So Fix it

A vehicles coil springs take up less space than leaf springs and are also quieter than leaf springs. When a coil spring breaks, you might end up with two independent springs. This could pose a problem when performing repairs because one spring is on top of the other. The top portion of the spring might not be accessible, and it could still be under extreme pressure. You can remove a coil spring in yourself in a series of steps. Just do the job caully and precisely to prevent injury.

Instructions

1

Park the 1972 Cutlass on solid ground and block the wheels. Jack up the car. Use a lug wrench to loosen the lug nuts. Remove the nuts and the wheel from the hub that needs the spring replaced.

2

Place a 4-inch by 4-inch block under the lower A-arm ball joint. Lower the jack so the car is supported both by the block and the jack. Unscrew the top shock nut and remove the lower shock bolts. Remove the shock from the center of the spring.

3

Insert a spring compressor inside the center of the coil spring. Hook the top and bottom of the spring compressor to a coil. Tighten the spring compressor nut to compress the coil spring and relieve pressure on the A-arms.

4

Pull the cotter pin out of the castle nut of the top ball joint using a pair of pliers. Use a socket and ratchet to remove the ball joint nut from the upper ball joint.

5

Slide a pickle fork between the spindle and upper ball joint. Smack the pickle fork end with a hammer until the spindle pops off the ball joint shaft.

6

Raise the jack slowly. Let the spindle fall to the side and release all the pressure from the spring. With all the pressure off the coil spring, lift it out of the lower A-arm.

7

Release the spring compressor from the old spring backing down the nut. Install the spring compressor onto the new spring to be installed. Slide the new spring up inside the frame of the 1972 Cutlass.

8

Lower the jack until the upper ball joint can be inserted into the top spindle hole. Push the ball joint shaft through the top spindle hole. Re-Install the castle nut to the upper ball joint. Slowly release the coil spring compressor.

9

Tighten the upper ball joint castle nut to the ball joint and insert the cotter pin. Raise the car with the jack and replace the wheel. Reinstall and tighten the five lug nuts on the hub of the 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass.

Removing leaf springs from a truck or car is a major job and can be very dangerous. Unless the frame of the vehicle is securely jacked up, the whole vehicle can fall, potentially crushing anyone underneath. The process requires three jacks and you should use the heaviest jacks possible, particularly if you are working on a truck or SUV.

Instructions

1

Park your vehicle on level ground and chock the front wheels with wood or metal chocks.

2

Place a floor jack under the rear axle and raise the vehicle as high as necessary.

3

Place jack stands under both sides of the frame, supporting it firmly.

4

Remove the rear tires, lower the floor jack and leave the car suspended on the jack stands.

5

Raise the floor jack again until it just touches the axle. Remove the U-bolts and lower the floor jack again, allowing the leaf springs to separate from the axle.

6

Raise the floor jack again after the leaf springs and tires have been replaced. Remove the jack stands, then lower the floor jack.

Conical valve springs return an engine cylinders valve to its neutral position after it has been moved by a cycle of the engine. The purpose of their tapered shape is to provide a progressive action. A straight spring compresses evenly, but with a conical spring, the narrower portion is more difficult to compress that the broader section. This means that the more the spring compacts, the greater the force required to compress it even further.

Instructions

1

Remove the cylinder head, rocker arms and push-rods from the side of the engine on which you plan to work first. set all the components aside, noting which bolts and fixtures go with which part.

2

Unscrew the first spark plug using the spanner. When you feel it disengage from the thread, remove the spanner and use the magnetic grabber to lift it out of the cylinder. With the tops of the springs exposed, the locking nuts compressing the spring are now visible.

3

Make sure the valve-removal tool you have is compatible with conical valve springs as well as straight ones. Apply the lever or stud-mount valve-removal tool to the top of the spring and compress it downward. Compress the spring just enough to allow you to access and remove the lock from the center of the spring. Any more risks binding the coils of the spring together.

4

Undo the locks and carefully lift them out of the spring, the magnet may be useful for this. The old springs will now lift freely out of the chamber. Place the new springs into the chamber, narrow end at the top, and replace the retainer disc over the top.

5

Compress the spring with the lever or stud-mount tool and replace the lock in the top of the retainer. Repeat with all other springs.

