How to Replace Coil Springs
Car springs can wear out or break. When they do, you have to replace them for the car to remain safe to drive. On most newer cars, coil springs are only located on the front end of the car. Some pick ups and older cars have coil springs on all four wheels. Coil springs tend to be more durable than leaf springs, but they are not noted for giving as smooth of a ride as their flat counterparts. There are times when coil springs are replaced to increase the size of the spring to give better vehicle control when carrying a heavy load. Regardless of why the coil springs are replaced, it is not a really tough job.
Jack the vehicle up and put it on low stands.
For spring replacement, you will want to have the vehicle parked on a level place. Jack the car up until you can get the lowest stands available under it. The tires should not be far off of the ground. Make sure that you have put blocks around the wheels that are not being raised on the opposite end of the vehicle. Let the car down onto the stands and make sure that you can get underneath the car to access the coil springs. Do not remove the jack. Check the size of the bolts that hold the springs in place. Get the appropriate wrenches.
Loosen up the bolts that fasten the coil springs to the car.
There will be 2 to 4 bolts on the top and the bottom of each coil spring. Using a wrench or ratchet and extension, loosen the bolts at the top and the bottom. Do not remove the bolts yet. There is probably tension on the spring. Removing the bolts now could cause the spring to pop loose and cause you and/or your vehicle damage.
Raise the jack a little at a time while checking the coil springs.
The idea here is to raise your vehicle enough to take the pressure off of the coil springs. When you see the springs start to extend a little, this means that they are no longer holding weight up. The weight of the lower part of the vehicle is stretching the springs. You do not want to fully extend the springs because you do not want recoil when you remove the bolts. Now, let the jack back down until the springs appear to be neither compressed nor extended.
Very carefully remove the lower bolts from the coil springs.
The next step is to return underneath the vehicle and remove the lower bolts. Even if the spring recoils a little, it should not be a problem because the top bolts will still be holding it in place. When the lower bracket and bolts are removed, finish removing the top bolts. The spring should now be able to slide out and down from your vehicle. Remove one spring at a time and replace it before removing the other spring.
Slide the new spring into place.
Once the old coil spring is out of the way, you will be able to slide the new spring into its place. If you are installing a heavier spring, you may have to jack the vehicle up slightly for it to fit. Try to put it in once without doing this. Once the spring is in place, install the top bolts and bracket. Do not tighten these all of the way. Do the same with the lower bolts. When it appears that everything is aligned and in place, tighten all of the bolts to securely fasten the coil spring to the vehicle. Repeat this procedure on the other side if you are replacing both springs.
When the new spring is completely installed, raise the jack and remove the stands.
Be very careful when jacking up the vehicle to remove the stands. You are almost finished. It is not a good time for an accident. When the stands are out of the way, lower the car back down from the jack. Just before the vehicle is completely down, look underneath and make sure that the springs are staying put. You should have no problems at this point, but it is a good idea to check first. Finish lowering the vehicle and remove the jack. Take the vehicle for a short drive of a mile or less and check the springs again to make sure that they did not slip. If all is well, the job is complete.
