Yep, it's every bit as fun as it looks folks. I've done one side of my 2001 jimmy, now I'm procrastinating on the other side. Took me 2 weeks to figure out a way. There was no way I could do mine this way. Couldn't compress the spring enough. I have a two inch drop spindle I installed several years back, not sure if that made it more difficult, it was a bitch none the less. I had to connect the spindle first and lift the back with the jack, and use ratchet straps to line it up. It took several attempts to line up the holes enough to get the bolt to go through. I also used a spring compressor but I had it dropped down through the shock connection point using only the threaded hook to pull it up to the frame. If you try this better have some hard metal washers, this is not optional. This is one of those task that once you get way to far into you realize...I really wish I would have let a damn mechanic do this. I promise you that.
I have one hand, and just compressed the spring by using a second 3-ton jack while the spring was in place. Used a cinder block & some 2x4's for safety, every time I got it up high enough, just add a 2x4 so if the jack somehow slipped - I wouldn't lose any vertical gain. Screw these compression tool death-traps! They don't look very nubb-friendly either lol
I ordered the suspension kit for my 01 s10 and this video is going to help me alot to install my parts so i thank you so much. I would really love to document the whole process but I just don't have time to edit and upload and i need to do this project asap because i use my truck for work lol God bless people who upload DIY videos you save people so much money. So me and my family thank you from the bottom of our hearts :)
Great job! Your process steps really helped me out. I am half way through putting on a whole new front end on my Sonoma and you just made my life easier. Had a little fender bender. Can't guarantee what parts are good or bad on the suspension, so we are changing out all of the suspension parts, both left and right.
GREAT video - very detailed and thats what I needed. Not as hard as I thought provided You have everything You need part-wise and tool-wise. Figured I'm saving $1500 doing it myself to having my goto-shop do it. THANKS!!!
Man it took a friend and i two days to get the coil springs in using a jack under the lower control arm now i have to get the inner coil spring compressor out man what a job i will never attempt this job again
My shocks were so comically bad that they were like the fake RC car shocks that just slide in and out it was hysterical, truck ride like trash too. Put new ones and made me real happy how it is now. Gonna do bushings and ball joints now, bushings aren't looking so hot on all for arms gonna have fun with that.
God this was a damn nightmare, I had to redo the coil spring compressor at least 8 times because It just wasn't compressed enough and it was the scariest thing I've ever done plus it popped on me at least 3 times I think 😅 but I'm finally done with it and I just need an alignment now
Can you install the spring using a jack on the lower control arm its just way to hard to get the spring compressor to compress i been trying for hours and it just keeps poping off
Can I just remove the 2 lower control arm bolts and leave everything else together so I can just get access to the engine mount nuts which are under the frame?
I just did my uppers and lowers and center link and inner and outer tie rods on my 03 ZQ8 a couple of weeks ago what a job! 🥵 but what a great outcome 🙌🏽🙌🏽 also I woulda liked to see how you did the uppers 🤷🏻♂️
I would never crawl under any vehicle just with jack stands holding. I would place something like a tire and rim and something on top of it in case the car veered off and those would hold it off me.
One of my childhood best friends (about 13 at the time) dad was crushed underneath his truck when it came off a jack stand. He found him a few hours later when we came home from school, F’n tragic. Im 40yo now and it is forever burned into my memory. I’ve never once had a vehicle even look like it might come off a jack stand. But I keep an old 13” wide Camaro rim and tire in the garage that I slide underneath any vehicle I’m working on just in case.
About how long did it take you? I'm buying an 03 xtreme edition and it's 4hrs away. I'd like to drive up there, get it done and drive it back same day. Thanks!
Yep, it's every bit as fun as it looks folks. I've done one side of my 2001 jimmy, now I'm procrastinating on the other side. Took me 2 weeks to figure out a way. There was no way I could do mine this way. Couldn't compress the spring enough. I have a two inch drop spindle I installed several years back, not sure if that made it more difficult, it was a bitch none the less. I had to connect the spindle first and lift the back with the jack, and use ratchet straps to line it up. It took several attempts to line up the holes enough to get the bolt to go through. I also used a spring compressor but I had it dropped down through the shock connection point using only the threaded hook to pull it up to the frame. If you try this better have some hard metal washers, this is not optional.
This is one of those task that once you get way to far into you realize...I really wish I would have let a damn mechanic do this. I promise you that.
I have one hand, and just compressed the spring by using a second 3-ton jack while the spring was in place. Used a cinder block & some 2x4's for safety, every time I got it up high enough, just add a 2x4 so if the jack somehow slipped - I wouldn't lose any vertical gain. Screw these compression tool death-traps! They don't look very nubb-friendly either lol
I understand. Those spring compression tools are very risky.
