coil springs???

how hard is it to remove coil springs? i am going to order the coil spacer leveling kit and i was wondering if anyone has any helpful hints or tips that will make the job easier. my friend has a lift and a spring compressor so that will help a bit.

I just know to place a jack underneath the bottom control arm to pull out the spring very slowly. You don't want it pop out and hitting anyone.

i thought silverados had torsion bars & leaves

i thought silverados had torsion bars & leaves
Only the 4wd. He has a 2wd.

so the 2wd's have coils? and the 4wd's have torsion bars and leaves? i thought that is what i have heard but did not know for sure. i know mine has coils and not leaves.

so the 2wd's have coils? and the 4wd's have torsion bars and leaves? i thought that is what i have heard but did not know for sure. i know mine has coils and not leaves.
Your rear has leaf springs, your front has coils.

thanks for clearing that up. i just looked at the truck and your right on.

thanks for clearing that up. i just looked at the truck and your right on.
No problem. Just curious, are you relatively new to trucks as whole?

ya a little new. i had a 99 trans am ls1 6spd for the last 2 and a half years and a camaro before that but i had a couple s-10 never did anything to them and i had a toy, 84 cj7 33's 3 inch lift. but now i got rid of all that and got my silvy ive had it since feb.

If it's like most coil spring, a-arm rigs, you'll need to get the front end off the ground and on stands. If you have an anti-swaybar remove the hardware from the connecting rod to the A-arm. Then loosen the lower ball joint nut 3-4 turns but DO NOT take it completely off. Make sure you still have 3-4 threads on the ball joint. Get a solid hammer and hit the lower arm at the side of the ball joint to break it loose. You'll know when it comes loose. The ball joint nut will keep it from blowing apart on you. Then get your jack under the arm, and take it up enough to pull the ball joint nut the rest of the way off. Then ease the jack down to let the spring release. You may have to push the arm down against the bushing pressure to get the spring out. Put your spacer at the top of the spring and reload everything. Put the sway bar back together last. Hope this helps.

Why oh why did they stop using the coil springs in the rear like in the 60's model chevy pickups. Those were nice.

Why oh why did they stop using the coil springs in the rear like in the 60's model chevy pickups. Those were nice.
Don't know. They brought it back for the Avalanche though.

If I were you I would lift the truck, remove the shock, tighten(not compress) the spring compressor, then loosen & remove the lower ball joint. Seen to many springs come flying out because the jack was not in a good spot. You don't know how long the spring will be in a relaxed state, you may not be able to get it back into the spring tower with only the jack at an odd angle. One kid I knew from shop class lost his face and died three days later because a spring got loose. Not good. You are going to check/do a front end alignment after you install the spacer?

will the truck need realigned after the spacer?

If you are ading a spacer and pushing the lower control arm down it will affect the attitude of the tires. I went to brake check and had the alignment checked for free and they told me everything was still in specs and I drove off for free. Better to check the alignment then to waste a new set of tires.

if you do drop shackles do you need to get it realigned? i may just lower the rear it seems alot easier and a little cheaper.

No realignment neccessary. Here's the cheapet drop shackles i've found, http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=7977499384&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT