So I'm elbow deep in the middle of installing my front springs. I've got the front strut out, and lowered the A arm. The spring is still really tight. I'm prying on it, and it feels like its got plenty of stored energy to do some damage (To me and the car...[:@])

*****Edited to Strut Help as an update

 

Just make sure that a arm is as far down as it will go and the spring should basically fall out. If you need to put your foot on it and push down a little. Dont break anything, just push down with your foot and it should come out. If the arm is down it wont spring out and hit you

 

I just did my springs a while ago. My springs had some stored energy in them too. Have some one step down on the a arm preatty hard that should give you enough clearance to get it out with out hurtin yourself or the car. Also use a pry bar and pry it out from the bottom with it. Hope this helps. Also can try to pry from the center to whatever makes you feel more comfortable. PM me and let me know if it works.

 

I figured it out right after I posted this. I hadn't removed the sway bar...it was the one thing left out of the writeup I was using.

But, alas, I have another problem. The top bolt of the new strut is through and I have it partially threaded. Everything else is together, but the top of the strut won't come up any further. The top of the threads of the strut are only about half way up the nut.

I did get fox body struts, are they that much physically shorter?

 

I couldn't get the top nut screwed down enough on either side. It goes down so far, and the strut just spins and spins. My father and I did try to use a screwdriver to hold the strut in place while the other turned a wrench. We are both decent sized guys and we couldn't budge it.

Is there some method to this we didn't know about?

 

Impact should spin it right on there, just don't get it too tight.

 

We used an impact. On both sides, it just spins the strut. Its weird that it did it on both sides, after the first side I kinda assumed the the threads on the bolt or the strut were stripped or crossed. I'll get pics tomorrow afternoon when I wake up.

 

I just got it fixed. I was using the nut from the stock struts, which is apparently very, very slightly smaller than the nut from the new[] With the help of a BADASS impact, we forced the nut onto the damaged thread to basically rethread the strut.

Ooops

 

Ooops! I don't mean to laugh but it is kinda funny. Are you just gonna leave it? Seems like you will be fine as long as it is tightened down

 

Yeah, its tightened down and I'm sure its not going anywhere. After having that impact on it, I think the threads will actually be in very good shape

It is pretty funny. It would figure that my very first time doing any sort of suspension work would go GREAT, except I do something as stupid as use the wrong nut.

The drop turned out pretty good I think Espcially if it settles any, I think its just what I was looking for. Now I just gotta do the rear, but unless I do the control arms too (Which I have, just having second thoughts) they should be cake.