Cut a piece of 1/2" flat bar, just longer than the coil is wide (extra 1/2" on each side) and drill a 1/2" hole at center... Run a length of 1/2" "All Thread" down through the shock tower. Bolt the flat bar in the spring, 2 coils up from the bottom, and start tightening at the top. Use some WD40 on the threads, so it doesn't gall... Takes me 15-20 minutes to install a spring. 💪💪💪
Just so you know, the next time. When you use that Spring compressor tool and it gets stuck Between the Spring, you need to loosen the lower castle. Nut on the spindle, you don't have to take the nut all the way off. You just gotta loosen it to where it's on a few threads. And then get a floor Jack and slowly let the lower a arm down. So that the Spring will expand and when the Spring expands just enough, you'll be able to slip that tool out between the Spring.
Thanks! Glad you enjoy the videos! I am confident that if i continue to produce content the channel will hopefully grow. Its ok though because the subscribers/viewers that I have are so awesome and provide such awesome positive reinforcement. Thannks for following along and glad you enjoy the content!
Yes threaded rod does it for me EASILY. I have to admit after buying 2 different spring compressors, I did kind of laugh when I saw what you were going though. Although it wasn't as funny, somehow, when I was going through it. Now you know. LOL Keep up the good work!
Leave the lower control arm off, take a threaded rod through the shock upper hole down to the spring pocket. As you compress the rod, it will suck up the spring and the just attach the lower control arm bolts. This is how the service manual has you installing these springs.
Front end is looking great Dan, I choose coil overs to avoid everything you had to endure! I too need to install a trunk block-off plate so looking forward to how you make out with that. Cheers, Ray
Yes I’ve done that to I used the outside spring compressors I just cut them down and grabbed the bottom 3 coils and it worked love the kid helping you that was awesome when he said it’s almost out then it couldn’t lol that was priceless to see and him helping you I have 4 boys and 4 girls they helped me in the garage all there little lives what a difference in them helping me I couldn’t do some of the stuff without them ,love your car I’ll be doing the same thing to my 71 Acadian got a ton of used and new parts including a 355 vortec motor built racing hoping for 450 hp 12bolt 3.73 posi 200r4 2400 stall Calvert caltracs and mono leafs tubular a arms to it’ll be nice once it finished just going to leave the body original
yea my kids working with me is the best! That sounds like a sweet project you got there. Sounds like your suspension setup will be very similar to what i am running on my '69.
Bro, you need a socket that'll fit over that dust cap. So you can smack it on the back of the socket so that that dust cap goes evenly on into the rotor.
I had the same issue happen with me. I couldn't get the tool out between the Springs so I loosened the lower castle nut and lower the arm. As far as I could so that the Spring would expand just a Enough so I could slip the tool out between the Spring.
I would have tried this but with there being no weight in the front of the car I did not trust this method to work. If the car had a motor in it I 100% would have tried that.
I just came in from installing a complete new control arm set in my 1970 Nova. I already have disc brakes, however that set looks great. Im gonna rebuild the control arm set, I took off, but decided to install new on the car. I took easy way.
They do make a open in wrench it's like a ratchet with a hole in the center you can do it all by yourself and make it for tightening up all thread if it's new it works really good but it's not really good to break something loose it's made for tightening only so you want to use an open-end box wrench or take a breaker bar after you get it tight and just cut it off and then loosen it with a breaker bar. All thread is cheap but your fingers you need those forever... Once you figure that out you can slap that together in no time works for almost any spring
Sometimes, it's more cost effective and/or a nice upgrade than re-doing old stuff. No shame in the truth, I've done it both ways. My Valiant is factory UCA with the Moog offset bushings, with the rear bushing spun 180 degrees out to give it more camber. My '69 Swinger? Tubular UCAs' with grease-able poly bushings. The Valiant is a sedan, I like it being an example of 'optimizing on a budget' and realize that it'll never be worth what the Swinger is worth, so it makes sense to approach at two different angles.
