Ok, I feel like a retard asking this

Discussion in 'Suspension/Chassis' started by The Crowing, Aug 12, 2010.

  1. The Crowing

    The Crowing Enthusiast

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    All the work I've done over my life involving cars and now scoots too...

    I can't figure out how to take the springs off a 34 year old truck...

    Im trying to take them off so I can chop them, I figured it couldn't be too hard but ive got to be missing something.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated right about now
     
  2. dillinja666

    dillinja666 Toyotaholic

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    you have the shocks off, swaybar dissconected from the control arm and taken the lower ball joint off..that should be it...
     
  3. standardbyker88

    standardbyker88 Grand Toyotaholic

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    Sounds about right for a hilux. The shock has a nut on top, use an impact gun or a cutoff wheel to get the top free. Unbolt the bottom two bolts. Unbolt the balljoint from the LCA or break it loose from the spindle. Sway bar will need to come out all together. It runs into the spring cup. Keep a jack under the LCA, then lower it to free the spring. A good tip to keep them from shooting out is to leave the top of the shock attached until after its loose, then cut the top off. Since you will want to put fresh ones in anyways.
     
  4. The Crowing

    The Crowing Enthusiast

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    Ok I've got the sway bar off, both castle nuts on the LCA and UCA but the hub refuses to let go. Is there another attachment of some sort above the castles where you would grease the bushings? The shock is out, the stopper for the bump stop is out and 3 12mm bolts removed that seem to be holding the bushing into place.
     
  5. The Crowing

    The Crowing Enthusiast

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    will I need a spring compressor? Im feeling like that may be what I need
     
  6. ShoNuff

    ShoNuff Toyotaholic

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    like byker said, take the castle nut off the lower ball joint.

    go to harbor freight and buy a large tie rod puller, then pop it off.


    but USE A JACK UNDER THE LOWER CONTROL ARM!
    other wise when the ball joint lets go, the arm does about 60mph for its arch and the spring comes out at a million mph. let it down slow
     
  7. The Crowing

    The Crowing Enthusiast

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    Ok, I think I've got this figured out then. What I do is pop off the castlenut on the lower ball joint and support the LCA and spring with a scissor jack. Then use a pickle fork or a BJ seperator to undo the balljoint and let the whole LCA down slow.

    That a bout sum it up?
     
  8. GrantH

    GrantH Addict

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    or dont waste your money and just unbolt the balljoint from the lower control arm completely.
     
  9. The Crowing

    The Crowing Enthusiast

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    My bad, re-post

    Grant.

    So I actually tried doing that but still can't get it off. Besides the hardware that keeps the hub in place there are no more bolts to undo on either of the arms so ill give the pickle fork a try.
     
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2010
  10. GrantH

    GrantH Addict

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    read the response above this man.
     
  11. dillinja666

    dillinja666 Toyotaholic

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    if your hilux is like mine, i just take the 3 nuts off that bolt the bj to the lower control arm, no need to seperate the bj from the spindle and risk messing up the bj, no need to remove the lower control arm. Then i just use the jack to lift the arm up a bit, swing the spindle and lower bj out of the way of the lower arm, then SLOWLY release the jack
     

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