Need help getting front suspension back together

[69TAPoser]

I have the GW upper and lower control arms and the QA1 coil overs that I am putting on my 1st gen subframe. As I am sure most are aware, it is not a "self contained" coil over, it utilizes the upper control arm to compress against. Seeing how my subframe is out of the car and their is no weight on it (engine not installed), how are you guys compressing the springs?

I have an internal spring compressor (no good with coil overs) and I bought an external spring compressor this morning, and that really doesn't fit either. The LCA gets in the way of the compressor bolt. I was considering cutting the compressor bolt down to get it to fit, but would prefer not to.

Beyond getting 5 friends to come over and sit on my subframe to compress the springs, is there another way?

Phil

[69keith]

I put mine together this weekend.
I backed the nut all the way down and put lower arm and coilover in with ease. There was very little tension on the spring. You need to make sure the spring is sitting in the bucket correctly.

[69TAPoser]

Thanks Keith. I AM SUCH A MORON!

I don't know what triggered my mind, but when I read your post I realized that I may not have had the shaft on the shock fully extended.

I just checked it...sure enough!

...I am sure this will not be the last embarassing post I make during this project.

Phil

[baz67]

No it is not embarassing. You asked the question and it helped.

[69TAPoser]

True! When Keith mentioned that there was "very little tension" on the spring it jarred my memory about the shaft.

Still embarassed though!

Phil