Great video...it just helped me finish my 97 Chevy S10 suspension...during the installation of the coil spring, I attempted to compress the coil spring between the upper and lower control arms and then connect the spindle which was unsuccessful/frustrating...wasting my 4th of July weekend...got back on it Monday morning using your method and popped both springs into place within an hour.
I just did this same job yesterday on my daughters 2002 ext cab 2.2 2wd S-10 pickup. Yes what a pain and I'm sore all over lol. The biggest pain was getting the spring back in and after fighting my tail off and wasting much time and energy I found a easy solution....use a scissor jack under the outside of the lower control arm and use a floor jack under the inside of the control arm and you can adjust each jack accordingly until you get the lower control arm pivot bolts lined up and installed... then you can lower the whole lower control arm and the spring stays in there....then you can place the floor jack under the outside of the control arm and raise it until you can instal the nit on the lower ball joint. I wish I did this in both sides rite from the start, so easy...lesson learned!
I also exhausted a lot of energy getting it back together. I tried with the pivot bolt first and using a spring compressor but it wouldn't compress enough and I hate using those. Ended up using a floor jack similar to what you described but with the lower ball joint loosely connected where you used the scissor jack and jacking under the inside control arm until the pivot bolts lined up. It took some persuasion with a mallet. The next time I have one apart, I will try your method. Anything to make it easier. I primarily post restoration vids of my 77 Camaro on this channel but funny how this video has gotten the most views. Thanks for watching and commenting. -Sam
I learned this lesson the hard way too. I made a couple of jigs out of wood fitted onto a pair of bottle jacks to control the the back two corners of the lower control arm. What people don't realize is that with the arm all the way down with the bolts in the frame, there's interference between the spring and the frame because the travel of the arm brings the spring too far inside, so the back of the arm has to come down to position the the spring properly into the perch in the frame. Helps to have the spring compressed as well. I used the OCT tool which was expensive, but worth it in my opinion as it holds the spring together very securely.
Gerald Berra 1994 S-10 ! Getting everything back toghether! Upper and lower control arms! Sat all Winter! Weather good for working! Pain in the butt! Thx! Glad you showed about front spring,bucket! I'll remember reattaching steering spindle components first and lift lower control arm at back! Thx!
thank you for making this video man now i feel confident working on my 01 s10 & you also inspired me to make my own video of this thank you and god bless
Great video i have a 2002 s10 4.3L just like the one in the video im having to same exact issue with the front end. Have the parts for it and everything. Noticed on mine when removing driver side lower control arm bolt (right side bolt ) near steering shaft and abs lines its hard to get a socket in there on the nut its self but dont know the wrench size to use. This video showed me alot of good tips to remember when i start my rebuild. Thank you
Thanks. Had to do it outside because my Camaro has taken over the garage. It was a lot of hard work. Luckily my older brother helped me out with getting the springs back in.
Second that - swapping out out the UCA bushings on my '94 S10 at the moment. I've heard tell you can get enough clearance by tweaking the motor up with a floor jack under the oil pan, but I think I'll see if I can push back the mounting studs with a C clamp.
next time, don't rely on the shock to hold the spring tension! my old partner learned that the hard way when one day the shock let go, and the spring shot to the floor and bounced back breaking his nose! AND squirting shock oil in his face! always use the floor jack to control the release of the spring/control arm, it was one of those learn from other peoples mistakes moments. Good job on the video btw!
Good tip. You can never be too careful when dealing with these springs. I left the nuts loosely on the ball joints to prevent the assembly from flying apart. I have to disassemble the spring assembly on my 77 Camaro soon and will keep that in mind. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Ashlyn Lemire spring compression tools are for sissies that's why you do it the man way (jack) that's what there made for freak in morons here!! oh let's hit the lower a-arm!!wtf!! This guy is clueless this video makes me sick on his stupidity!!!
