Good Morning,
Does anyone have the appropriate Moog spring compressor to remove a 1963 T-Bird coil springs. I've got the car in the shop right now and the mechanic cannot safely pull the springs. He's tried three different types of compressors and not are safe enough. I will gladly purchase one or if you inclined to rent me it, I would be more than happy to compensate.
Thank you for your time.
Mike Whitaker
Henderson, NV
1963 Thunderbird
Moog Spring Compressor Needed
Moderator: ABQTBird
Re: Moog Spring Compressor Needed
What kind of compressors has he tried? I used the OEM 27035 rented from Autozone. Worked safely for me when I properly used it.
Here is the thread: viewtopic.php?f=32&t=11828
Tom
Here is the thread: viewtopic.php?f=32&t=11828
Tom
Tom in Albuquerque
61-63 Forum Moderator
1962 Corinthian White Hardtop, Medium Chestnut Metallic #89 Leather, A/C, P/W
2003 Premium Torch Red/Performance White HT, Partial Accent Interior, 1 of 47.
Past T-Bird: 1960 Convertible, 1974-1978
61-63 Forum Moderator
1962 Corinthian White Hardtop, Medium Chestnut Metallic #89 Leather, A/C, P/W
2003 Premium Torch Red/Performance White HT, Partial Accent Interior, 1 of 47.
Past T-Bird: 1960 Convertible, 1974-1978
Re: Moog Spring Compressor Needed
G'day Tom.
A 63 spring is a lot heavier than a 62 spring. and from memory you don't have the luxury of being able to squash the spring to remove or replace it. I changed the springs on my 63 car with the correct one's. From what I could work out by the dia of the spring, number of coils and the length of the free spring the one's that were in my car when I purchased it was a 1960 Ford spring. This made the car lower.
They were easy to take out, they were a lot shorter and softer than the new 63 Thunderbird springs that I purchased from Pat Wilson's.
In inserting the new spring this was a challenge. You have to have the upper control arm off the car and you wind the spring up into the socket in the body where the spring goes. When you have the spring nearly flattened you then can mount the upper control arm in the car and you then unwind the spring into the recess in the upper control arm.
I made my own compressor up using some 23mm dia 41/40 steel rod and cut a trapezoid thread onto it. I also used a 1" dia thrust washer in the top of the compressor to take the load and to help make it easier to wind up.
Here is some photo's.
As you can see in the second photo, the spring hangs down a long way past where the upper control arm goes. You have to compress the spring quite a lot. It is not as simple as compressing the spring and them putting it in place as a unit, then undoing it.
I also made up some remote grease nipples to grease the upper control arm bushes. The front end had a typical Ford squeak because I couldn't access the grease nipples. I could of just cut some big holes in the body but I wanted to keep the car original. So I made up some remote grease nipples that I could remove and this would return the car back to how it was the day it rolled of the production line.
I just drilled and tapped the appropriate thread in the nut of the bush and blocked of the end thread where the grease nipple goes.
Karl.
A 63 spring is a lot heavier than a 62 spring. and from memory you don't have the luxury of being able to squash the spring to remove or replace it. I changed the springs on my 63 car with the correct one's. From what I could work out by the dia of the spring, number of coils and the length of the free spring the one's that were in my car when I purchased it was a 1960 Ford spring. This made the car lower.
They were easy to take out, they were a lot shorter and softer than the new 63 Thunderbird springs that I purchased from Pat Wilson's.
In inserting the new spring this was a challenge. You have to have the upper control arm off the car and you wind the spring up into the socket in the body where the spring goes. When you have the spring nearly flattened you then can mount the upper control arm in the car and you then unwind the spring into the recess in the upper control arm.
I made my own compressor up using some 23mm dia 41/40 steel rod and cut a trapezoid thread onto it. I also used a 1" dia thrust washer in the top of the compressor to take the load and to help make it easier to wind up.
Here is some photo's.
As you can see in the second photo, the spring hangs down a long way past where the upper control arm goes. You have to compress the spring quite a lot. It is not as simple as compressing the spring and them putting it in place as a unit, then undoing it.
I also made up some remote grease nipples to grease the upper control arm bushes. The front end had a typical Ford squeak because I couldn't access the grease nipples. I could of just cut some big holes in the body but I wanted to keep the car original. So I made up some remote grease nipples that I could remove and this would return the car back to how it was the day it rolled of the production line.
I just drilled and tapped the appropriate thread in the nut of the bush and blocked of the end thread where the grease nipple goes.
Karl.
1963 Thunderbird Hardtop
Re: Moog Spring Compressor Needed
Tom,
Thank you for the information, but the 62 has far less spring than the 63. I believe I count 13 turns on the 63 and 9 on the 62. We've tried four different spring compressors and I've reached the conclusion that only the Moog T-469 Compressor will work.
Thanks again for the post.
Mike
Thank you for the information, but the 62 has far less spring than the 63. I believe I count 13 turns on the 63 and 9 on the 62. We've tried four different spring compressors and I've reached the conclusion that only the Moog T-469 Compressor will work.
Thanks again for the post.
Mike