Re: Compressing front springs - '39 Coupe

Posted by Dave Kenney On 2010/2/11 17:12:05

I have done this also on my Packard which is a '47 Super Clipper so I am not sure if it would work on a 120 which has as somewhat different suspension. The engine and body were on the car so I don't know if this will work. I jacked the car up high enough to let the lower control arm down and blocked up the car frame. I then placed the jack under the lower control arm and removed the bolts holding the inboard bushings I then lowered the controol arm and let the spring decompress. Next I placed the new spring in the tower with the lower end in the control arm pocket and then using a floor jack under the control arm I jacked the lower control arm up until I could bolt it back to the frame. This compressed the spring sufficient to allow me to align the holes for the bushing bracket in the frame using a heavy punch and then bolted the the control arm back on the frame. I chained the spring to the frame to keep it from popping out and doing damage. Possibly not the safest method but the spring sits so high up in the tower I couldn't get the spring compressor to work.