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1963 Mercury Meteor coil spring removal

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by fomocojoe, Sep 26, 2013.

  1. fomocojoe
    Joined: Aug 14, 2013
    Posts: 37

    fomocojoe
    Member

    Good lord these things are a pain in the ass.

    I've got a set of a/c equipped wagon springs that I want to swap in to raise the front up and I've tried every style spring compressor except a custom one and a clamshell type.

    So, I saw this http://www.amazon.com/OTC-6494-Clamshell-Spring-Compressor/dp/B0002SRHU6 and was wondering if any of you have tried it. If it will work I'd rather buy a nice tool and do it myself than pay somebody to swap them out, but I sure would like some input on this style compressor. Any thoughts?
     
  2. handyandy289
    Joined: Sep 19, 2010
    Posts: 354

    handyandy289
    Member
    from Georgia

    You can change springs without a spring compressor. Raise the front of the car and place jackstands under the frame behind the lower control arm. Remove the wheel and loosen the lower ball joint, but leave about 5 or 6 threads in the nut. Place a floor jack under the spring pocket and take a strain on the jack until the shank on the lower ball joint is seated. Remove nut from ball joint and slowly release floor jack. As the lower arm drops the spring will be released. Reverse the procedure to install the replacement spring. Be casreful and good luck.
     
  3. fomocojoe
    Joined: Aug 14, 2013
    Posts: 37

    fomocojoe
    Member

    Unfortunately it's not that simple on these. The spring sets on the upper a arm, not the lower, so even at full droop its still quite compressed.
     
  4. handyandy289
    Joined: Sep 19, 2010
    Posts: 354

    handyandy289
    Member
    from Georgia

    Your best bet is to invest in a strut spring compressor. It compresses both sides at the same time and is much cheaper than the Clamshell. Go back to the clamshell listing aand scroll down and look to the right for a picture.
     

  5. If the Meteor is the same as a Fairlane, the above method won't work; the spring is above the upper control arm.

    The Fairlane/Falcon/Comet/Mustang springs are a PITA to get out, and worse to get in. Here's what I've used.... http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Desi...1380244012&sr=1-10&keywords=spring+compressor

    Still a PITA, and be sure to use liberal grease on the tool threads or it will strip out. Because of the shock towers, you really can't get any other type of compressor in there properly. Be extremely careful as any type compressor can slip and that spring can come out with some serious violence.
     
  6. Yup, just as Crazy Steve says. And the Meteor is the same as the Fairlane, Falcon, Mustang, et al.

    Cosmo
     
  7. Drive Em
    Joined: Aug 25, 2006
    Posts: 1,748

    Drive Em
    Member

    Check your PM's.
     
  8. 2dr_sedan
    Joined: Mar 25, 2005
    Posts: 265

    2dr_sedan
    Member

    Ok Joe, here's the spring compressor you need:
    [​IMG]

    Jack the car up, wheel off, shock removed, take bolt with the two fingers and shove the bolt through the bottom of the spring to the top (where the top of your shock mounts). Now take the the fork and slide it in the spring as high as you can. Jack the car up under the lower A-arm, compressing the spring and relieving some pressure on the spring. use an impact and start tightening the bolt/compressing the spring. Jack the car back up and lower the frame on a jack stand so the lower A-arm will drop, pull the spring out carefully.
    Don't mangle up a hand in the process. These are by far some of the toughest springs out there!
    [​IMG]

    I hope it all made sense, I've done a few of these, and always used the same method.
     
  9. wombat barf
    Joined: May 1, 2011
    Posts: 366

    wombat barf
    Member
    from oklahoma

    I used an internal compressor and two exterior compressors and still didn't feel real safe around mine but I got 'em in and out for the suspension rebuild. tighten the internal a bit, then the externals, then then internal again, etc.

    burntoutoldmechanic, that thing is bad ass! wished I'd had it!
     
  10. Barf, I've got a real respect for coil springs after seeing them "get away" from other dudes on coup'la different occasions.

    Ya' aint lived till ya' seen a compressor break an' watched a McPherson strut spring launch itself clear across the shop n' take a couple three fenders/windshields/tool boxes out in the process while tough guys run 'round squealing like little girls.

    Barf (LOL)
     
  11. Drive Em
    Joined: Aug 25, 2006
    Posts: 1,748

    Drive Em
    Member

  12. Drive Em
    Joined: Aug 25, 2006
    Posts: 1,748

    Drive Em
    Member

    That is mine as well.
     
  13. Yeah, he missed the part where you said these won't work on 62-65 Fairlanes (or 62-63 Meteors)....
     
  14. fomocojoe
    Joined: Aug 14, 2013
    Posts: 37

    fomocojoe
    Member

    Thanks for all the replies guys! Aside from the custom built one, I've tried all these. The one with the hooks on both ends just wouldn't compress enough to be able to get the old spring out, let alone get the new slightly longer spring in. I was really wanting to do it without removing the upper a-arm and ball joint, but if it comes down to it I will. Everything is original and never been apart.

