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And before I forget again AND in the event someone stumbles on this thread with a similar issue...
Last month I installed two new bump stops on the frame above each lower control arm . The old ones rotted out. So I lubed up the new ones and was well on my way to emptying out my tool box to get them pressed inside the receiving cup. Didn't take too long before realizing my best plan of attack was to stop and think...even if only for 30 seconds. This is what I came up with: A basic pry bar like in the first photo. Note in the second photo the indent for yanking nails (among 673 other uses). Place the bottom of the bump stop in the indent to sort of hold it in place. Line it up with the receiving cup and pry it into place. You should find something nearby the cup with which to pry from. It's a small sweet spot to balance but after 2 or 3 tries you find it. Beats the hell out of unloading your tool box.
Picked up that spring compressor. Looks like I should be able to wiggle that hook end inside the spring one way or another. Looks robust enough but a little surprised they used fine threads on the screw. But all in all another excellent tool recommendation, Ralph! And it is especially important this time because we're talking about safety. I was going to pick up a ball joint separator too but they didn't have it. I don't think I need it. Those ball joints are brand new. A couple love taps should drop them. I hope.
The bushings are supposed to show up by Thursday so I think I'm going to start tearing down tomorrow. I want to have a little extra time to paint those arms and be ready for the bushings. I usually like to wait to have parts in hand to be sure they're correct. But we're getting some nice weather the next few days and, face it, you gotta live on the edge sometimes.
Oh, one last question. On your truck, if I understand you, you had the spindle off (meaning both ball joints and tie rod had been de-knuckled) and the shock removed BEFORE you attached the compressor? I assume you had the LCA supported from the bottom with your jack?? And did you take the end link off last before compressing? Just trying to confirm order of operations here so I don't leave myself vulnerable to getting wacked by that spring. I'm a bigger chicken than you.
When isn't important on the sway bar end links; I had them off already since I was doing a complete rebuild.
And yes, I had the LCA supported underneath; I took the shock out, then jacked it up a bit to remove the spindle. And yes, I had it off.
If you do one at a time, you may not need to; I was, again, doing a complete "While I'm there, meet my cousin, Justin Case."
Matter of fact, if you'll jack the LCA up until the frame starts to lift off the jack stand, the spring will already be pretty nicely compressed; do that, and then crank it down until the LCA drops clear.
It'll drop closer to clear if you have already loosened the inner control arm to frame bolts, BTW.
Ralph, have your upper coil isolators held up over the years on your ‘88? Those things are tucked away pretty good so I’m suspecting they hold up pretty good.
I replaced mine at the same time. No, they had not.
I did a few daubs of super glue to hold them up in there; found out later that the better idea is to use masking tape to hold them to the top of the spring.