I ordered the suspension kit for my 01 s10 and this video is going to help me alot to install my parts so i thank you so much. I would really love to document the whole process but I just don't have time to edit and upload and i need to do this project asap because i use my truck for work lol God bless people who upload DIY videos you save people so much money. So me and my family thank you from the bottom of our hearts :)
Ppppppppp pp
I am going on one week of doing this. I hope tomorrow will see the light of day. Thanks.
Great job! Your process steps really helped me out. I am half way through putting on a whole new front end on my Sonoma and you just made my life easier. Had a little fender bender. Can't guarantee what parts are good or bad on the suspension, so we are changing out all of the suspension parts, both left and right.
Just ordered my whole front end. For a 1995.
Good job on video. Thanks
GREAT video - very detailed and thats what I needed. Not as hard as I thought provided You have everything You need part-wise and tool-wise. Figured I'm saving $1500 doing it myself to having my goto-shop do it. THANKS!!!
Man, I'm glad I got a 12000 lb hoist for my trucks !
I wonder how many people have made this video.. But broken fingers when tugging on that coil! That was a close one bud! ha
The springs are directional, the smaller gap or end with a flat tip goes upward
Man it took a friend and i two days to get the coil springs in using a jack under the lower control arm now i have to get the inner coil spring compressor out man what a job i will never attempt this job again
My shocks were so comically bad that they were like the fake RC car shocks that just slide in and out it was hysterical, truck ride like trash too. Put new ones and made me real happy how it is now. Gonna do bushings and ball joints now, bushings aren't looking so hot on all for arms gonna have fun with that.
thanks for doing this! It"s a big help to have a video like this.
Awesome video help so much with my 1990 install
I'm installing my new control arms as I watch this. On my 1997 S10
I love how you say ” tighten “ ..... in my East Tennessee hillbilly ears, it sounds like “ tide-dunn “ 😆✌🏻
Good job thanks the upper control arms are a real pain especially the driver side
Great details very explained excellent work
Tnks for the video, my next job Is change de suspensión, gracias desde México.!
You could also put a strong chain around the spring when its compressed for safety
Dang bro you made it look easy
I'm not going to lie. This job was exhausting
I know tell me about it I just finished mine and I feel the same way that spring compressor got me good on the finger though
God this was a damn nightmare, I had to redo the coil spring compressor at least 8 times because It just wasn't compressed enough and it was the scariest thing I've ever done plus it popped on me at least 3 times I think 😅 but I'm finally done with it and I just need an alignment now
Pliers and stuff? What other stuff do I need with the pliers?
Can you install the spring using a jack on the lower control arm its just way to hard to get the spring compressor to compress i been trying for hours and it just keeps poping off
Thanks for sharing the vidoe 🤙
Can I just remove the 2 lower control arm bolts and leave everything else together so I can just get access to the engine mount nuts which are under the frame?
I just did my uppers and lowers and center link and inner and outer tie rods on my 03 ZQ8 a couple of weeks ago what a job! 🥵 but what a great outcome 🙌🏽🙌🏽 also I woulda liked to see how you did the uppers 🤷🏻♂️
I do have a video on how to do the uppers as well
What coil spring insulators do you use?
I would never crawl under any vehicle just with jack stands holding. I would place something like a tire and rim and something on top of it in case the car veered off and those would hold it off me.
One of my childhood best friends (about 13 at the time) dad was crushed underneath his truck when it came off a jack stand. He found him a few hours later when we came home from school, F’n tragic. Im 40yo now and it is forever burned into my memory. I’ve never once had a vehicle even look like it might come off a jack stand. But I keep an old 13” wide Camaro rim and tire in the garage that I slide underneath any vehicle I’m working on just in case.
Fyi it's a 3/8 Allen so people don't strip the caliper pins
About how long did it take you? I'm buying an 03 xtreme edition and it's 4hrs away. I'd like to drive up there, get it done and drive it back same day. Thanks!
i change my low control arm on my chevy s10 but now the truck is high on the front you know if something is wrong?
The spring is most likely not seated correctly
Does somebody know If i can install those lift spindles + lift Springs?
Why does my springs and shock bottom out on passenger side
That spring almost fuckedhim up
Great video man
Once you say clockwise for counter clockwise I'm pretty sure that's sufficient.
S10 is a pain I wanna see a oil pan gasket video😅
Lol. Seriously one day one day
Admit it, you almost broke your hand there
Hello