Nice upgrades and I too own the bearing 9000 installation tool owned it for years and works great. I'm looking to do the same upgrades on my 72 elcomino and its good to know jegs has bolt on kit. Great post!🏁🏁🏁
The easiest the fastest way to get you a piece of all thread welding up on one end and tighten it up on the other. Run it down through the shock mount in the center. It's straight love if you got the dog box off of it
Use coil straps next time. Take the coils to a shop, they compress them and strap them you install them then cut the straps. Sorry I couldn't help sooner. Great job on the car though. It's looking good
Ha! My wife is watching with me. She said with that hair and mustache you look like David Arquette in Scream. Then scream walks into the garage😂. New subscriber really digging your stuff!
Use an impact you got the car jacked up enough that you can get it to tighten up you'll have to hold it with a long open end box end. If you can get it to hold in tight on something you're better
Next time put some weight on the front end of that car but engine block with some heads just stack the weight on there you won't have to have those things have a good one Good job
Believe me I almost ALWAYS reuse/rebuild original parts but in this case my deadline to get the car done is rapidly approaching and what some guys were charging for used control arms that needed to be rebuilt weren’t that shy away from what this kit ran me. Salvage yards in the east here are usually just super rusty junk at this point. Salvage yards out west are definitely sporting some usable pieces/projects
Man I was a nervous wreck watching your son messing with that spring ... yikes .
Making great progress , can't wait for the next installment .
Cut a piece of 1/2" flat bar, just longer than the coil is wide (extra 1/2" on each side) and drill a 1/2" hole at center... Run a length of 1/2" "All Thread" down through the shock tower. Bolt the flat bar in the spring, 2 coils up from the bottom, and start tightening at the top. Use some WD40 on the threads, so it doesn't gall... Takes me 15-20 minutes to install a spring. 💪💪💪
Just so you know, the next time. When you use that Spring compressor tool and it gets stuck Between the Spring, you need to loosen the lower castle. Nut on the spindle, you don't have to take the nut all the way off. You just gotta loosen it to where it's on a few threads. And then get a floor Jack and slowly let the lower a arm down. So that the Spring will expand and when the Spring expands just enough, you'll be able to slip that tool out between the Spring.
Good progress! I can't believe you only have under 2K followers! Great content!
Thanks! Glad you enjoy the videos! I am confident that if i continue to produce content the channel will hopefully grow. Its ok though because the subscribers/viewers that I have are so awesome and provide such awesome positive reinforcement. Thannks for following along and glad you enjoy the content!
Nice brake conversion.
I like the nice new fresh front end rebuild.
Thanks for sharing.
Yes threaded rod does it for me EASILY. I have to admit after buying 2 different spring compressors, I did kind of laugh when I saw what you were going though. Although it wasn't as funny, somehow, when I was going through it. Now you know. LOL Keep up the good work!
You definitely live and learn lol. Next time i will absolutely try it through the top. Thanks for the tip! Glad you enjoy the content!
Leave the lower control arm off, take a threaded rod through the shock upper hole down to the spring pocket. As you compress the rod, it will suck up the spring and the just attach the lower control arm bolts.
This is how the service manual has you installing these springs.
Front end is looking great Dan, I choose coil overs to avoid everything you had to endure! I too need to install a trunk block-off plate so looking forward to how you make out with that. Cheers, Ray
Yes I’ve done that to I used the outside spring compressors I just cut them down and grabbed the bottom 3 coils and it worked love the kid helping you that was awesome when he said it’s almost out then it couldn’t lol that was priceless to see and him helping you I have 4 boys and 4 girls they helped me in the garage all there little lives what a difference in them helping me I couldn’t do some of the stuff without them ,love your car I’ll be doing the same thing to my 71 Acadian got a ton of used and new parts including a 355 vortec motor built racing hoping for 450 hp 12bolt 3.73 posi 200r4 2400 stall Calvert caltracs and mono leafs tubular a arms to it’ll be nice once it finished just going to leave the body original
yea my kids working with me is the best! That sounds like a sweet project you got there. Sounds like your suspension setup will be very similar to what i am running on my '69.
Bro, you need a socket that'll fit over that dust cap. So you can smack it on the back of the socket so that that dust cap goes evenly on into the rotor.
I had the same issue happen with me. I couldn't get the tool out between the Springs so I loosened the lower castle nut and lower the arm. As far as I could so that the Spring would expand just a Enough so I could slip the tool out between the Spring.
