Bought A2 bearings...got home and they fit the race but wouldn't fit the spindle...did some research and ended up with A34's...Camaro Firebird...it's done time to put this thread to rest. ..lol
Front Coil Spring Installation
- Thread starter DROLDS84
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POR15 went on pretty thick sure there is but probably unreadable...the A34 bearing fit correctly.
Finally making progress...was informed by my girlfriend of 22 years that I need to find somewhere else to live so not sure where the project is heading,was building it with my son its his car that I gave him.
A little late, but those hook style spring compressors have a limited range of spring thinkness they can be used on safely. Here is a picture of a typical Autozone spring tool being maxed out on a civilian Crown Vic spring, the Police springs are even thicker than this.
As you can see, the diameter is just too thick to fit correctly inside the hooks. Aftermarket G body performance springs are likely to have this issue too. With such thick springs, you likely will need the wing style OTC compressor or the BMW disk style compressor. Heavy duty parts require heavy duty tools. The hook style spring compressors are designed for light duty springs.
As you can see, the diameter is just too thick to fit correctly inside the hooks. Aftermarket G body performance springs are likely to have this issue too. With such thick springs, you likely will need the wing style OTC compressor or the BMW disk style compressor. Heavy duty parts require heavy duty tools. The hook style spring compressors are designed for light duty springs.
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I just used the autozone rental tool like that (2 hooks plus the forked "foot") to install 5664 and also aftermarket S10 (same as G-body) springs in a dime. I guess you're looking for a tool that absolutely perfectly fits the wire diameter into the hooks and the foot? It worked for me. I strongly considered picking up the Benz type telescoping tool w/ the pacman discs. After working w/ the AZ Rental, I don't regret using it, or skipping the Benz style tool one bit. The springs compressed with a 10" 1/2" drive ratchet without issue. The fork foot was easy to remove. Other than getting it set up to keep the jackscrew straight once compressed (which is necessary with the 4-hooks style,) it was way easy to use. It felt safer than the 4-hook tool I've had in the past.
That tool isn't maxed out on CV coils.
If the wire dia does not fit completely inside the hook, then there is a risk of the hook slipping. That is why the tool in the picture is maxed out on that spring. The clam versions are far safer and easier to use. They are also designed to handle thicker performance and HD springs. You can get by with the lighter duty compressors, but you are taking a greater risk to save a few bucks. You don't want to use a cheap or undersized tool to contain all that stored energy. You said it yourself you had to fight with the rental compressor to keep it straight, which shows the tool was unstable on the size spring you installed. The more expensive clam tool would have stayed straight on its own.
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I didn't say I fought it. I simply knew from use of the 4-hooks tool what proper use would be so the tool would work.
The 4-hook tool can't be set up long hooks on one side and short hooks on the other, or with the hook sets 90 degrees off. If they are, the jackscrew is at an angle, which leads to, in some installs, the jackscrew hitting frame instead of the shock hole.
The hooks / foot tool is, in my use, preferred over the 4 hooks tool because the jackscrew doesn't bottom out the two hook fulcrum locations as easily. It is also less of a three-handed job to adjust, and hold in place when compressing the spring.
The enthusiasm for a new and improved tool is great. There are guys who swear the import Benz tool is junk and you have to buy the genuine one from Germany to not lose an eye. I like to be more realistic, and use available resources before going overboard on recommendations. Long-term, big picture, for a single job, I'm going Autozone hooks / foot. The import market is still "good" enough I could pick up the Benz style for affordable pricing, and let it sit around for years before it's next use. But it would not have benefitted me in any way to have done so, therefore I did not. The 2-hooks and foot works well. Friction and angles dictate the wire doesn't have to fit fully into the hooks or foot for the tool to work.
The 4-hook tool can't be set up long hooks on one side and short hooks on the other, or with the hook sets 90 degrees off. If they are, the jackscrew is at an angle, which leads to, in some installs, the jackscrew hitting frame instead of the shock hole.
The hooks / foot tool is, in my use, preferred over the 4 hooks tool because the jackscrew doesn't bottom out the two hook fulcrum locations as easily. It is also less of a three-handed job to adjust, and hold in place when compressing the spring.
The enthusiasm for a new and improved tool is great. There are guys who swear the import Benz tool is junk and you have to buy the genuine one from Germany to not lose an eye. I like to be more realistic, and use available resources before going overboard on recommendations. Long-term, big picture, for a single job, I'm going Autozone hooks / foot. The import market is still "good" enough I could pick up the Benz style for affordable pricing, and let it sit around for years before it's next use. But it would not have benefitted me in any way to have done so, therefore I did not. The 2-hooks and foot works well. Friction and angles dictate the wire doesn't have to fit fully into the hooks or foot for the tool to work.
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Personally I would go with the OTC 7945B compressor, which the Crown Vic guys, the Mustang guys, Vette guys, and Third Gen F body guys recommend. The problem with the OEM Tools 27035 compressor which is what most chain auto stores offer for loan, is that they are designed for light duty springs in Hondas. So they work great on your ecobox Honda, but not on anything more HD than that like big sedan springs.
Two different guys on the Third Gen forums had bad experiences with the 27035 compressor. One guy reported the tool slipping in the spring and crushing his fingers. Another guy who had used that tool several times had it fail as he held the spring, he wasn't hurt but was shocked and recommends the OTC compressor now. The hooks on hook style spring compressors are known to cam off the coils. Cheap tools don't always fail the first time, they tend to fail after they lure you into false security. Autozones and other chain stores are geared torwards people taking care of their normal base model daliy drivers, not hot rodders.
Two different guys on the Third Gen forums had bad experiences with the 27035 compressor. One guy reported the tool slipping in the spring and crushing his fingers. Another guy who had used that tool several times had it fail as he held the spring, he wasn't hurt but was shocked and recommends the OTC compressor now. The hooks on hook style spring compressors are known to cam off the coils. Cheap tools don't always fail the first time, they tend to fail after they lure you into false security. Autozones and other chain stores are geared torwards people taking care of their normal base model daliy drivers, not hot rodders.
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