Dillon Koch It's not about being a dick dill weed it's about using your head, this guy or you clowns here shouldn't be doing these ignorant videos! These videos are the dumbest & stupidess ways possible. Use your heads & right tools when doing these videos. Show people the smart way not the stupid way & dangerous is my point. Think before you talk to me!!
Thanks for the feedback. The noise was from the bearing. Replaced it and the noise is gone. Still pulling to the left. I will look in to the caliper slides. Thanks again!
what bump stops did you end up going with im getting ready to replace my suspension myself and ive noticed i have no bump stops anywhere. ive looked around and cant find an OE style and most threads are back and forth on what to run and what fits
Nice Job! Yes them springs can be scary! The bar is the center link or some call it a draglink ,And you did good on getting the parts with everything installed and everything is new! And for the most part they are priced pretty good also, I have a 2002 dodge caravan and i need to put the struts on it and im gona just buy them assembled take the old ones out and slap the new ones in , Gotta love the pre -assembled stuff for sure! Again nice job ! Your tires are gona thank you! Haha!
Haha Thanks. I got the kit from my brother at a discount but it's on ebay for $350. Assembled already did make it easier. My brother has a press I could have used. Good to know about the center link/ drag link. When looking up the torque specs in the manual, I noticed they call it the relay rod. Unfortunately, I picked up the truck and it's still pulling to the left and making road noise. Digging a little deeper today.
A relay rod lol that's a new one for me guess they gotta keep renaming it too keep us on our toes lol still pulling with the new tires and ailment? I would just let the shop know.. Or just yell at your brother say what did you sell me!! Haha kidding of course maybe try moving the left tire too the right and right too the left and see if it pulls right if it does then you know something is up with the tire
@@samsgarage2856 Did it straighten out after rotating or replacing the front tires? That’s a commonly overlooked factor. Uneven tread-wear will cause the pull.
Was it hard to change it by yourself or do you need an extra set of hands? The reason I'm asking is cause I have a 1997 GMC Sonoma in which I'm contemplating changing mines. That's because I just bought this truck recently.
it was brutal on me too. My neck as well. The first time I tried unsuccessfully to get the spring it, spent 3 hours under the truck. Just about killed me, but once I understood what was going on I got it in less than an hour on the next attempt.
Thanks for the video bro, I am going to do itnwas my Haynes manual says too, first torque the steering knuckle and ball joints, THEN use the jack to raise the lower edge of the lower control arm and insert the 2 bolts, maybe I'll use a pry bar and a hammer like you did.
Do you still have the truck if yes, how’s the suspension parts are they still good I want to do the same to my s10 but don’t know which brand to buy because there are many and different prices too so can you help me out
Great video. I have an s10 blazer and it's got loose steering and pulls no matter how I align it. It needs ball joints and probably an idler arm. Thought the job was harder than this.
Great video, you showed and explained things that none of the other front end videos did that I've seen so far. What brand of parts did you use by the way?
If you have the 2.2, it is possible to remove the arm without removing the bolts. On the driver side I removed the header pipe and the disconnected the steering shaft; it wasn't too bad.
La year, I got lucky that I brought and nursed my 2000 Chevy Blazer to my house. I had no choice but to replace my tie-rods. I went economic to get these parts. And boy: removing the knuckle was an ass. Once I got the rods replaced, I then took it to the mechanic to get it re-aligned. Spent $200. It will take a while to replace the bearings, sway bars and shocks. I will let a pro do this the next time around.
Next time rent the compression tool or buy it. Hell I’ve used ratchet straps to compress them. There is always away when short on funds dude. Not knocking yah. I’ve done it like this also but it’s scary shit. Nice vid tho. Stay safe
You should use a castle nut and cotter pin on all suspension components. Dont know why they gave you a lock nut for the CA. The components you didn't know the name of are the Idler Arm and Center Link.
Thanks for commenting and the info. Apparently the center link has multi names. Since making the video I have seen it called the center link, drag link and relay rod. I usually use cotter pins for suspension components. I even try to use new ones every time! lol The auto stores have the castle nut for the ball joints in the Help! section readily available but the lower ball Joints did not have the hole drilled. The lock nuts would not work because the ball joint just rotated and the nut wouldn't tighten up, even with a load on the ball joint. What a pain.
