Replacing front springs spring

[Red 409 63 impala]

I am in the process of replacing the front springs on my 63 Impala. The springs I am using are show cars super duty 409 springs. I am using the type of spring compressor that goes through the center of the spring. I removed the lower control arm indexed the spring and compressed the spring and remounted the lower control. I cannot get the spring back in the spring tower. Tried with a pry bar no luck..what procedure has worked for others? Would it be easier to insert the spring tower first?

 

[61BUBBLE348]

Red, I typically use the cars weight to do front springs.

Get car high enough in the air, place a trolley jack under the A arm, release the sway bar stuff, drop the bottom ball joint, swing the drum/brakes out the way and start lowering the jack very slowly.
When putting the spring back in, I always locate the spring into the tower, sometimes a bit of grunt is required to get the bottom of the spring located and the A arm back on the jack, but once this is done it is a relatively smooth operation compressing the spring.
Just make sure the spring is indexed correctly.
Good luck

Cheers

 

[ragtp66]

I used this style spring compressor which was an original Kent Moore J-Tool. There are aftermarket ones that are similar. I ended up using one of the plates under the lower a frame rather then in the coils after clocking the spring and then compressing the spring to the lower control arm. The reason I did it was I was working with a bare frame no engine or transmission to be able to use the floor jack method. Second reason was I need to REALLY compress the spring to get it in the upper pocket as the spring on my 58 has a bit of a Banaana bow to it when installed with no drive line.

 

[DonSSDD]

Use a short piece of chain to fasten the spring to the frame when taking it out or putting it in. Never know when one will come flying out.

 

[Red 409 63 impala]

Well I got the front springs in. It was a real b..ch. I placed the spring in the upper tower first. Bolted the lower control arm the frame (loosely). Kinda placed the spring in the control arm while the floor jack is under the lower control arm. Pumping the jack slowly stop and hit the spring with a BFH when I stop to push the spring a tiny bit toward the recess in the control arm. I had the spring compress in the middle of the spring repeated this step about ten times also taking up on the spring compressor. When the spring is in place I put a second jack under the control arm to keep the arm up with the spring compressed. Take away the first floor jack to give access to allow the ball joint (lower) to be installed. Now the spindle is bolted up. I put a chain around the spring, all the time thinking about the pressure stored in that compressed spring. Whew it is done.

 

[La Hot Rods]

Good to hear all went well. Those babies take some load not like this modern strut car stuff.
It is always easiest to do them if you have the car together (front clip,engine and trans) or you have to have a bunch of heavy friends around.