Modern automobile window glass has half the thickness of the glass found in a 1955 Chevy. Older cars used weight instead of design to strengthen the vehicles build; indeed, doors no longer weigh 125 lbs., and the hood and trunk no longer weigh 100 lbs. each. When the trunk lid hold up springs require replacement, you may find the job difficult because the springs have an extra-strong composition designed to hold up a heavy trunk deck.

Instructions

1

Open the trunk. Trace around the two bolts on both hinges with a fine-tip dry erase marker to mark the proper placement of the bolts and aid in replacing the trunk deck back to its original position.

2

Put on safety glasses, then loosen and remove all four bolts that hold the trunk deck to the two hinges using a ratchet. Have a helper hold up the back of the trunk deck and not let it go. Carefully lift the trunk deck away from the car.

3

Use a pry bar to pry one end of the torsional spring, on the passengers side of the car, from the catch adjuster on the spring mounting bracket to release the pressure --- much easier now that the spring is not supporting the weight of the trunk. Remove the spring arm from the actual trunk hinge, and snake it out of the holding bracket.

4

Pry one end of the torsional spring, on the drivers side of the car, off the catch adjuster on the spring-mounting bracket to release the pressure.

Lowering the forks on a Road King is a much tougher job than lowering the forks on a Softail, Dyna or Sportster. Harley sells a parts kit to help you accomplish the job. Three special tools are required to install the kit to Harley specifications. You must also replace 8 sets of parts that are not included with the kit. But if you have been yearning for an excuse to take your forks completely apart, you enjoy collecting tools, you own a beach towel you have always hated and you have a spacious, well equipped place in which to work, then this is the right job for you.

Instructions

Remove The Forks

1

Detach the windshield from the Road King using the quick detach clips. Elevate the motorcycle on a motorcycle jack until the front tire leaves the floor.

2

Loosen and detach the front caliper using a hex socket and a socket wrench. Hook a bungee cord to the caliper. Hook the other end of the bungee cord to the handlebars.

3

Loosen the axle nut with a hex socket and socket wrench. Pull the complete axle assembly out of the wheel. Remove and set aside the front wheel.

4

Loosen the fender mounting screws using a socket wrench and socket and an Allen wrench. Remove the four screws and the front fender.

5

Loosen, mark for reference with tape, then remove the upper and lower fork bracket pinch bolts using an Allen wrench, a socket and a socket wrench. Carefully lower the fork assembly out of the fork brackets. Wrap the forks in a beach towel.

Disassemble The Forks

6

Remove the nuts, lock washers, flat washers and axle holder from the studs at the end of the fork slider with an Allen wrench and an open end wrench.

7

Clamp the Harley-Davidson fork tube holder or equivalent horizontally in a bench vise. Clamp one fork tube vertically, with the fork cap bolt up, between the rubber pads of the fork tool. Tighten the knobs on the fork tube tool by hand.

8

Remove the fork cap bolt from fork tube plug with a large adjustable wrench. Remove and discard the quad ring seal.

9

Remove the fork tube plug as if you know there is a compressed spring in the fork tube under the plug. Remove the fork spring from the fork tube.

10

Unloosen the fork from the fork tube holder. Insert the opposite fork tube in the holder and remove the fork cap bolt, fork tube plug and spring from the opposite fork.

11

Remove the fork assembly from the fork tube holder. Turn the fork upside down and drain the fork oil into a drain pan.

12

Put the old fork spring back into the right fork tube. Work on one fork at a time.

13

Put a folded shop rag on the floor. Turn the fork assembly upside down and push the end of the fork spring against the rag to compress the spring. Compress the spring and remove the remaining screw on the bottom of the fork slider with an Allen socket and an air impact wrench.

14

Discard the copper, crush gasket and the screw.

15

Remove the fork spring and the damper tube from the fork. Remove the rebound spring from the damper tube. Save the rebound spring and discard the fork spring and damper tube.

16

Reinstall the forks into the fork tube holder. Remove the remaining screw on the bottom of the slider, the crush gasket, fork spring and damper from the left fork tube using the same procedures that you applied to the right fork tube.

17

Remove the retaining clips between the fork sliders and the fork tubes with a mechanics pick or a dental pick.

18

Remove the fork tubes from the fork sliders. Slide the fork oil seals, slider spacers and slider bushings off the end of the fork tubes. Discard fork oil seals and slider bushings.

