Rear spring replacement tips?

Suspension, brake, and hydraulic/electric steering discussion.
Hzgray
Posts: 90
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2016 8:04 pm
Location: Old Dominion

Rear spring replacement tips?

Post by Hzgray »

I've ordered some King Springs to try out. I've heard that removing the rear springs can be a pain due to their length. Any good tips to simplify the process?
2013 9C3, DoD delete, BTR Stg 1, Kooks 1 7/8, Rotofab, 3.27 Diff, VMR 810 wheels (staggered), King Springs (lowered), oh and a D1SC.
Hzgray
Posts: 90
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2016 8:04 pm
Location: Old Dominion

Re: Rear spring replacement tips?

Post by Hzgray »

Anyone have torque specs for the bolts involved in front rear spring replacement? Maybe the kit will have instructions but thought someone might have easy access to this info. I know, I know, it's available in the service manual which I do not have,.. :oops:
2013 9C3, DoD delete, BTR Stg 1, Kooks 1 7/8, Rotofab, 3.27 Diff, VMR 810 wheels (staggered), King Springs (lowered), oh and a D1SC.
Hzgray
Posts: 90
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2016 8:04 pm
Location: Old Dominion

Re: Rear spring replacement tips?

Post by Hzgray »

I guess I can go with G8 specs. Better than gutentight I suppose.
2013 9C3, DoD delete, BTR Stg 1, Kooks 1 7/8, Rotofab, 3.27 Diff, VMR 810 wheels (staggered), King Springs (lowered), oh and a D1SC.
cal30_sniper
Posts: 103
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2016 1:17 pm

Re: Rear spring replacement tips?

Post by cal30_sniper »

That's what I was going to suggest. I downloaded the G8 service manual I found off of searching the forums. The only difference I know of possibly is larger front strut to steering knuckle bolts. I'm not certain if the change was between VE and WM, or WM and VF/WN, but there was a change at some point.
-2011 Caprice 9C3: Mirage Glow Metallic, 63k miles
-2011 Caprice 9C1 (Gone)
-1973 Firebird Formula, restoration in progress
-1986 K30 Suburban 8.1L/NV4500, the toy hauler and wheeler
smwalker
Administration Staff
Posts: 2201
Joined: Mon Jul 29, 2013 1:44 am
Location: Azusa,CA

Re: Rear spring replacement tips?

Post by smwalker »

Does not mention anything in the service manual but every time you are dealing with unbolting a lower control arm to get a component out you got get the big pry bar and put your shoulder behind it. Don't be afraid to stress it, humans cant hurt those things.

Some torque values in this document:
Rear Strut Replacement 2013 Caprice

And a nice spring assembly blow up:
Rear Spring Blow Up 2013 Caprice

Please detail how this goes for you I got Eibach's ready to go as well.
Steve Walker
Azusa, CA
'11 PPV 9C3 Huron White
Hzgray
Posts: 90
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2016 8:04 pm
Location: Old Dominion

Re: Rear spring replacement tips?

Post by Hzgray »

Thanks. I'll post some pics once complete.
2013 9C3, DoD delete, BTR Stg 1, Kooks 1 7/8, Rotofab, 3.27 Diff, VMR 810 wheels (staggered), King Springs (lowered), oh and a D1SC.
cal30_sniper
Posts: 103
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2016 1:17 pm

Re: Rear spring replacement tips?

Post by cal30_sniper »

I will also take some photos of the progress. I plan to throw in the 2013 Caprice shocks and 2014 SS springs on mine tomorrow.
-2011 Caprice 9C3: Mirage Glow Metallic, 63k miles
-2011 Caprice 9C1 (Gone)
-1973 Firebird Formula, restoration in progress
-1986 K30 Suburban 8.1L/NV4500, the toy hauler and wheeler
CrashTestDummy
Posts: 2300
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Pearland, Texas

Re: Rear spring replacement tips?

Post by CrashTestDummy »

IIRC, the torque specs on the strut bolts are a certain torque spec, PLUS an additional angle of wrench turning. Who the fsck thought that torque-to-yield was a good idea?!? There's a fresh place in hell for that guy, right next to the guy who invented the Torx bolt (AND his brother in law who got the patent on the Torx socket).

