I'm installing a new set of Sportlines in the rear of my 2008 SS and having trouble getting them in. I have the shocks undone at the bottom but can't compress the spring enough myself to get it into the mount. I got a spring compressor from down the street but the spring won't in with the compressor on the spring. How can I get these springs in place? Thanks!

 

You dont need a compressor. Once you let the axle drop, theres plenty of room to get the spring in by hand.

 

That's the problem though. The axle is not dropping enough to easily get the springs in. It drops maybe two inches at the very most and that's with somebody pushing down on the axle with me trying to get the spring in.

 

That's weird I was able to do the swap by myself. Might sound stupid but you aren't supporting the car anywhere near the axle right?

 

Jack stands are on the mounting bracket where the axle/torsion bar mounts to the body of the car.

 

Hey Cuda... i think i know what your problem is. Unbolt the bottom bolt on the shocks on BOTH sides... the rear beam will drop completely with more then enough space. sounds like you are trying to do one side at a time.

then seat the springs correctly and use a jack to jack up the rear beam and put the bolt in the shocks back in.

 

Shocks on both sides have the bolts removed. Pic below gives an idea of how little the axle is dropping. This is a brand new shock that's in place and where it is in relation to the hole it goes in.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxH...lhRmNEQnc/view

 

Move the stands forward more. Push the axle down and forward towards the front of the car. The only thing that holds the axle in place is the shocks. As long as those are unbolted, it should move freely.

 

Dumb question, but where else can I put the jack stand in the rear of the car?

 

I put them on the plate where the bolt that hold the axle up it should be on the way at that point

 

That's where they currently are.



(not my pic)

 

I put mine just in front of the bracket that mounts the axle to the body. Should be completely out of the way there.

 

Thats fine then. You could try to loosen the thru bolt on the axle bushing and see if you can get it to drop.

 

Yup that's where I put the stands at

 

Does it need to be oriented in any special way assuming it's going to rotate when I loosen it?

 

I dont believe so. I didnt have to loosen it. Mine dropped easily. You could spray some lubricant i there also.

 

WD-40'ed it already.

 

Idk then. I had zero issues with my lsj and it has over 200k on it. My lnf was fine too.

 

TRY LOOSENING THE AXLE BUSHING BOLTS (SORRY FOR THE CAPS).

The bushings can be stiff and stick.

 

Is this the same bolt mentioned above that runs through the center of the bushing?

 

Yes the same ones i said. You can see them in the pic

 

Loosening the bolt at the axle bushing dropped the axle plenty far enough for the springs to pop right in. Thanks everybody for the help!

 

Cool thanks for the update man

 

Glad it worked out for ya.

 

Great!! Glad it worked.