I’m not even in 40 seconds and I see it’s a 2wd lol can you add it so use viewers don’t waste our time thanks but I can also tell your video is gone be lit and spot on so good luck
Nice vid mine is 95 so if yours is that messed up sheesh mines toast.. plan on doing this in the next month going to some1 who has done this b4, but i like seeing it and i could prolly do it myself with this nice vid but if the helps there USE IT....Thanx
The piece you didn’t know the name of is a “drag link” , you can put the tie rods in with drag link installed, you just have to turn steering wheel all the way on way install accessible tie rod then turn steering wheel other way to install opposite tie rod.
Sam's Garage hey I jut did the same thing to my 99 s10 extreme but having problems with the inner tie rods hitting the frame when steering left and right on jack stands that is ? And yes I tried another part just in case any help
This is true, except for the bushings. I'm halfway through my front end overhaul on my '01, and I always gave every joint 3 pumps of grease with every oil change. At 182,000 miles every joint was still in very good condition, but unfortunately the bushings were the reason I under the thing. It was good to see another take on how to do this job.
Great video...it just helped me finish my 97 Chevy S10 suspension...during the installation of the coil spring, I attempted to compress the coil spring between the upper and lower control arms and then connect the spindle which was unsuccessful/frustrating...wasting my 4th of July weekend...got back on it Monday morning using your method and popped both springs into place within an hour.
Not sure how many times I have watched this, but its plenty. Thanks for this effort to record and explain.
Easy to see you love Chevy trucks. Great, informative vdeo. Thanks for taking the time to do it.
I just did this same job yesterday on my daughters 2002 ext cab 2.2 2wd S-10 pickup. Yes what a pain and I'm sore all over lol. The biggest pain was getting the spring back in and after fighting my tail off and wasting much time and energy I found a easy solution....use a scissor jack under the outside of the lower control arm and use a floor jack under the inside of the control arm and you can adjust each jack accordingly until you get the lower control arm pivot bolts lined up and installed... then you can lower the whole lower control arm and the spring stays in there....then you can place the floor jack under the outside of the control arm and raise it until you can instal the nit on the lower ball joint. I wish I did this in both sides rite from the start, so easy...lesson learned!
I also exhausted a lot of energy getting it back together. I tried with the pivot bolt first and using a spring compressor but it wouldn't compress enough and I hate using those. Ended up using a floor jack similar to what you described but with the lower ball joint loosely connected where you used the scissor jack and jacking under the inside control arm until the pivot bolts lined up. It took some persuasion with a mallet. The next time I have one apart, I will try your method. Anything to make it easier. I primarily post restoration vids of my 77 Camaro on this channel but funny how this video has gotten the most views. Thanks for watching and commenting. -Sam
I learned this lesson the hard way too. I made a couple of jigs out of wood fitted onto a pair of bottle jacks to control the the back two corners of the lower control arm. What people don't realize is that with the arm all the way down with the bolts in the frame, there's interference between the spring and the frame because the travel of the arm brings the spring too far inside, so the back of the arm has to come down to position the the spring properly into the perch in the frame. Helps to have the spring compressed as well. I used the OCT tool which was expensive, but worth it in my opinion as it holds the spring together very securely.
Gerald Berra 1994 S-10 ! Getting everything back toghether! Upper and lower control arms! Sat all Winter! Weather good for working! Pain in the butt! Thx! Glad you showed about front spring,bucket! I'll remember reattaching steering spindle components first and lift lower control arm at back! Thx!
Ken T.
Ken what is the OCT tool you are talking about? I'm doing mine now and it's a pain getting that spring back in , thanks.
thank you for making this video man now i feel confident working on my 01 s10 & you also inspired me to make my own video of this thank you and god bless
Sam, thanks so much! Your video is awesome with it's tips, methods, and explanations!! Cheers!
Got an 02 zq8 too! Love it! Thanks for the upload!
