New springs (disappointed)

[Hutch949]

The upper and lower ball joints along with the center link was replaced about 26000 thousand miles ago.Still weighing my options.

 

[UNGN]

The upper and lower ball joints along with the center link was replaced about 26000 thousand miles ago.Still weighing my options.

Those ball joints should still be good (unless the really have 26,000,000 miles on them). There is a lot of good to be had replacing the lower bushing with something firmer, like Poly. I run greaseable solid LCA bushings on my 2+2 and the improvement in steering feel is noticeable. Not for a daily driver, but polygraphite is. I have those on my T-type.

If you have to take the springs back out, cutting 1/4 coil off the pigtails is a few minute job, and putting shorter springs back in is actually easier than the stock springs.

With the car frame on Jackstands, remove the LCA completely (perfect time swap bushings), attach the shock top and bottom inside the spring, loosely nut the LBJ to the spindle and use a floor jack to jack up the LCA into position (compressing the spring), use a large Screwdriver to line up the Bushing holes, tap in the bolts and all that is left is the torquing.

This method needs no spring compressor and is basically the way the factory service manual says to do it. The shock captures the spring the entire time and there are zero safety concerns of a loose spring.