Replacing the coil springs

[FRadisi]

From the looks of it... I might be having a hell of a time replacing the front springs. Anyone have tips/tricks?

[TRENDZ]

You will find that these are the easiest springs you will ever change. You wont even need a spring compressor. I've done two sets and both were very easy compared to any other coil springs I've changed.

[PToombs]

I did the Moog 7226S springs in mine, and 1 side I had to use a mini chain binder to draw the spring down so I could start the nut on the ball joint stud. The other side I did with just a floor jack.

[Mark Nixon]

You will find that these are the easiest springs you will ever change.

Don't remind me!
I'd love to change out mine, but easy or not, with 15* temps and 2 feet of snow on my work area, it ain't happening soon!

Mark.

[FRadisi]

So how would I make it easy while changing them out?

[dpuckett]

I used two floor jacks.
Raise the center til it's about 2ft off the ground.
Undo your ball joints and get the spindle out of the way.
Let the lower control arm fall (gently- dont want to warp that mother any more than it probably already is). Spring should fall right out.

TO install the ball joints, position the spring where you want it, then put the second jack under the control arm and raise it up til you can install the ball joints.

Daniel

[PToombs]

And the spring fits in a rubber pocket, with a step in it. It'll be real clear when you see it. I put my spring in with the rubber, then rotated it to get it in the last 1/4 turn to where it belongs. Not really a bad job at all.

[adam greene]

I did the Moog 7226S springs in mine, and 1 side I had to use a mini chain binder to draw the spring down so I could start the nut on the ball joint stud. The other side I did with just a floor jack.

how much did those springs lift ur truck

[PToombs]

Well, the tires were about 2 inches up into the wheel well, and there was about 4 inches of clearance when I was done. Now that I've driven it for a year and a 1/2 it has settled a couple inches. I'll find a pic so you can see.

[FRadisi]

What size tires are those? 235's?

[PToombs]

235/85-16's, I think, stock size anyways. I'm not about to go climb in the snowbank and look right now, it's about 0* out.

[FRadisi]

It sits nicely with those tires... I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with my 215's. I want to upgrade to 17" or 19" direct bolt-on Alcoa's

[FRadisi]

I finally got around to replacing the springs... looks and rides TONS better! I don't have any good before pics, but here's a couple to compare the after to.

Before.





And after.







I took measurements from the top of the tires to the fender... before - left side was 1.5" and the right side was 2.75", after - the left side was 4" and the right side was 4.5".

[PToombs]

That looks alot better! My tires were actually up inside the fender an inch or 2 the springs were so bad. I also put new Bilsteins on the front too. Rides much better.
Good looking truck too.

[jlombard]

Replaced coil springs with Moog 7226 (not extreme duty 7226s) and it lifted the front end back up and leveled it out nicely. Also put in Monroe gas magnum shocks. Hint: if one side still sags lower than the other, and if your control arm bushings are ok (mine were not, so I changed them too) then check on your cab mount bushings (4) and on the radiator support to frame mount bushings (2). One side of my radiator support mount bushings were missing the rubber completely. I went to Ace and bought three 2 1/4 outer diameter by 5/8 inch inner diameter by 1/8 inch thick neoprene washers. Removed radiator fan shroud clips and pulled the shroud out of the lower clips on the bottom edge of the radiator, and then the radiator upper support brackets. Lift the radiator up and place 2 x 4 blocks under radiator to access the radiator support mounting bolt (RSMB). Don't worry about removing hoses or anything, just lift the rad up a couple of inches and block it. Then remove the RMSB with a 5/8 wrench on the top of the bolt (under the blocked up radiator) and an 11/16 deep socket on the lower nut. The RMSB has a large oval piece of 1/2 inch rubber above the radiator support - that did not need replacing on mine. (The radiator itself sits on two rubber bumpers that are attached to the bottom of the radiator and rest on the radiator support channel - this is a good time to check those and put in new ones if needed.) The rubber washers are the ham inside of two large steel washers that are the bread; this sandwich fits in between the frame and the radiator support channel. Jack up the radiator support channel enough to allow you to put the sandwich back in, run the RSMB back down through the sandwich, and tighten the nut loosely. Be sure to lower the jack to allow the radiator support to sit down again on the new bushing sandwich before you do the final tightening on the the RSMB nut. Remove 2 x 4 blocks, settle the radiator back in to the radiator support channel, reattach the upper support brackets. This also got rid of an awful clunk that I would hear when going over potholes.