Halfdone5

I am going to replace the front control arms and coil springs in my 90- lx next weekend. Can i do this work without a spring compressor?

PRO50SC

Yup, a floor jack, big pry bar and a second guy would help.

Liquid_02

I wasn't so lucky... tried that with mine... just lifted the front-end of the car :\ So I had to fight with the compressors, trying to get them through that little hole in the control arm when I was done... that took like half an hour just to get the compressors through the control arm :\ They coulda made that hole just a smidge bigger.

turt

lol!!!!!!! yea the fox front suspension is fun. ford has a special spring compressor designed to fit up the center of the spring. i think its like $500 box. yea so F@#% that. I made a tool from a long 5/8" bolt and some steel stock that worked. Just remember to wrop the new springs with electrical tape or something so they dont get beat up. Its gunna take some creativity to get em in and out without a tool.

TBird232ci

Are you putting in lowering springs, or stock replacements?

Lowering springs, you can get away with not having a compressor.

AdderMk2

doing front springs is actually really easy, make sure you disconnect your tie rod end so you can allow the control arm more room to travel. I used a large friend to help, i had him step down on the control arm while I pushed the spring in place... start the top first

5.0stanger

I would have to say it isn't that easy on a fox...

You can do it with a prybay, but maybe some external spring compressers would do the trick better.

AdderMk2

sould be about the same... and actually.... foxes have shorter springs than SN-95s... so it should be MUCH easier for you guys (and dont forget... my car has the same front subframe and control arms that yours does)

myshifter

Its really easy, jack under control arm, disconnect strut, tie rod and so forth. Use a chain to hold the spring to the top of the spring perch, let the jack down lowering the bottom control arm. unbolt chain take spring off. Using the chain is great so you have no fear when you let the control arm out that the spring is gonna fly out. Saw a guy die taking out Nova springs at a local dirt oval track, hit him in the chest and that was that.

ikeybmg

im with adder on this. the hardest part is breaking the caliper bolts loose. all you have to take off is the caliper, rotor, sway bar link, abs sensor, and strut.