I would have tried this but with there being no weight in the front of the car I did not trust this method to work. If the car had a motor in it I 100% would have tried that.
The method I told you to do would have worked with or without a motor because all you're trying to do is fully expand the Spring as much as possible.
I just came in from installing a complete new control arm set in my 1970 Nova. I already have disc brakes, however that set looks great. Im gonna rebuild the control arm set, I took off, but decided to install new on the car. I took easy way.
Can't wait a week for the next one
Thanks man! Glad you enjoy them!
They do make a open in wrench it's like a ratchet with a hole in the center you can do it all by yourself and make it for tightening up all thread if it's new it works really good but it's not really good to break something loose it's made for tightening only so you want to use an open-end box wrench or take a breaker bar after you get it tight and just cut it off and then loosen it with a breaker bar. All thread is cheap but your fingers you need those forever... Once you figure that out you can slap that together in no time works for almost any spring
Love these Nova videos
Sometimes, it's more cost effective and/or a nice upgrade than re-doing old stuff. No shame in the truth, I've done it both ways. My Valiant is factory UCA with the Moog offset bushings, with the rear bushing spun 180 degrees out to give it more camber. My '69 Swinger? Tubular UCAs' with grease-able poly bushings. The Valiant is a sedan, I like it being an example of 'optimizing on a budget' and realize that it'll never be worth what the Swinger is worth, so it makes sense to approach at two different angles.
Good way to start my morning with a nova video lol can u share the part numbers for the disc brake kit. Awesome job as aways.
I have links to the parts I use in my video descriptions. You can catch the link to the jegs listing for the kit I used there. Thanks for watching!
Nice upgrades and I too own the bearing 9000 installation tool owned it for years and works great. I'm looking to do the same upgrades on my 72 elcomino and its good to know jegs has bolt on kit. Great post!🏁🏁🏁
The easiest the fastest way to get you a piece of all thread welding up on one end and tighten it up on the other. Run it down through the shock mount in the center. It's straight love if you got the dog box off of it
Love the vids.
Thanks man! Glad you enjoy the videos!
Use coil straps next time. Take the coils to a shop, they compress them and strap them you install them then cut the straps. Sorry I couldn't help sooner. Great job on the car though. It's looking good
Ha! My wife is watching with me. She said with that hair and mustache you look like David Arquette in Scream. Then scream walks into the garage😂. New subscriber really digging your stuff!
My wife hates the mustache lol. Thanks for watching Neil glad you enjoy the content!
Ls camaro brakes are the answer and you can use the stock drum brake spindles
Get your piece of 2-in tube drill a hole through it run some 3/8 threaded all the way down turning with a wrench
What size are the nice looking front tires and rims
15 x 4 165/80 tire
Use a threaded rod with washers and nuts run from top to bottom and tighten and loosen it's a lot easier.
Thanks Dan I'm going to look for that setup for my nova , do you know if you can run the 14 in rally wheels with those disk's
Use an impact you got the car jacked up enough that you can get it to tighten up you'll have to hold it with a long open end box end. If you can get it to hold in tight on something you're better
Next time put some weight on the front end of that car but engine block with some heads just stack the weight on there you won't have to have those things have a good one Good job
Don’t these brakes work on a drum spindle? And if so what’s the part # for the kit
bravoo
What conversion kit is this?
There is a link in the description of the video for it. It is a Western Chassis Disc Brake Conversion Kits SWBKS6874
Watch a few episodes of DD's speed shop he put coils in me 67 Camaro
SMH. It's too easy these days. But I'm sure the salvage yards are dried up of good, reusable inventory.
Believe me I almost ALWAYS reuse/rebuild original parts but in this case my deadline to get the car done is rapidly approaching and what some guys were charging for used control arms that needed to be rebuilt weren’t that shy away from what this kit ran me. Salvage yards in the east here are usually just super rusty junk at this point. Salvage yards out west are definitely sporting some usable pieces/projects
Good God lol
Next time get a car buddy to help. Kids that young cant understand what a spring can do. You dont want to explain to a doctor how a kid got hurt.