Doing mine now. Good fun. Looks like I get to do the steering box too. Yay!
Great video i have a 2002 s10 4.3L just like the one in the video im having to same exact issue with the front end. Have the parts for it and everything. Noticed on mine when removing driver side lower control arm bolt (right side bolt ) near steering shaft and abs lines its hard to get a socket in there on the nut its self but dont know the wrench size to use. This video showed me alot of good tips to remember when i start my rebuild. Thank you
Looks like a lot of hard work, Sam. Great job. Enjoyed the video.
Thanks. Had to do it outside because my Camaro has taken over the garage. It was a lot of hard work. Luckily my older brother helped me out with getting the springs back in.
C clamp tip just saved the heck outta me thanks!!!
I can't take credit as I found the tip on the web. I'm glad it helped.
Second that - swapping out out the UCA bushings on my '94 S10 at the moment. I've heard tell you can get enough clearance by tweaking the motor up with a floor jack under the oil pan, but I think I'll see if I can push back the mounting studs with a C clamp.
next time, don't rely on the shock to hold the spring tension! my old partner learned that the hard way when one day the shock let go, and the spring shot to the floor and bounced back breaking his nose! AND squirting shock oil in his face! always use the floor jack to control the release of the spring/control arm, it was one of those learn from other peoples mistakes moments. Good job on the video btw!
Good tip. You can never be too careful when dealing with these springs. I left the nuts loosely on the ball joints to prevent the assembly from flying apart. I have to disassemble the spring assembly on my 77 Camaro soon and will keep that in mind. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Ashlyn Lemire spring compression tools are for sissies that's why you do it the man way (jack) that's what there made for freak in morons here!! oh let's hit the lower a-arm!!wtf!! This guy is clueless this video makes me sick on his stupidity!!!
Gary Gushue there is no need to be a Dick. but I won't lie I use a floor Jack to compress my shocks to
Dillon Koch It's not about being a dick dill weed it's about using your head, this guy or you clowns here shouldn't be doing these ignorant videos! These videos are the dumbest & stupidess ways possible. Use your heads & right tools when doing these videos. Show people the smart way not the stupid way & dangerous is my point. Think before you talk to me!!
Gary Gushue do you feel better now? DO YOU?
PISS OFF MUMFORD AND SONS..
Good shit my nickel,if it wasn’t for you I’d still be messing with the damn spring.
6:30-9:00 helped me out a lot thank you
Great. Glad I could help.
Nice job I have a 1998 S10 with 340,000 still running strong I have always used Rotella T 15 w40 since day one
Nice. Glad I could help you get it back together.
Thanks for the help!
You are official now front end all brand new suspension now when you have alignment done its going to go stright as arrow great job
Thanks. I have another problem in the front end. Still pulling left and making noise. Going to inspect the wheel bearings.
Hi Sam, Also check brake caliper slides as they might be sticking pulling the wheel in a unwanted direction.
Thanks for the feedback. The noise was from the bearing. Replaced it and the noise is gone. Still pulling to the left. I will look in to the caliper slides. Thanks again!
@@samsgarage2856 Did you ever find the source of the pull?
4040pmora ^^
I like those wheels man 😎💪
Nice job buddy thanks 🙏🏻 keep making videos
what bump stops did you end up going with im getting ready to replace my suspension myself and ive noticed i have no bump stops anywhere. ive looked around and cant find an OE style and most threads are back and forth on what to run and what fits
Nice Job! Yes them springs can be scary! The bar is the center link or some call it a draglink ,And you did good on getting the parts with everything installed and everything is new! And for the most part they are priced pretty good also, I have a 2002 dodge caravan and i need to put the struts on it and im gona just buy them assembled take the old ones out and slap the new ones in , Gotta love the pre -assembled stuff for sure! Again nice job ! Your tires are gona thank you! Haha!
