Coil Springs - What's the easiest way to do this safely?

[CptStickfigure]

I took my car out to air up the tires last week and noticed it was handling funny. I checked the lower control arm (which I knew was cracked) when I got home, and found the crack was a lot worse than I thought.

http://www.blackeyephotography.com/notpublic/car/IMG_9730.jpg

So here's the deal.
Between the control arm and the broken wheel stud on the other side, I figure it will be easiest just to replace the whole crossmember. I already have the replacement, which should bolt right in as soon as I clean it up.

My question is what to do about the coil springs.
I don't want to leave them in the broken arm in case it gets weaker.
I know the usual method is to lower it with a jack, but I don't know how much support the shocks are providing right now.

I'm also not sure what to do with the replacement crossmember.
I need to clean it up and paint it, but I'm not sure how to get the coil springs out without the weight of the car keeping them in place.

Make sense?
Any ideas?

[Unkl Ian]

Torch the old springs out of the replacement crossmember.Buy new ones.

Strip the crossmember down to nothing,sand blast and inspect all the parts.
Replace all the bushings,paint and reassemble.

I hope your not driving this thing with a cracked a-arm.

[CptStickfigure]

[ QUOTE ]
I hope your not driving this thing with a cracked a-arm.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hell no I'm not.
I'd taken it to the gas station (about 4 blocks) to keep the tires from going flat, but that was before I knew it was Broken. The car hasn't moved since.

So how do you torch the springs out without making them missiles?
Heat the whole thing first so it's soft, then make the cuts?

[metalshapes]

Dont cut them!
There is probably a lot of preload on them, even on full droop.
And there can be a lot of stored energy in a spring.
Heat a couple of coils, 180 Deg oppsite of the last point you heated it, untill there are enough coils compressed against each other.
At a certain point the next half a coil you heat wont lay flat any more, so you know you have taken the preload off.
You dont have to heat the whole coil, just a Inch or two ( cherry Red ) every 180 Deg.
What ever you do... BE CAREFULL!!!

And if you are not 100% sure of what you are doing, have it towed to a shop.

[CptStickfigure]

[ QUOTE ]
And if you are not 100% sure of what you are doing, have it towed to a shop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Disclaimer first: coil springs scare the hell out of me, and having the car towed has always been in the back of my mind. I won't try this if I don't feel comfortable. I'm asking this only so I have a clearer picture of what you're describing.

Just so we're clear, should the arms be hanging freely (like if the crossmember is up on jackstands) or flat like it's sitting on the ground? Since the shocks are still in, I'm having a hard time imagining how the coil will behave when you heat it.

[Plowboy]

Andrew, we can ask Heath how he got his out without killing himself.

You aren't doing this out in the driveway are you? You can bring it over if you want. Just bring plenty of beer for the support team!

[BigDdy31]

This may be a stupid question but why wouldn't you be able to take the preload off the springs with a coil spring compressor? Is there not enough room to get one in there?

[Unkl Ian]

The shocks run up inside the coil spring,
so when you torch almost all the way through the first one,it will go BANG !
But,the parts can't go anywhere.
Torch through a second coil,and you have removed all the preload.Done.

Make sense ?

[CptStickfigure]

Ian, what you said makes sense, but seems to run counter to what metalshapes is saying (which also makes sense).

Aaron, yes, I'm doing this in the driveway.
My landlord was supposed to be clearing a garage for me, but he's dragging his feet.
I'll be knocking on doors now that the weather's cooling off and it's getting dark early. Beer's included, of course.

Heath didn't kill himself because he didn't take the damn springs out in the first place.
He just unbolted the whole crossmember and left everything on it, which is why I'm in the position I'm in.
You should have seen us trying to load it into the back seat of my car.

I'm getting it out of the back of my landlord's truck tonight, so I'll take a better look and see if a spring compressor would work.

[lucky_1974]

Either Unkl or Metalshapes way will work on some truck the shocks don't go through the spring then you would want to you metalshapes method. In this case Unkl's will be faster and is equally safe...

[CptStickfigure]

Okay, that just made perfect sense.
I'd wasn't picturing the way the parts are held together.
Thanks everybody.

[TINGLER]

A little first hand testimony here....

I cut the coil springs out of my Fairlane when I took the original control arms out. It DID have the shocks running up the middle of the spring, and I wouldn't have cut them without that shock in there.

The only thing to watch out for is that first cut. Like Unk said, there will be a BANG! when it cuts through. Watch out for flying slag. I kinda hid most of my body behind the fender when it was about ready to pop.

Otherwise its very easy and with the shock in place it is VERY safe. Afterwards you remove the shock and that coiled arm breaker just falls helplessly onto the floor in several non threatening pieces. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Hellfish]

do you have a torch to do this with???

you could try a spring compressor. I couldn't find the right kind when I needed one, but I think Auto Zone has the right kind and they rent them. Most places will automatically give you a strutu spring compressor. YOu dont want that one

[CptStickfigure]

I have a knowledgable friend with a torch and three discount auto parts stores within walking distance of my car.

I can get help and tools pretty easily, but I wanted some input on safety first.

[Slide]

A method I used to do on subframes after they were already out of the donor cars was to take the shock out, then replace it with a length of 1/2" all-thread (threaded rod). I'd use something heavy like about 4" length of 2" angle iron on each end of the threaded rod. Then put lots of anti-seize or similar lube on the threaded rodd, and run the nuts down till they are just snug. Then you can bust the spindles or uprights loose, and the theraded rod will hold everything in place. Then you start backing off the nuts on the threaded rod till all the tension is taken off the spring. (So be sure to leave the threaded rod long enough for this... most cars need it to be about 2 feet long.)

Hope that made sense.

You can then reassemble in reverse (on some cars), running the nuts down tight enough to get the spindle or upright back in place. If you have cut a coil or 2 out of the spring while it's out, it makes the possibility of using this method for reassemply that much more likely.

[Model A Vette]

I would vote for a spring compressor before using threaded rod. The rod has to be pretty strong and most "all thread" is made from junk. The compressor you want fits inside the spring (in place of the shock) and has two hooks on each end that hook onto the spring, with a pair of hooks at the top and another pair at the bottom. The only problem is that you probably have to take the shock out thru the bottom A-frame and that is the part that is unsafe! Cutting the coil, as suggested, is probably the safest bet.