Introduction and Spring Install Q

Hello, my first post here with kind of a dumb first question. First an intro. I bought my ‘56 210 in about 1982 when I was 14 years old. I spent all my time and money building it over the next 6 years, 9” ford rear, TH400, a good strong (for its time) 350, complete interior, and body and paint. Did all the work myself back then except the paint, learned a ton. I had to sell the car to a collector in 1988 to pay for school and have regretted it ever since. About a year ago my son sent me a online listing and said “a lot like your old car isn’t it?” It took about four pictures to realize it wasn’t like mine, it WAS mine, and he hadn’t changed anything really! Even had the same tires and shocks. Anyway, I bought it back, and now I’m finishing it.

First up is just replacing the springs and shocks while I decide what all I want to do, and here’s my dumb question. This front spring install is killing me. Worse, I did this exact job when I was 17, so it’s just proof I’m getting dumber in my old age. I did the DIY compressor with 1/2” rod and the lower cross bar from the old shock and that’s working fine, but for some reason I can’t make the bolts on the A arm line up, the whole thing is sitting like an inch too far outboard and I can’t pivot it or push it into place, it just doesn’t want to line up. I’ve tried it with the spindle both in place and free from the upper ball (spindle tilted out, but still in place on the lower), I’ve tried using elongated bolts to locate and capture it and pull it up in to position, coaxing it with a bar…but it’s just not wanting to line up, something is pushing it outward. Hopefully the pictures sort of show what I mean. I’m sure I’m missing something really simple. It’s frustrating, I’ve built two classic mustangs, a 59 F100, a Land Cruiser…and I’m stumped right out of the gate with old car on a simple spring swap - not a great start to the new, old, project car!:|

Wondering if this sounds familiar to anyone and if I’m missing something obvious? Maybe I need to disconnect the tie rod so so the arm can float more, or if I’m just fighting having the spindle on the lower and need to d/c the lower ball too and remove the spindle completely? (After writing this all out I’m thinking that’s it). Anyway, I’m up against a deadline to get the car moved in the next day so any help would be much appreciated!

Attachment 13314

Attachment 13315

Attachment 13316

Well, for posterity’s sake if someone searches the same thing down the road, everything was fine. I’d just forgotten how much you have to compress the spring on these to locate that LCA, used to more modern designs where an inch or so let’s you tip it into place. These you just keep in cranking until it finally lands, kinda scary stuff, even with a chain. Maybe I was dumber as a kid and it didn’t phase me :lol:

I've always done mine by mounting the shaft to the frame and then compressing spring and mounting the ball joint to the spindle! I've never tried this way!!

I've done it the same way that Troy described.

Welcome to TriFiveChevys Eric, and compliments to you on how well you navigated your first post...to include pictures and a detailed writeup.
This "web based" forum is old school by some peoples view, but the social media apps out there are not as conducive to walking a fellow hobbiest thru all the steps, issues, pictures, troubleshooting, etc.

Happy to have you here.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WagonCrazy

the social media apps out there are not as conducive to walking a fellow hobbiest thru all the steps, issues, pictures, troubleshooting, etc.

---

Isn't that the truth?!! Facebook is a pain in the ass and your comments get buried amongst all the other garbage in a day. It's difficult to read replies, or even find your own posts. I'm sure I miss a lot of posts because they get buried too.