ok, finally got off my lazy and worked on the comet new frt brakes:wheel cylinders, lines, shoes, springs, turned drums and replaced the rusty brake fluid with the clear kind all for $57, now that is a deal now, while I was in there, I decided to install the new spring perches, spring insulators (which I bought 2 months ago) and install grease zerts on the upper a arms, 71 gold had some tips that helped......... but me being a dumb#$$, spent 4 hours on the first side, about 1 hour on the second. (tells you "doing it yourself" teaches someone) also, does anyone else think COIL SPRING COMPRESSORS should only be loaned out to those that know how to use them, maybe a license ....... that $%^&$&* thing let loose 7-10 times on me...yowww, one time was on the vise in the shop, took me 10 mins to find my socket and wrench. I know I was doing something wrong, but anyway it's all back together. well, my wife was tired of hearing me talk about the HAG, so I thought I would ramble on here a bit...........Robert ps, that made and appreciable ride difference to me....... or maybe I was just happy to get it back together?
robert, first let me say sorry about the problems with the compressor. 7-10 times you should be hurt somewhere. a lot of people only loose it once and get hurt bad. what type compressor did you use. i am aware of three diff. types. it might be of great importance to someone going to do this later. glad some of the info. i gave helped....frank...:bananaman :bananaman p.s. we are here for you anytime you want to talk about the "HAG".
Glad mission is accomplished. Scarey about the spring compressor. You are lucky you did not get hurt. I have never had one let loose on me, yet. Dan
inside spring type The compressor type was an inside the spring type. 71 gold had mentioned that he might have liked it better. At first, it seemed to be a better choice, but I had to make a spacer to bring the bolt head up high enough in the shock tower so that I could get an impact socket on it. Oh, by the way, the impact wrench on a spring compressor is not the way to go. I know, I know, impacts are not for a steady pressure application, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. No problem in letting go though. My main problem on the first attempt was the seeming inability to grasp enough of the spring. I had to go 2 rounds down the spring to get the ears of the tool to catch. (by the way, the ears are different lengths-responsible for 3 of the "let loose scares"- this fact is listed clearly on the INSTRUCTIONS that come with the tool) When I finally did get the spring to compress and removed from the car, not only was it scary, but it would not reinsert after the new perch was installed. This is when the vise came into play (just to hold spring in position, not to clamp). The tool let loose many times inside the shock tower (for some reason never while my hands were on the spring=luck). The way I finally figured to seat the spring was to compress as far as I felt comfortable, seat top of spring in the tower (that crimped round area), line up end of spring with notch in perch, still lacking about 1/2" of compression, and using a bar, place on end point of spring and BAM, one lick w/hammer and all is seated. Even wound up on top of the rubber pads on the perch. Like I said, I know this is the wrong way and not recommended, but it is done. I would say once the spring was removed, it did seem like a simple task to replace upper a arms, or bushings or whatever, so I will probably be removing springs later, although all bushings seemed tight. Also, noticed that the upper bushings HAD been greased or replaced before (grease globs on inside of tower) and the brake line on the drivers side had been flattened (no doubt by someone "massaging" the inside of the tower). I did that also in order to have clearance for the zerts, but did not hit the line.
Comet Dad, Glad the spring didnt get you. My father has been a mechanic for 35 years. He told me a horror story of a spring flying by him and embedding it self into a concrete wall, AHHHH! Glad you got it done w/ no injury. I love doing stuff and being able to look at it afterwards and say ahh I did that. 74 Maverick, Thom
sequence? quick ???? to reinstall the spring is it 1-bolt upper a arm to car 2-install spring perch 3-insert spring 4- loosen compressor 5-install shock if this is wrong, please let me know Thanks...........Robert
