NEED HELP Swapping struts to old coil spring

[kembag]

Hello I made a post already on trailvoy with details and photos. Most of which you don't need to read. I just have an issue replacing factory coils with an aftermarket strut Bilstein 4600.

Installing factory spring coils on aftermarket struts

Hello, not sure if my title is precisely what I'm dealing with, but the gist of my repair is that I need to replace the rear coils which are custom and not attached to the vehicle, basically floating and removable by hand when the vehicle is raised. I was intending on following the instructions...

www.trailvoy.com

My main concern currently is compressing the black spring. I can compress it to where the strut will fit bottom to top, but the new mount needs more compression to be flush and allow me to tighten the nut and washer. However this is my first time compressing a coil spring and it's obviously dangerous but if I continue to compress the spring itself will bottom out against the safety pins.

What should I do? Try again and compress until it's closer to bottoming out?

if I compress the spring and the coils touch that's the most dangerous point correct? but for my purposes I'm very close to getting the new strut mount centered just need a little more compression... I was going to rent another pair of spring compressors and also work in an enclosure.

Other than that I don't know what to do.

Any help is greatly appreciated. There's more photos and text on the linked post. And yes I just bought preloaded assembly to skip this process, but I did want to give it one more go as safely as possible.

 

[mrrsm]

Welcome to GMT Nation...

Check Out "The Roadie" 's Post(s) in THIS Thread First...

strut compression tool

Any suggestions on which strut compression tool should I use to change out the struts when do a lift. Clam-shell style or the bolt with hook style.

gmtnation.com

Then... Watch "Jimmy from 1Road" changing the Front Coil Over Shocks Struts on his Trailblazer... and observe WHERE he places the Clamps-Safety Pins in position on the Upper and Lower Black Steel Coil Segments to see if THIS Technique is useful for avoiding any *Binding*. As stated... without following a Safer Bench Vise Mounting when doing this Procedure... You are in GREATER Jeopardy and Danger should the Black Steel Coil Spring Explosively De-Compress!

Here are some Focused Still Shots from Jimmy's Video for Reference:



"Klowny1969" Is a Krazy (Kool) Mechanic who Demonstrates from around 8:34 onward into his Video just how MUCH Safer A Way THIS Technique is to perform this Task on a Different GM Vehicle... BUT FOR ANYONE WATCHING... FOLLOW THESE SAME SAFETY PRINCIPLES STRICTLY FOR THE PARTS IN THIS VIDEO DESCRIBING THE INSTALLATION AND REMOVAL PROCEDURES OF THE OEM (Brand Name) MODEL# 57036 MACPHERSON STRUT SPRING COMPRESSOR TOOL KIT:



Available on Amazon (Choose Wisely, favoring the One with a Proper Length for the Threaded Rods vs. The Length of the Un- Compressed Black Steel Coil Spring):

Amazon.com : oem macpherson strut compressor

Hope This Helps...

 

[TollKeeper]

Or take the whole units to a local shop, and see if they will swap over the bits for you.

 

[kembag]

Or take the whole units to a local shop, and see if they will swap over the bits for you.

I inquired with many local shops most didn't seem interested and the others would quote 180$ per strut except the local pro shop but the owner got rid of his compression machine/tool and he had the most reasonable quote of 100$

Welcome to GMT Nation...

Check Out "The Roadie" 's Post(s) in THIS Thread First...

strut compression tool

Any suggestions on which strut compression tool should I use to change out the struts when do a lift. Clam-shell style or the bolt with hook style.

gmtnation.com

Then... Watch "Jimmy from 1Road" changing the Front Coil Over Shocks Struts on his Trailblazer... and observe WHERE he places the Clamps-Safety Pins in position on the Upper and Lower Black Steel Coil Segments to see if THIS Technique is useful for avoiding any *Binding*. As stated... without following a Safer Bench Vise Mounting when doing this Procedure... You are in GREATER Jeopardy and Danger should the Black Steel Coil Spring Explosively De-Compress!

Here are some Focused Still Shots from Jimmy's Video for Reference:

View attachment 109373View attachment 109374

"Klowny1969" Is a Krazy (Kool) Mechanic who Demonstrates from around 8:34 onward into his Video just how MUCH Safer A Way THIS Technique is to perform this Task on a Different GM Vehicle... BUT FOR ANYONE WATCHING... FOLLOW THESE SAME SAFETY PRINCIPLES STRICTLY FOR THE PARTS IN THIS VIDEO DESCRIBING THE INSTALLATION AND REMOVAL PROCEDURES OF THE OEM (Brand Name) MODEL# 57036 MACPHERSON STRUT SPRING COMPRESSOR TOOL KIT:

View attachment 109375

Available on Amazon (Choose Wiseliy, favoring the One with a Proper Length for the Threaded Rods vs. The Length of the Un- Compressed Black Steel Coil Spring):

Amazon.com : oem macpherson strut compressor

Hope This Helps...

