Coil Spring issues NEED INSIGHT

[jelkins]

so i was flushing my radiator today when i noticed that my coil spring on my drivers side look like it had a little bend to it and it kind of seems like it is trying to work out of the bucket or bracket on top I'm going to post a few pics and hope some one responds

 

[jelkins]

top pic is passenger side and bottom is driver side i will try to get a better pic tomorrow of the way the coil is bending at this point I'm a lil worried to drive it don't want to screw it up more

thanks in advance for the help

 

[wood1]

It has rotated and the end of the spring is visible. It should be hidden in the coil bucket methinks. You might be able to jack the truck up so that the suspension is hanging and turn it back into position. Might have to unhook the shock. I'm sure someone else more versed with the TTB will chime in.

 

[Maniak]

Both pics look like the spring is in wrong.

The end of the spring fits into a little pocket on the upper mount. You should be able to loosen the lower nut that is inside/bottom of the coil, assuming its not already loose and rotate that spring by hand.

Support the vehicle with jack stands and then use a jack under that axle beam your working on to take the pressure (up and down) off the spring. That way once the bottom bolt is loose you can rotate it to where it belongs.

~Mark

Edit: I found a pic of how the passenger side sits in the coil bucket. I added the J-hook to keep it from pulling out when wheeling.

shot of drivers side front suspension by maniak_az, on Flickr

edit2: Here is the driver side..

shock-mount 002 by maniak_az, on Flickr

I have modified shock mounts (f-250 ones) which is why my shock mounts look different. The coil bucket itself is actually stock.

 

[jelkins]

thanks to the both of you I'm going to look into the j brackets as well now did you make those or buy them and I'm going to give it a shot this weekend and see what happens pls let me know about the hooks I'm thinking i will do that asap. and would you have any idea why the coil would be bending slightly at the top. I'm going to get a pic in a few if i can

thanks

 

[Maniak]

You "can" buy j-hooks. I've seen them on late 80's f-150s. I ended up just bending some 1/8" strap steel I had lying around.

I just used some really big self tapping screws and its been holding up just fine. Actually, they aren't exactly self tapping as I drilled a hole first, but its not a nut/bolt combo.

~Mark

 

[jelkins]

thanks man i really appreciate your help i still haven't delt with it yet but i m going to as soon as my wife gets back from physical therapy.

 

[RangerX]

To me, it looks like the coils are starting to slip out at the top, like if the axle drooped to much while wheeling. I've had them fully slip out, before I had the J hooks put on. Mark, what do you think?

 

[Maniak]

To me, it looks like the coils are starting to slip out at the top, like if the axle drooped to much while wheeling. I've had them fully slip out, before I had the J hooks put on. Mark, what do you think?

Everytime I pulled a spring out it would end up like this. It would be shoved into the side of the tire.

pulled spring by maniak_az, on Flickr

I'm thinking they weren't put back in correctly (many people don't notice there is an indent for the end of the spring) or the lower nut isn't holding it tight and they rotated some as the suspension was opened up. If there is a sway bar on the front it could be caused by someone working on the front with the sway bars off as the sway bars will keep the suspension from pulling far enough away to pull it out of the top bucket.

~Mark

 

[jelkins]

Well it's been awhile since I have went wheeling the only thing I have done to the front is adjusted the camber an replaced the outer tie rod ends. Now yesterday I pulled the coil off and the fingers on the bucket that hold the coil sort of in place were bent?? Not too sure what happened but the coil spring insulators were shot pretty bad so I ordered new ones.
1 more question when you tighten the nut on the bottom of the coil should the coil still move or should it be loose cause it was mabey that the insulator was shot and they still had a lot of movement to em I don't know

 

[Xeek]

yes your coils are deff out of place. they fit in a slot.
my fix to keep them from spinning and falling out, 1 5/8 exhaust clamps.

pretty sure the spring should be tight on the axle. atleast i made mine tight(wont spin) anyway