19

Pry open the split lines on the fork tube bushings with a flathead screwdriver and remove them from the grooves at the end of the fork tubes. Discard the fork tube bushings.

20

Remove the two lower stops from the two fork sliders. Clean all disassembled parts with solvent and rags.

Reassemble The Forks Part 1

21

Coat the replacement fork tube bushings with new, clean fork oil. Expand the fork tube bushings at split line with a flathead screwdriver and slip each over the ends and into the grooves on the two fork tubes.

22

Install replacement wear rings in the grooves at the tops of the two new damper tubes included with the lowering kit. Install the old damper springs on the new damper tubes.

23

Slide the new damper tubes into the old fork tubes. Reinstall the lower stops into the new damper tubes.

24

Push the fork sliders into the fork tube holders. Slide the fork tubes into the fork sliders.

25

Coat the replacement slider bushings with fork oil and slide the new bushings down the fork tubes. Push the slider spacers included with the kit down the fork tubes until each contacts the slider bushing on that fork tube.

26

Cover the lips of the fork tubes with masking tape. Coat the replacement fork oil seals with fork oil. Slide the new fork seals spring side down into the fork tubes until they contact the slider spacer. Remove the tape from the fork tubes.

27

Slide the fork seal/bushing tool down one fork tube at a time and use it like a slide hammer to drive the fork oil seal into that fork tube until, using a flashlight, you can clearly see the retaining clip groove in the fork slider. Repeat this on the opposite fork tube.

28

Slide the old retaining clips down the fork tubes until they contact the fork oil seal.

29

Slide one of the new fork springs included with the kit down the right fork tube. Place a folded shop rag on the floor.

30

Remove the fork assembly from the fork tube holder. Turn the assembly upside down and forcefully press the end of the fork spring against the folded rag.

31

Install a replacement end screw and replacement copper crush washer. Tighten the end screw to 18 foot pounds of torque with an Allen socket and a torque wrench. Remove the fork spring from the tube and place it in the opposite fork tube.

32

Repeat the procedures you just completed to install the end screw in the opposite fork tube. Remove the fork spring from the fork tube.

Fork Reassembly Part 2

33

Shove one fork tube into one of the fork sliders. Clamp the fork slider, fork tube side up, into the fork tube holder.

34

Measure 11.2 ounces or 300 milliliters of Type E fork oil or equivalent into a pint measuring cup. Pour the fork oil into one of the fork tubes. Pump the fork tube four times to remove air from the fork. Repeat for the opposite fork tube.

35

Loosen the thumbscrew on the metal ring on the fork oil level gauge. The gauge looks like a bicycle pump with a transparent tube. The metal ring is attached to the transparent tube.

36

Slide the metal ring up or down the transparent tube and tighten when exactly 4.92 inches, or 125 millimeters, of transparent tube extends beyond the metal ring.

37

Completely depress the handle of the fork oil level gauge. Rest the metal ring on top of the fork tube.

38

Pull the fork gauge handle up to suck excess oil out of the fork tube. When no oil comes out of the fork tube the fork oil level is just right.

39

Pour 11.2 ounces of fork oil into the opposite fork tube and correct the fork oil level with the fork oil level gauge as above.

40

Install new, replacement O-rings onto the 2 original fork tube plugs. Screw the fork tube plugs into the tops of the fork tubes and hand tighten both plugs.

41

Install new quad ring seals onto the two old fork cap bolts. Thread the fork cap bolts into the fork tube plugs and tighten 55 foot pounds of torque with a 1 1/8 inch socket and torque wrench.

Final Reassembly

42

Carefully slide the fork assembly up and into the fork brackets. Replace and tighten the upper and lower fork bracket pinch bolts using an Allen wrench, a hex socket and a socket wrench. Tighten the pinch bolt nuts to 30 foot pounds of torque with a hex socket and torque wrench.

43

Replace the front fender and tighten the four mounting screws using a socket wrench and hex socket and an Allen wrench.

44

Replace the front wheel and axle assembly. Tighten the front axle nut to 50 pounds of torque with a torque wrench and hex socket.

45

Reattach the brake caliper and tighten the mounting bolts to 35 pounds with a torque wrench and hex socket.

46

Lower and remove the motorcycle jack. Replace the windshield.