As mentioned above, goodntite is a torque spec we use on the struts on our 3rd Gen Firebird C Prepared race car. This car is capable of 1.5G turns, and I've never had an issue with that. I used our 36" pull handle and appropriate-length combination wrench, so they're plenty tight. Since I don't have one of those handy Snap-On torque wrenches that will measure angle of turn, I also went with goodntite on the front and rear strut bolts on our Caprice. I did have to replace the rear lower bolt on the car because the hole through the lower bolt sleeve was smaller than the factory bolt would work on. I used a hardware store grade 8 bolt and so far, so good.

For some info on the build work, read through the coil-over install thread:

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=730

I step through some of the issues I had removing and installing the BC coil-overs, which is very similar to your spring install, since everything has to come apart anyway. Have fun, plan on 2X the time anyone says it'll take you.
Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas
2012 Caprice 9C1
1992 B4C 1LE Camaro
2018 Tahoe PPV (her car)
1995 DGGM Impala SS
1985 Firebird - 310 LS1 C Prepared autocross car.
1980 Bluebird Wanderlodge
And some others
Do YOU have my SPID?
cal30_sniper
Posts: 103
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2016 1:17 pm

Re: Rear spring replacement tips?

Post by cal30_sniper »

CrashTestDummy wrote:IIRC, the torque specs on the strut bolts are a certain torque spec, PLUS an additional angle of wrench turning. Who the fsck thought that torque-to-yield was a good idea?!? There's a fresh place in hell for that guy, right next to the guy who invented the Torx bolt (AND his brother in law who got the patent on the Torx socket).

As mentioned above, goodntite is a torque spec we use on the struts on our 3rd Gen Firebird C Prepared race car. This car is capable of 1.5G turns, and I've never had an issue with that. I used our 36" pull handle and appropriate-length combination wrench, so they're plenty tight. Since I don't have one of those handy Snap-On torque wrenches that will measure angle of turn, I also went with goodntite on the front and rear strut bolts on our Caprice. I did have to replace the rear lower bolt on the car because the hole through the lower bolt sleeve was smaller than the factory bolt would work on. I used a hardware store grade 8 bolt and so far, so good.

For some info on the build work, read through the coil-over install thread:

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=730

I step through some of the issues I had removing and installing the BC coil-overs, which is very similar to your spring install, since everything has to come apart anyway. Have fun, plan on 2X the time anyone says it'll take you.
I'm counting on the full spectrum of lifts, air tools, and shop spring compressors at the base hobby shop to make the job a bit easier. We shall see. I don't have anything pressing until tomorrow evening, so hopefully I can get an early start in the morning.

I've only dealt with torque to yield a few times in the past, but I've always used either the wrench handle, or the flats of the bolt head to figure out how many degrees it needed to turn. Wrench handles work great in 90 degree increments, and the flats on the bolt head work great for 60 degree increments. The problem I've always found with gorilla calibration on bolts is that people tend to way overdo it, and they can be a real nightmare to get off again after some usage cycles.
-2011 Caprice 9C3: Mirage Glow Metallic, 63k miles
-2011 Caprice 9C1 (Gone)
-1973 Firebird Formula, restoration in progress
-1986 K30 Suburban 8.1L/NV4500, the toy hauler and wheeler
jackleg
Posts: 99
Joined: Wed May 04, 2016 9:25 pm
Location: SW MI

Re: Rear spring replacement tips?

Post by jackleg »

I took the lower control arm completely off. 1 bolt at the hub, stabilizer bar link, and the alignment bolt at the frame. The cammed adjustment bolts BROKE OFF and I had to wait for replacements. Would have been an issue for the alignment anyway.
Also there the springs have to be clocked just right on the strut for the upper mount to line back up with the bolt holes on the body
2011 9C1 6.0
RCR "Little Lunati" 219/223 .625/.625 112+0
Kooks headers, hi flow cats, Dynomax Super Turbos
Flex fuel tune
Post Reply