How to Replace a Coil Spring in Vehicles

Your Vehicles may have a coil spring suspension in both front and rear of the Vehicles. These steps apply specifically to replacing the coil springs in a Vehicles front suspension; make certain that you have the proper specialized tie rod end remover tool and spring compressor tools, or equivalents, before you get started.

Under The Hood:

• How to Replace a Coil Spring in a Hyundai Santa Fe
• How to Replace a Coil Spring in a Chevy Camaro
• How to Replace a Coil Spring in a Ford Mustang
• How to Replace a Coil Spring in a Nissan Pathfinder

 How to Replace a Coil Spring in a Hyundai Santa Fe

Lift your Hyundai Santa Fe and support it by the frame on safety stands, then use a transmission jack or similar equipment to support the lower control arm.

Remove or disconnect the rear wheel, the flange nut and brake calipers, the parking brake assembly and cable, the wheel speed sensor and the rear shocks.

Lower the jack supporting the control arm slowly and remove the rear coil spring from your Santa Fe. Pay careful attention to how the spring is seated and oriented as you remove it.

Place a new spring in place and carefully lift the control arm jack until the spring is properly seated.

Reconnect the rear shocks and wheel speed sensor, the parking brake assembly and cable, the flange nut and brake calipers, then replace the rear wheel you removed in Step 2.

Move the transmission jack that was supporting the control arm out of the way and then carefully lower your vehicle to the ground. Road test to ensure the spring is operating properly; listen for strange sounds and feel for unusual riding characteristics that might signal improper installation.

 How to Replace a Coil Spring in a Chevy Camaro

Raise the front of your Chevy Camaro and support it on jack stands or other safety stands, then remove the wheel nearest the spring you want to remove and disconnect the stabilizer link from the lower control arm. You may also need to detach the steering gear and move it out of the way.

Use a ball joint remover to disconnect the tie rod from the steering knuckle. Then compress the coil spring until all tension on the spring seating is removed. Make sure to use a specialized internal fit coil spring compressor, and take note of the spring's compressed height.

Disconnect the lower control arm from the crossmember at the pivot bolts, making room to remove the compressed coil spring. You might also need to disconnect the lower control arm from the steering knuckle at the ball joint to give yourself extra space. Carefully decompress the old spring once it is removed.

Compress the new coil spring to the height you noted in Step 2, and position the new spring on the control arm. Make sure that the spring is properly oriented (the bottom is coiled helical and the top is coiled flat, with a notch near the end of the wire) and that the upper and lower ends of the spring seat correctly.

Reconnect the lower control arm to the steering knuckle at the ball joint, then reconnect the lower control arm to the crossmember at the pivot points. Carefully release the compression on the coil spring, again making certain that it seats correctly.

Reattach the tie rod to the steering knuckle and return the steering gear unit to its proper position, making certain that it is properly connected. Reconnect the stabilizer link to the lower control arm, reinstall the wheel you removed in Step 1, and lower your Chevy Camaro.

 How to Replace a Coil Spring in a Ford Mustang

Raise the front of your Ford Mustang and support it with safety stands under both sides of the jack pads--just behind the lower arms. Then remove the wheel and tire assembly nearest the coil spring you intend to replace, and disconnect the stabilizer bar link on that side from the lower arm.

Loosen and remove the steering gear bolts, then move the steering gear out of the way. Next, use tie rod end remover tool 3290-C or an equivalent to disconnect the tie rod end from the steering spindle.

Install one plate of spring compressor tool T82P-5310-A or an equivalent spring compressor tool into the coils of the spring with the pivot ball seat down. Rotate the plate to fully seat it into the lower suspension arm spring seat. Install the other plate into the coils of the spring of the spring compressor tool with the pivot ball seat up and insert the ball nut through the coils of the spring so that it rests on the upper plate.

Insert the compression rod of the spring tool into the opening in the lower arm of the tool, through the upper and lower plates. Connect the upper ball nut to the rod and insert the securing pin. Note that the securing pin can only be inserted into the upper ball nut one way.

Turn the upper plate of the spring compression tool so that it walks up the coil and comes into contact with the upper spring seat, then install the lower ball nut, thrust bearing and forcing nut all onto the compression rod. Next rotate the nut until the spring is compressed enough to relieve all tension on its seat.

Remove the two lower control arm pivot bolts and nuts, then disengage the lower control arm from the frame crossmember to make sufficient space to remove the spring from the vehicle. Note the compressed height of the old spring, then carefully loosen the nut to relieve the compression on the spring and replace the old spring with a new one.

Verify that the upper ball nut securing pin on the compression tool is inserted properly, then compress the new coil spring until it reaches the same compressed height as the old spring, then position the spring in proper relation to the lower control arm. Make sure that the lower end of the spring is properly located between the two holes in the lower arm spring pocket depression, then slowly release the compression on the spring, making certain that it seats properly. Secure the lower control arm to the frame crossmember again, return the steering gear to its proper position and replace the steering gear bolts, then reconnect the stabilizer bar link and reinstall the wheel.

 How to Replace a Coil Spring in a Nissan Pathfinder

Raise your Nissan Pathfinder and support it at the frame with safety stands, then lift the rear axle with a floor jack in order to relieve the tension on the coil springs. Do not support any of the vehicle's weight on this second independent lift.

Remove the rear wheels and disconnect the shock absorbers and stabilizer bar links. Disconnect the lateral control rod as well, the disconnect and remove the coil springs from the vehicle. Make certain that the springs are not under any tension, whether elongating or compressing, as you remove them; adjust the height of the floor jack supporting the rear axle to accomplish this.

Place new coil springs into the Nissan Pathfinder and, if necessary, raise the rear axle sufficiently to ensure they are properly seated. You might also need to raise the rear axle a little bit to line up the connectors as you reconnect the lateral control rod, stabilizer bar links and shock absorbers.

Reinstall the rear wheels, lower the rear axle and move the floor jack aside, then carefully lower your Pathfinder from the safety stands.