressure.

A rope?

A heavy duty chain should be used as a bare minimum. The IROC springs compress at 700 lb/in; pretty scary if that thing goes flying, and could do major bodily harm if it got loose. I would think the 6-cylinder cars have a milder spring rating so it should be easy as easy as this; put the car high up on jackstands, chock the rear wheels, take off the front wheels, disconnect the tie rods and swaybar endlinks, unbolt the strut from the lower a-arm, break the lower balljoint loose, then gradually lower the jack to loosen the spring pressure. After the spring is out, the lower A-arm will swing down, and there's only 2 bolts on it holding it into the frame.

However, installing them might be tricky, since I'm assuming the V6 is lighter than the V8 (well, maybe not, compared to an LS1). You might need a spring compressor to re-install the springs. When we did the suspension on my '88 SS, the motor and trans were out so the frontend was considerably lighter. My friend and I found that we were actually lifting the car off the jackstands since we were trying to muscle in 600+ lb. Eibach drop springs. I wound up borrowing a spring compressor from work to get them in.

HardcoreZ28 · 09-13-2004, 02:26 PM

I should have been more specific. I lowered the springs with the jack to the point where they were almost completely relieved of pressure...then I used a piece of rope to pull them out the rest of the way so I wasn't near them. Definatley not the safest way, but I was young and stupid at the time. I was able to install my new Eibach's using just my body weight on the front end. I had not engine or trans in the car but was able to get a few threads on each of the top bolts.

Jersey_TA · 09-13-2004, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TPI Monte SS

Quote:

Originally Posted by HardcoreZ28

How are you planning on removing the springs? I used a floor jack and some rope for mine, but I have a thirdgen and I'm not sure if yours are under more pressure.

A rope?

A heavy duty chain should be used as a bare minimum. The IROC springs compress at 700 lb/in; pretty scary if that thing goes flying, and could do major bodily harm if it got loose. I would think the 6-cylinder cars have a milder spring rating so it should be easy as easy as this; put the car high up on jackstands, chock the rear wheels, take off the front wheels, disconnect the tie rods and swaybar endlinks, unbolt the strut from the lower a-arm, break the lower balljoint loose, then gradually lower the jack to loosen the spring pressure. After the spring is out, the lower A-arm will swing down, and there's only 2 bolts on it holding it into the frame.

However, installing them might be tricky, since I'm assuming the V6 is lighter than the V8 (well, maybe not, compared to an LS1). You might need a spring compressor to re-install the springs. When we did the suspension on my '88 SS, the motor and trans were out so the frontend was considerably lighter. My friend and I found that we were actually lifting the car off the jackstands since we were trying to muscle in 600+ lb. Eibach drop springs. I wound up borrowing a spring compressor from work to get them in.

Well the stock pre-98 v6 engines wiegh the same as an LS1

Tru2Chevy · 09-13-2004, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jersey_TA

Well the stock pre-98 v6 engines wiegh the same as an LS1

And the 96-02 3.8s are practically unchanged....

njspeeder and I have used the floorjack method on my thirdgen twice (including installing the bilsteins and eibachs on the front) and we haven't had any trouble.

- Justin

Squirrel · 09-13-2004, 06:24 PM

craig, did you post the video from atco that one night on the 6'er board?...if so how was it recieved? 8)

The Fixer · 09-13-2004, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tru2Chevy

njspeeder and I have used the floorjack method on my thirdgen twice (including installing the bilsteins and eibachs on the front) and we haven't had any trouble.

- Justin

My friend and I have used that method a few times with no troubles either, like I mentioned in my post. I mis-interpreted HardcoreZ28's post; I thought he was using a rope to contain the spring. That was what scared the hell outta me.

HardcoreZ28 · 09-14-2004, 08:33 AM

Hahah yeah after I reread it I almost scared myself too. Definately didn't mean to contain it with a rope.....at the least a chain, but I would personally always use a compressor if I needed something.

V · 09-14-2004, 05:35 PM

..hate to break it to all you guys... but the springs in the front on a 93+ f-body are strut mounted, they can be removed as a unit completely from the car, then a spring compressor is needed to remove the spring from the strut. You should not need to compress the springs if you are just changing the k member and a-arms.

Tru2Chevy · 09-15-2004, 10:25 AM

Ahh....nifty trick. Thanks for the info

- Justin

The Fixer · 09-15-2004, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmokingSS

..hate to break it to all you guys... but the springs in the front on a 93+ f-body are strut mounted, they can be removed as a unit completely from the car, then a spring compressor is needed to remove the spring from the strut. You should not need to compress the springs if you are just changing the k member and a-arms.

I did not know that, thanks for the info! I was assuming the 4th-gen was like the 3rd-gen. It definitely would make the A-arm/ K-member swap easier; just disconnect the strut from the lower arm and you're good to go.

DieselKickYoAss4Sure · 09-15-2004, 09:36 PM

id hate to be around you guys when your doing front end work
no rope is gona keep a sping from flying trust me ive seen them fly

NJSPEEDER · 09-15-2004, 09:45 PM

hehe, i never used anything to hold the springs in my thirdgens back. i jsut tell everyoen to move and lower the jack. i haven't been hit yet, i don't think my neighbors cat will ever be the same, but there haven't been any human injuries

realistically the springs in thirdgens sit so high in teh pocket and are sooooo freaking long that if you manage to shoot one you have really accomplished something.

later
tim

Fasterthanyou · 09-26-2004, 07:40 PM

I'm with Tim and Paul on this one. Yes a spring compressor is nice but if you've ever had a bent spring compressor stuck on your spring you know my frustration.
I've never been hit with a spring in a thirdgen. I didn't use chain either, just thick rope. Rope is plenty to stop a spring of that size from flying. If you want me to do the calculations..... pay me,

.
Tim, did you help me with my springs? I can't remember.