Haha Thanks. I got the kit from my brother at a discount but it's on ebay for $350. Assembled already did make it easier. My brother has a press I could have used. Good to know about the center link/ drag link. When looking up the torque specs in the manual, I noticed they call it the relay rod. Unfortunately, I picked up the truck and it's still pulling to the left and making road noise. Digging a little deeper today.
A relay rod lol that's a new one for me guess they gotta keep renaming it too keep us on our toes lol still pulling with the new tires and ailment? I would just let the shop know..
Or just yell at your brother say what did you sell me!! Haha kidding of course maybe try moving the left tire too the right and right too the left and see if it pulls right if it does then you know something is up with the tire
@@samsgarage2856 Did it straighten out after rotating or replacing the front tires? That’s a commonly overlooked factor. Uneven tread-wear will cause the pull.
Just found your channel, I’m about to change the control arms with tie rods and everything on my 94 Sonoma, and I’ve got a 78 Camaro too. 😂
Man..Looks good. I wish I had all those parts installed on my s10. it needs it bad!!
Thanks. It was bit of a pain but I'm glad it's done.
can I put a spacer in the spring to lift the same s10??
Great vid. Good job.
Did you buy insulators for the coil springs? Did you buy both the top and the bottom insulator for the coil spring ?
How did you remove the center link from the pitman arm?
Was it hard to change it by yourself or do you need an extra set of hands? The reason I'm asking is cause I have a 1997 GMC Sonoma in which I'm contemplating changing mines. That's because I just bought this truck recently.
Nice job Sam, that was a lot of work..
Thanks. My neck muscles are really hurting. lol
it was brutal on me too. My neck as well. The first time I tried unsuccessfully to get the spring it, spent 3 hours under the truck. Just about killed me, but once I understood what was going on I got it in less than an hour on the next attempt.
What was the total of the price for the rebuild of the front suspension for your S10?
Thanks for the video bro, I am going to do itnwas my Haynes manual says too, first torque the steering knuckle and ball joints, THEN use the jack to raise the lower edge of the lower control arm and insert the 2 bolts, maybe I'll use a pry bar and a hammer like you did.
HOLA DESDE ALTAMIRA TAMAULIPAS EXELENTE VIDEO
Good job man, what a PITA! lol
Thanks for this video... help me too much....
Do you still have the truck if yes, how’s the suspension parts are they still good I want to do the same to my s10 but don’t know which brand to buy because there are many and different prices too so can you help me out
What brand of control arm did u get
Good video I gotta do mine the lowers
Excellent job
Thanks!
You said this truck had the ZQ8 suspension why does it set so high mine is way lower than that?
How much did it cost you for all the parts?
Good job thanks for making this vid incase i need to get this done soon
Thanks, no problem. Hardest part is getting the springs back in. This kit is on Ebay for $350.
Sam's Garage Not bad i thought it would be more thanks Sam
Que tal funciona el motor? Es mwm 2.8? Saludos
Great video. I have an s10 blazer and it's got loose steering and pulls no matter how I align it. It needs ball joints and probably an idler arm. Thought the job was harder than this.
Thanks. It was a bit of a pain to get the springs back compressed but other than that, it went smoothly.
Is it same for xtreme model?
Great video, you showed and explained things that none of the other front end videos did that I've seen so far. What brand of parts did you use by the way?
Were did you get the kit
@samsgarage how much did all that cost you
great job
Thanks!
Which kit is that
I realize this is an old video. I'd like to know where you got all of these parts and around about what did it cost you. Thanks
About 500 to 700 from TRQ
Your local autozone for half the price : )
Parts geek just did same job all ac delco around 800
Good video man !
Second time watching it , kinda did a a while back but forgot how to
What rims are those??
the bolts that hold the upper arm on have a spline section that holds them in place but you can knock them loose and get the arm out a lot easier.
The arm would not come out without the removal of the rear splined bolt. I explain how I removed it at 6:36. Thanks for watching and commenting.
If you have the 2.2, it is possible to remove the arm without removing the bolts. On the driver side I removed the header pipe and the disconnected the steering shaft; it wasn't too bad.
