Coil springs

[Sweet Shock]

Does anyone no the best way to remove coil springs from a unattached crossmember, Or where you can get a spring compressor, thanx pete

[Numnutz]

when I took mine out, I dropped the lower ball joints, it wasn't exactly easy, but maybe the easiest way. 

[Worzel]

undo the top and bottom ball joint nuts but leave them on just a full nut worth of thread,
hold a large steel mallet/small sledge against the side of the ball joint and whack the other side with an equally large steel mallet.
pop both ball joints and then you should be able to take all pressure off the springs before you have undone the nuts fully.
I have done this a few times but i still wrap some heave rope to tie the spring to the crossmember as i don't want a spring through the head

[Merlin]

1# jack van high enough for the lower control arm to be able to hang vertically.  2#remove shocker.  3#loosen lower ball joint nut until top of nut is flush with top of threaded section of ball joint ,then place a club hammer(gympy??!!) on one side of the stub axle where the balljoint shaft goes through strike the stub opposite the club hammer (sandwiching the stubaxle between the hammer & clubhammer ) until the balljoint pops.  4# jack up the lower control arm under the balljoint taking the spring pressure off the lower balljoint .  5#remove the lower balljoint nut.  6#slowly lower the jack and the spring will fall out. you might have to pry the spring out of its saddle in the lower arm if they are stock springs .also when refitting the springs make sure you locate the end of the coil in the saddle correctly the end must be in the foot of the lower arm other wise it will walk out of the saddle .      Cheers Neil   

[Numnutz]

you can get new rubber boots for your ball joints from Motor Traders for about $3 each
I ripped mine with the pickle fork when I was bashing the crap of out of them.

[Sweet Shock]

If you loosen the upper and lower ball joints how much pressure is in the spring and Numnuts was this done while attached to the van,  Thanx Merlin but its lying on the front lawn,

[Sweet Shock]

pic

[BusyKiwi]

you dont need coil spring compressor to tke them out or put them back in (easier to do with beam out of van) just turn it up side down, pop the balljoints, unbolt the lower arm (which is not at the top).
to put back in, put spring in, bolt arm back on and sit on it while you do up the ball joint.
there isn't much pressure on bedford springs - if you dont trust it, leave the shock bolted in until you have the arm unbolted

[Sweet Shock]

Thanx fellers, Ill try and give it a go tommroe
pete

[Worzel]

with both ball joints popped and almost undone there SHOULD be no pressure on spring,
I still tie it in though