DJM 4/6 drop questions

Hey guys,

I just bought a djm 4/6 drop kit with some doetch shocks, Im a do it yourselfer... and i have never done anything with suspension.

What i was wondering was if someone could tell me an easy way to take the front coil springs off when i install the lower control arms?? Also people have told me that i have to remove my gas tank to remove my driver side leaf spring, is this true? One last question would i be able to do this whole procedure with only two jack stand and one jack? or will i need four jack stands? Thanks alot guys also this is for my truck in sig.

Brandon

the 4/6 kit contains a flip kit for the rear, you won't be replacing the front leaf hanger so no screwing around with the gas tank should be necessary. You'll be cutting a section of the rear frame out and adding a cnotch, I'm certain. Yeah, a pair of stands and one floor jack will be perfect.

I put a piece of 2x4 between the upper a-arm and frame and then lower the jack on the front end to preload spring pressure on the upper ball joint. Loosen the ball joint nuts a few turns, upper and lower and then take a 2 lb sledge hammer and knock the crap out of the side of the spindle casting where the upper and lower balljoints connect to the casting. They should break loose doing that.

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Originally Posted by LS6_Silverado

Hey guys,

I just bought a djm 4/6 drop kit with some doetch shocks, Im a do it yourselfer... and i have never done anything with suspension.

1. What i was wondering was if someone could tell me an easy way to take the front coil springs off when i install the lower control arms?? 2. Also people have told me that i have to remove my gas tank to remove my driver side leaf spring, is this true? 3. One last question would i be able to do this whole procedure with only two jack stand and one jack? or will i need four jack stands? Thanks alot guys also this is for my truck in sig.

Brandon

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Greg beat me to it, but here's another way to skin a cat.
1. Strap the spring to the frame with a chain, strap, or something that will keep it from flying out. Then just take the nuts off your spindle (air tools+) and everything is pressed on(big hammer), then let everything drop and the spring should want to fall out...if not get a pry bar and persuade it out. When the springs are loose, take your chain/strap off and repeat on other side. 2. Yes it's true. Fvcking GM...they are probably still laughing. You can pull the bolt out until it hits the tank, then cut it with a sawzall to get the bolt out if you don't want to drop the tank(those bolts don't play nice, new blades are a must). Then get a new bolt and put it in the correct way with the nut on the tank side. 3. With 2 jacks stands do the front then move to the back or just get 4 jack stands....preferably a lift:)

Disclaimer: Since this is your first time....I can not be held responsible for flying springs...REMOVE WITH CAUTION!:tvhaha:

You can always rent a spring compressor, you will need a ball joint fork, and a 5 pound baby sledge works great for beating on things with...... and yes you have to cut the bolt like Kurt said to get the driver side leaf out but it can be done.....

Yeah I actualy took both the the LCA and UCA up at the same time so i could take it out of the balljoint easier, and then going back together is easy. The front shouldnt take you long at all

Hey,

Wow thanks for all the help guys, yea i looked for a coil spring compressor but i live in the florida keys and the nearest one is in miami i live in key west.... 2 1/2 hour drive.

Now a ball joint remover? Ive never heard of that and can i get it at advanced auto parts? Im also taking it that this stuff is pretty wedged together good hince the 5lbs hammer.

Any of you maybe know the bolt size of the bolt behind the gas tank?

Brandon

A ball joint seperator looks like a big ass 2 pronged fork. You put the prongs on both sides of the ball joint and beat it in there and it will slowly seperate the ball joint from the spindel, you can get that from autozone or adavance and you should be able to rent coil spring compressor fro those places also

try advanced since they're on the island. Here's a link to their chassis tools. While we find your parts, please enter your ZIP Code at PartsAmerica.com

WTF!?!?! I went into advanced and asked a guy there if they had coil spring compressors and he showed me a regular spring compressor i said that wasnt it, i meant the spring for suspention and he said no were dont carry that...

What a little ****... Just being lazy and not wanting to help me out...

Ill head back in there tomarrow after work and see if i can get one. Thanks alot Red for showing me the partsamerica too.

