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09-13-2004, 11:27 AM
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#1
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Lifetime Power Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London, UK
Posts: 862
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K-member and A-arms swap
Has anyone had any experience with this? Could you give me some pointers, things to avoid, things to be sure to do, etc.?
__________________
2008 Mysterious Solstice GXP - teh hotness!
2002 Pewter V6 Camaro M5 ~ SOLD
mods: Gear, weight reduction, tuning
Fear the Gear. 13.585 @ 100.05 1.827
Beater: 93 Jeep Grand Cherokee
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09-13-2004, 11:40 AM
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#2
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10 Second Club
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Eastampton
Posts: 4,466
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Re: K-member and A-arms swap
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.?
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DON'T drive your car around town without taking it to the alignment shop first. Use a lift if you can.
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1999 MBM T/A - the new ride
2004 CE Corvette - 1.410 - 10.246 @ 133.39
2003 Silverado - Lifted 6 on 35s
2000 T/A WS6 - 11.190 @ 119.79...SOLD
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09-13-2004, 11:48 AM
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#3
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Hillsborough, NJ
Posts: 2,630
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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.
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--==RPM Resto & Custom==--
1989 IROC-Z Media Coverage:
Chevy High Performance - Readers Rides 4/03
GM High Tech Performance - Tech Article 3/06
Chevy Rumble - Tech & Feature Articles November 2006
Auto Restorer Magazine - Feature Article 5/11
SkinAndSteel.com
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09-13-2004, 12:41 PM
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#4
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: North Jersey
Posts: 3,047
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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.
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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.
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Seeya,
Steve R. in North Jersey
'16 Go-Mango Dodge Charger R/T. It's so good to be back in a V8-powered, RWD car!
Former Toy - '88 Monte SS - had lots of mods...
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09-13-2004, 01:26 PM
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#5
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Hillsborough, NJ
Posts: 2,630
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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.
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--==RPM Resto & Custom==--
1989 IROC-Z Media Coverage:
Chevy High Performance - Readers Rides 4/03
GM High Tech Performance - Tech Article 3/06
Chevy Rumble - Tech & Feature Articles November 2006
Auto Restorer Magazine - Feature Article 5/11
SkinAndSteel.com
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09-13-2004, 02:33 PM
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#6
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10 Second Club
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Eastampton
Posts: 4,466
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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.
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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.
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Well the stock pre-98 v6 engines wiegh the same as an LS1
__________________
1999 MBM T/A - the new ride
2004 CE Corvette - 1.410 - 10.246 @ 133.39
2003 Silverado - Lifted 6 on 35s
2000 T/A WS6 - 11.190 @ 119.79...SOLD
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09-13-2004, 04:15 PM
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#7
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Co-Founder / Site Admin
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ewing, NJ
Posts: 22,473
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jersey_TA
Well the stock pre-98 v6 engines wiegh the same as an LS1
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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
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1999 Camry - Beigemobile DD
2002 Suburban - Wife's DD
2004 Grand Cherokee - Not running / Project / Selling?
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09-13-2004, 05:24 PM
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#8
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13 Second Club
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ewing/Galloway, NJ
Posts: 3,904
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craig, did you post the video from atco that one night on the 6'er board?...if so how was it recieved? 8)
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EB
99 Riviera, Bone stock, 14.34 @ 96 "Walking 5.0's in luxury" RIP
95 Cherokee, Bone stock 16.2 @ 83 "Treeing your 3rd gen and beating it to the line despite trapping less....and looking better"
93 TA, Bone stock, 13.8 @ 100 "Beating ****** drivers in ****** LS1's"
https://www.facebook.com/groups/285090241699967/
R.I.P. Tia
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09-13-2004, 07:17 PM
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#9
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: North Jersey
Posts: 3,047
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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
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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.
__________________
Seeya,
Steve R. in North Jersey
'16 Go-Mango Dodge Charger R/T. It's so good to be back in a V8-powered, RWD car!
Former Toy - '88 Monte SS - had lots of mods...
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09-14-2004, 07:33 AM
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#10
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Hillsborough, NJ
Posts: 2,630
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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.
__________________
--==RPM Resto & Custom==--
1989 IROC-Z Media Coverage:
Chevy High Performance - Readers Rides 4/03
GM High Tech Performance - Tech Article 3/06
Chevy Rumble - Tech & Feature Articles November 2006
Auto Restorer Magazine - Feature Article 5/11
SkinAndSteel.com
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09-14-2004, 04:35 PM
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#11
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Stalker
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 12,077
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..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.
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09-15-2004, 09:25 AM
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#12
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Co-Founder / Site Admin
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ewing, NJ
Posts: 22,473
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Ahh....nifty trick. Thanks for the info
- Justin
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1999 Camry - Beigemobile DD
2002 Suburban - Wife's DD
2004 Grand Cherokee - Not running / Project / Selling?
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09-15-2004, 09:48 AM
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#13
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: North Jersey
Posts: 3,047
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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.
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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.
__________________
Seeya,
Steve R. in North Jersey
'16 Go-Mango Dodge Charger R/T. It's so good to be back in a V8-powered, RWD car!
Former Toy - '88 Monte SS - had lots of mods...
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09-15-2004, 08:36 PM
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#14
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ewing, NJ
Posts: 836
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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
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(86 Fiero GT-2.8 4spd.)
(88 Dodge Dakota w/ \'97 318 5spd.)
(82 Chevy Silverado -Crew Cab, Dualie w/ 11ltr Caterpillar 3208 diesel out of concrete pump bolted up to TH400 w/ 22% overdrive.)
1995 Pontiac bonneville daily
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09-15-2004, 08:45 PM
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#15
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NJFBOA Co-Founder
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: All up in your kool aid!
Posts: 12,235
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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
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09-26-2004, 06:40 PM
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#16
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Montgomery NJ
Posts: 1,271
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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.
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, Jon
Owner of a Red Sled.
If it\'s EFI I can tune it. Specialize in 82-95 GM (yes Lt1\'s)
\"If you can leave black marks on a straight from the time you exit a corner till the time you brake for the next turn.......Then, you have enough horsepower\" - Mark Donohue
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