The method used to stiffen the front coil springs of a vehicle is determined in large by circumstance and desired end result. There are two reasons for stiffening the front coil springs: to compensate for sagging springs, which results in bottoming out when passing over rough surfaces, and to enhance handling characteristics. The answer to sagging springs is replacement if monetarily plausible, or the less expensive route of adding devices made to spread the spring apart. The latter, enhancing the handling, requires replacement with one of many performance springs.
Raise the front of the vehicle using the floor jack. Place the jack stands under the vehicle for support and lower the vehicle onto the stands.
Install the spring spreaders between the coils. When the vehicle is supported with the jack stands, the springs are unloaded and hang free, and the spring spreaders will slide right in. Install three of them at 45-degree angles to one another so the spring is supported evenly.
Raise the vehicle, remove the jack stands and lower the vehicle.
Raise one side of the vehicle at a time, just enough to lift the tire off the ground. Place a jack stand under the frame. Lower the vehicle onto the jack stand. Remove the lug nuts that secure the wheel, using the lug wrench, and remove the wheel.
Remove the two caliper slider bolts using a socket. Lift the caliper off the rotor. Place the floor jack under the lower control arm as close to the end of the arm as possible. Lift the jack just enough to begin to lift the lower control arm.
Remove the cotter pins in both the upper and lower control arm ball joint studs, and the outer tie rod stud, using the wire cutters. Remove the nut on the tie rod stud and loosen it, but do not remove the nuts on the upper and lower ball joints.
Place the ball joint separator tool between the tie rod and the spindle arm. Strike the tool with the hammer until the tie rod "pops" out of the spindle. Place the separator tool between the lower control arm and the spindle and strike the tool to separate the ball joint from the spindle. Do the same to the upper control arm.
Grab the spindle and move it up and down just enough to ensure it is loose. If not, raise the floor jack a small amount and retest the spindle. Remove the upper and lower ball joint nuts, which should be loose. Lift up the upper control arm, which will extract the upper ball joint stud. Lift the complete spindle and rotor up off the lower ball joint stud and lay it out of the way.
Lower the floor jack slowly to release the pressure on the spring. Don't stand anywhere in front of the spring while this is being done. There is so much pressure it could come out with incredible force if lowered too quickly. Pull the spring out of the pocket and install the new spring.
Push the new spring up into the frame pocket and raise the floor jack enough to begin to apply a small amount of pressure to the spring. The lower control arm faces down about 30 degrees and the horizontal spring does not fit into the lower control arm spring retaining groove easily. Keep hand pressure on the spring while the floor jack is raised slightly.
Hit the lower part of the spring, hard, with the hammer, to bang it into the inside part of the spring groove. Raise the floor jack more and strike it again until the lower control arm is also horizontal and the spring is in the groove.
Install the spindle with the rotor onto the lower control arm ball joint stud and install the nut as far as possible by hand. Lower the upper control arm and insert the upper ball joint stud through the hole in the spindle. Install the nut.
Tighten the upper and lower control arm ball joint stud nuts securely. Install the cotter pins and remove the floor jack. Install the outer tie rod on the spindle, install the nut and tighten securely. Install the cotter pin. Install the brake caliper and align the holes to the mounting bracket, install the two slider bolts and tighten with a socket. Install the wheel and lug nuts and tighten securely with the lug wrench. Raise the vehicle enough to remove the jack stand and lower the vehicle.