Brandon

Ive never used a spring compressor on these trucks. Put truck on jackstands behind the front wheel where the frame gets full length and so the wheels are off the ground. Take the wheel off. Now put your JACK under the control arm and jack it up a little bit so that there isn't a control arm just hanging down. Take out tierod cotter pin and loosen castle nut till it is even with tierod stud. Hit it on top with a baby sledge hammer. Get tie rod out of way. Turn the loose spindle all the way out, back off balljoint nut till it is even with the top of the balljoint stud (air tools) If you use balljoint separator you will destroy your balljoint boot(read:bad) Smack the front side of the lower control arm near the balljoint a few times. When you think it might be loose, lower the jack and see if it is separating. Now this is what ido with lowered springs already, your stock springs might be more jumpy :D

Alright guys im literally dead center in the middle of lower my truck ive got it all up on jack stand all wheels taken off. Im trying to drop the front first then drop the back.

Ive disconnected the tie rods, and removed the stablizer link bars. Ive also loosened the the lower and upper ball joint nuts but there not off. Also my front shocks are out too. And the lower control arm is supported my a jack.

Now my problem is i cant remove the lower ball joint to save my life.... when you guys says spindle do you mean the steering knuckle? Im just using a haynes manual and they dont use the word spindle in it at all.

I dont have a sledge hammer but i do have a 15lbs caprock breaker bar which should be good enough... What the hell am i doing wrong? Thanks

Brandon

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Originally Posted by LS6_Silverado

Alright guys im literally dead center in the middle of lower my truck ive got it all up on jack stand all wheels taken off. Im trying to drop the front first then drop the back.

Ive disconnected the tie rods, and removed the stablizer link bars. Ive also loosened the the lower and upper ball joint nuts but there not off. Also my front shocks are out too. And the lower control arm is supported my a jack.

Now my problem is i cant remove the lower ball joint to save my life.... when you guys says spindle do you mean the steering knuckle? Im just using a haynes manual and they dont use the word spindle in it at all.

I dont have a sledge hammer but i do have a 15lbs caprock breaker bar which should be good enough... What the hell am i doing wrong? Thanks

Brandon

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Yeah the haynes manual wont use the term spindle.

Your just gonna have to screw with it. I had the SAME problems. The sh1t just wouldnt come off. But on a third occassion I figured out the easiest way. Is to take both the upper control arm and lower control arm off with the "steering knuckle" or spindle still attatched, and put a piece of wood over the thread end and beat the **** out of the piece of wood till it popped off. You dont mess anything up in the process, and it literally takes like 10 min to remove both.. Make sure the spring is compressed and out before removing the control arms from the actual frame

Well guys i just now got finished with my 4 inch front suspension drop, that was the worst experence ever... nothing went wrong just time consuming and agrivating. I had no air tools or spring compressor just a 1/2 breaker bar and a good set of sockets.

Ducky thanks so much for your advice on taking the upper and lower control arms off at the same time, soo much easier than what i was trying...

I like the new look alot just have to do the rear now. hopefully that is easyer.. im my opinion my engine swap was easier than the PITA suspension crap i had to deal with. Ill post pictures up when im finish with rear.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LS6_Silverado

Well guys i just now got finished with my 4 inch front suspension drop, that was the worst experence ever... nothing went wrong just time consuming and agrivating. I had no air tools or spring compressor just a 1/2 breaker bar and a good set of sockets.

Ducky thanks so much for your advice on taking the upper and lower control arms off at the same time, soo much easier than what i was trying...

I like the new look alot just have to do the rear now. hopefully that is easyer.. im my opinion my engine swap was easier than the PITA suspension crap i had to deal with. Ill post pictures up when im finish with rear.

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the front is always such a pain in the ass because the first time you take the suspension apart its so damn hard bc its got so many miles and has never been undone from the factory.

the back wont be as time consuming but itll be alright. I think the longest thing you will have to do is just notching the frame

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LS6_Silverado

...advice on taking the upper and lower control arms off at the same time, soo much easier than what i was trying...

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Yeah, the front is easier to do when taking them both off at the same time.

It is a bitch--only to when you need to bolt everything back up. Getting the jack centered in a god spot under the lower A-arm to get he bolts to go back in has always give me grief.

The rear end should be not as bad. Go ahead and drop the tank--waaay easier and only takes an extra 5 minutes. Disconnect the clamps from the filler neck and vent tube--then push them out of the way. Position the floor jack under the tank and unbolt the straps...let it down about 12" or so and then disconnect all of the fuel lines and electrical connectors--but watch out for the supply line from the tank--it is pressurized and will spray you with gas if you don;t purge the Schrader valve on the fuel rail on the motor... Once everything is disconnected, go ahead and lower it out of the way.

Make sure to have a dremel tool with a few bits so you can notch the frame easily.