removing coil springs

[59imp]

so i gotta replace the front coils in that 69 Cougar. whats a good safe way to do it, i kinda like my front teeth, so any tips?

i have the shocks out, and i have an internal spring compressor, so compress the spring, knock the ball joint off the upper A-arm, drop the spindle and upper arm and release the spring? the springs sit on top of the A-arms. or is it better to remove the lower A-arm?

is that right, did i miss anything??

 

[Foster]

put the frame on a jack stand, put the floor jack under the lower control arm with just slight tension on it, remove lower ball joint nut and use a fork to crack the ball joint loose from the spindle and then remove the nut from the ball joint and lower the jack slowly. The spring should not go anywhere if you do it this way. I am not as familiar with that front end but if you have a sway bar make sure and remove the links before cracking the ball joint. Do the reverse minus cracking the ball joint to put it back in and make sure you line up the spring in its purch correctly.

 

[PA41]

In stead of a fork I use a shop made screw jack I make each time I busted one apart, (keep loosin them) saves the rubbers on the BJ and does no damage.I get two short pipe pices--appx 2"-3" each, that will fit over the BJ stud and rest on the BJ nut, and a 6" or so long piece of threaded rod that fits pretty snug in the pipe pieces with them both on upper and lower BJ studs. I run 2 nuts to the middle of the T Rod and loosen the BJ nut 1 turn and set up the screw jack between the upper and lower BJ studs. Tighten the jack nuts pretty hard and then a sharp rap to the spindle right at the BJ taper, and it will shock the hole and pop the BJ to where you can see there's no gap between the nut and the spindle any more.* Support under the A frame with a floor jack and lossen the nut all the way off and ease the A frame down with the jack.The car frame is on jack stands independent of the A frame a foot or two up. Motor is in the car--need the weight.
Worked springs a lot dirt tracking, and got good at switchen them this way.Life is good..PA41

 

[59imp]

thanks guys i got em out. the internal spring compressor worked like a hotdamn, and dropping the upper ball joint and A-arm seemed to do the trick. i used a pickle fork attachment on my air chisel on the ball joint and it came off really easy, so no damage on the rubbers, this car is pretty low milage and rust free so it was nice to work on. if the new springs go in as easy, i'll be in the pink!

thanks again