Greatly appreciate the help. I did as you suggested and was able to successfully compress the coil and this time was not concerned about compression being lopsided or funky. I did make a mistake so I will have to redo the procedure but I think each time I was doing this I was simply scared of compressing the coil. Knowing it will blow out top/bottom and then questioning the efficacy of safety pins stopping all that energy from the coil breaking my face, maybe I'd feel safer with a football helmet and mouthguard.

If I could trouble you once more for some advice - in the photos obviously the bottom spring needs the insulation, it slipped and then further slipped upon my finagling.

The top spring however seems a little to small at the top to wrap snugly with the end of the rubber. Seems like this will be a matter of trial and error to get it to fit, I assumed incorrectly that tightening the nut and then loosening the compression would help slide it into place with some dialectic grease like Klown demonstrated.

And finally the strut itself does not seem centered I would think this is due to my incorrect assembly, it's hanging ever so slightly, safe to assume once I fix the other errors it should correct itself?

Either way thank you for the assist. I had viewed 1ROAD content before and I intend to check out more of Klowns channel, both videos were helpful and I will use them as reference once again going forward to complete this timely repair.

P.S. I was so concerned about compression being dangerous but the way Klown handled the spring was even more compressed and lopsided than I originally experienced so that gave me some confidence to attack it so to speak.

 

[Mooseman]

Maybe get a second set of compressors and use them on the next upper coil to compress the upper part further. After getting the strut on it, remove this second set and then the first set.

 

[mrrsm]

...Good Idea...-=^=-... as along as the the use of either (3) Compressors are equally spaced 120 Degrees apart on the *Tilting* Coil Segments...or... if there is room enough on the Coils for All (4) of them... that they be placed uniformly at 90 Degrees to each other.

Some Additional, Universal Cautionary Actions:.

All of the Inserted Clamps should have the Tightening Force very gradually applied, as uniformly equal as possible. Avoid placing your Hands, Arms, Face, etc. over either of the Two Ends of these collective apparatus (or in between the Coil Segments) whenever the Kit is in compression and avoid ever loosening the Holding Nut from the Center Shock Spindle down to a Minimal Number of Threads BEFORE confirming those restraints are properly in place ...as this is an invitation to a catastrophic failure of the Last Few Threads, inviting an unexpected, explosive decompression of the Strong Black Steel Spring. The amount of Potential Energy stored within those Coils is Gigantic... and never losing site of this fact is paramount for safety sake whenever handling such a *Dangerous Animal*.

 

[kembag]

Well thank you all for the support, unfortunately I was unable to compress the spring and install the new strut mounts correctly. At the time I felt pressed for time continuing the work as it had already been taking more than anticipated so I decided to skip attempting compression and just install the new struts I ordered.

Had to spend some more time pressing new ball joints and cleaning all the rust, as well as putting everything back together but everything is assembled and just had the vehicle aligned yesterday so all is good; set out to restore some semblance of ride height and I believe I have it 34" all around I'll have to do more research on that front on how to properly measure height as well as the "D" and "Z" configurations, but the trailblazer handles better and no longer feels terrible going over obstacles compared to shortened rear coils and improperly installed front coils.

Picture of the spring is what I got compressing with 4 springs, it was just difficult to maneuver and keep the spring aligned when compressed as well as get the top end to fit with the mount which I wasn't sure was possible at that point which is why I decided to skip the process, could try again in the future with only 3 or try a heavy duty compressor tool. And other picture is what the config was before and after although it's still lifted it's even when on the ground now.

Thanks once again for all the advice it really helped I really appreciate it!

 

[TollKeeper]

I --think-- I got some bad news for you. Can anyone else confirm? But it appears that spring is installed upside down, causing the canter for the spring to rub on the strut housing.

Not good.

 

[Mooseman]

Either upside down or not in the perches properly. It is caddywompus.

 

[TequilaWarrior]

That will eventually fail... and I would not want to be anywhere near it when it does.

 

[Mooseman]

Looking at it closer, yeah, they're upside down

 

[kembag]

Thanks guys that photo was just for reference I definitely did not intend on installing that lol

It's interesting that you think the springs are upside down, that never occurred to me I was 95% certain that they were going in correctly but it could explain why the top of the coil did not align with the new strut mounts. In an above post there are better pictures which show the problem I was running into and why I couldn't get the coil accurately seated.

Project is over at this point so don't have any more pictures, but I assumed based off the previous install and the research I did that the small part of the coil is the one which is suppose to align with the mount and the larger end goes into the bottom of the strut with the insulator.

 

[Mooseman]

It's the smaller end that goes into the bottom spring perch on the strut. Notice how the spring coil goes around and past the perch on the bottom and the coil is too small on top to go into the mount.

 

[kembag]

It's the smaller end that goes into the bottom spring perch on the strut. Notice how the spring coil goes around and past the perch on the bottom and the coil is too small on top to go into the mount.

View attachment 109599View attachment 109600

Wow that's awkward completely overlooked this.

Unfortunately I already sent the mounts back so I guess I'll keep this blunder in mind until next time.

 

[mrrsm]

Coil Springs *Phew...* Definitely NOT Something to Monkey Around with...