    2dr sedan- that is the one that got me the closest, but I had read somewhere to use it with the fork at the bottom, which meant tightening it from the bottom and it just didn't quite get me there. I didn't even think about flipping it. SO, today I will go re-rent it and give it another shot. Thanks for the tip!

    Drive em- if that don't work for me we'll be in touch.

    Thanks again guys
     
  15. Drive Em
    Joined: Aug 25, 2006
    Posts: 1,748

    Drive Em
    Member

    Doh!! You are correct, I assumed that the '63 Meteor was a Falcon clone. It is not, it is a Fairlane clone and my compressor will not work!!
     
  16. Mike51Merc
    Joined: Dec 5, 2008
    Posts: 3,856

    Mike51Merc
    Member

    Good advice here. Those springs have a scary amount of precompression. Safety first.
     
  17. Too bad that I was all fucked up regarding the application of Drive Em's spring compressor- It's works good.
     
  18. fomocojoe
    Joined: Aug 14, 2013
    Posts: 37

    fomocojoe
    Member

    I know I saw a post where someone used the clamshell dude and he swore it worked great, but I can't remember if it was on the hamb or elsewhere.

    I re-rented the one with the fork and will be giving her a shot tomorrow.
     
  19. sunbeam
    Joined: Oct 22, 2010
    Posts: 6,213

    sunbeam
    Member

    Once you have the shock removed do not pry on the spring. They will kick off the lower rocker mount pretty easy.
     
  20. fomocojoe
    Joined: Aug 14, 2013
    Posts: 37

    fomocojoe
    Member

    I'll have to snap a picture of the spring at full A arm droop for those not familiar. It has a serious curve to it!
     
  21. BamaMav
    Joined: Jun 19, 2011
    Posts: 6,707

    BamaMav
    Member
    from Berry, AL


    I've used these compressors before, they work pretty good. If you are concerned about the spring slipping off the compressor, use a small chain or even some large wire ties to hold the compressed coils together.
     
  22. speedyb
    Joined: May 12, 2010
    Posts: 484

    speedyb
    Member
    from socal

    This is the one I use on my Fairlane [​IMG]
     
  23. fomocojoe
    Joined: Aug 14, 2013
    Posts: 37

    fomocojoe
    Member

    Now THAT'S what I need. It looks much safer to me. Where is it from?

    So yesterday I got back into it and finally managed to get the drivers side spring out. My impact wouldn't even crank it down enough and I had to bust out the breaker bar and tighten her down quite a bit more. It still barely came out, with a smidge of help from a pry bar. It just seemed like a bomb waiting to go off. I got the compressor out of the old spring and into the new on my bench (same as in the car; impact then with a breaker bar) and proceeded to set it in place. I just barely got her in, using the pry bar just a bit, but it needed to spin just a little. I grabbed my hammer and gave it just a tiny little tap when BLAMMO! The bastard let loose, sparks flew, and when the dust settled she was in place. I checked to make sure I still had all my digits, changed my underwear, and put it back together.

    I thank my lucky stars that I've still got two working hands and an intact face, and I'm either going to buy a nicer compressor or pay a local shop to do the other one.
     
  24. fomocojoe
    Joined: Aug 14, 2013
    Posts: 37

    fomocojoe
    Member

    Here's a shot of the spring at full droop. Stupid design....
     

    Attached Files:

  25. BamaMav
    Joined: Jun 19, 2011
    Posts: 6,707

    BamaMav
    Member
    from Berry, AL


    That may be your problem, NEVER use an impact on a spring compressor! An impact will make the compressor walk off the spring. I'm sure there are people here that will disagree with me on this, and say they have used a impact 1000's of times on a spring and gotten away with it, and they probably have. But it only takes one time doing it that way for things to go wrong and cause a serious injury! :eek:
     
  26. fomocojoe
    Joined: Aug 14, 2013
    Posts: 37

    fomocojoe
    Member

    Well, after this experience I won't use a compressor like this anyway but thanks for the advice. I kept an eye on it the entire time, making sure it was centered and fully hooked on the spring. I'm just happy to have my fingers still...
     
  27. T. Turtle
    Joined: May 20, 2018
    Posts: 424

    T. Turtle

    Dragging this old thread up to confirm the only compressors you should use are internal ones. Made the below for my 1964 Comet and it worked great. Once you know what you're doing it does not take that long to do at all and is safe. Jacked up the suspension before dismantling so the spring did not get the chance to dangerously bow out before I installed the tool.
     

    Attached Files:

  28. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    Same setup as early Nova. I did not have a spring compressor one time when I did a 64 Nova.
    I was replacing the springs any way so I used my torch and cut the springs in 2 and they fell out .
    When I reinstalled them I had one of those little floor jacks and bolted a chain to the jack and made a metal plate to fit in the spring. Dropped the chain inside the spring and bolted it to the metal plate.
    Set the jack on the fenderwell and jacked up the jack which compressed the spring enough to get it in place then used my big floor jack to jack it up and finished the install. You do what you have to when the nearest town was 60 miles away. I was living at the Grand Canyon at the time.
    Good luck with your project.
     

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