Hey about how much was the cost of parts. Just got an s10 last week
The kit was about $350 on ebay.
@@samsgarage2856 where the parts aftermarket?
Good job, but WD40 is not penetrating oil. Use PB Blaster or similar.
How many hours did it take to complete the job ? I have a 00 blazer that I want to do the same job.
I think it took me 2 weekends but could easily complete in a weekend now that I have done it.
Pouchy...does your blazer have coil springs or just a torsion bar?
eh i want fix my blazer 2001
where you buy the kit???
I got it from my brother but he got it off ebay.
La year, I got lucky that I brought and nursed my 2000 Chevy Blazer to my house. I had no choice but to replace my tie-rods. I went economic to get these parts. And boy: removing the knuckle was an ass. Once I got the rods replaced, I then took it to the mechanic to get it re-aligned. Spent $200. It will take a while to replace the bearings, sway bars and shocks. I will let a pro do this the next time around.
the piece at 1:31 is a steering idler arm the piece at 1:37 is the steering linkage bar i believe.
Thanks for the info. Since filming the vid, I have also seen the steering linkage bar called "relay rod", and "drag link".
where you order your replacement parts from
They were ordered off Ebay.
Next time rent the compression tool or buy it. Hell I’ve used ratchet straps to compress them. There is always away when short on funds dude. Not knocking yah. I’ve done it like this also but it’s scary shit. Nice vid tho. Stay safe
Kinda late to the party, but i needs do something to this s10 i bought. Do you remember what all that costs you?
good job looks good. can you do my truck now. lol
Thanks, Haha
You should use a castle nut and cotter pin on all suspension components. Dont know why they gave you a lock nut for the CA. The components you didn't know the name of are the Idler Arm and Center Link.
Thanks for commenting and the info. Apparently the center link has multi names. Since making the video I have seen it called the center link, drag link and relay rod. I usually use cotter pins for suspension components. I even try to use new ones every time! lol The auto stores have the castle nut for the ball joints in the Help! section readily available but the lower ball Joints did not have the hole drilled. The lock nuts would not work because the ball joint just rotated and the nut wouldn't tighten up, even with a load on the ball joint. What a pain.
I’m not even in 40 seconds and I see it’s a 2wd lol can you add it so use viewers don’t waste our time thanks but I can also tell your video is gone be lit and spot on so good luck
Chevylife why the hell would you think the s10 would be awd ........
At least 4x4
Pickle fork!
Nice vid mine is 95 so if yours is that messed up sheesh mines toast.. plan on doing this in the next month going to some1 who has done this b4, but i like seeing it and i could prolly do it myself with this nice vid but if the helps there USE IT....Thanx
chinesee stuff and you have to rebuilds soon... buy moog parts and you will be on the music ;-)
I've heard Moog is pretty good. I'll probably use Moog when I get to the steering on my Camaro build. Thanks for watching and the feedback!
get a chain and wrap around the coils Springs keep it from flying
I just need to know what tools to use lol
It's called a center link.
thank God I'm a mechanic...lol...
was here
Thanks for watching!
Four-cylinder 2.2
The piece you didn’t know the name of is a “drag link” , you can put the tie rods in with drag link installed, you just have to turn steering wheel all the way on way install accessible tie rod then turn steering wheel other way to install opposite tie rod.
57 seconds my bad
It is called an idler arm!!!
keep it greased up and it'll last until the motor explodes
Good point. At 220,000 miles now. Hopefully will make it past 350,000.
Sam's Garage hey I jut did the same thing to my 99 s10 extreme but having problems with the inner tie rods hitting the frame when steering left and right on jack stands that is ? And yes I tried another part just in case any help
I imagine you have this worked out already as I am responding so late. I didn't notice any issues on mine.
This is true, except for the bushings. I'm halfway through my front end overhaul on my '01, and I always gave every joint 3 pumps of grease with every oil change. At 182,000 miles every joint was still in very good condition, but unfortunately the bushings were the reason I under the thing. It was good to see another take on how to do this job.
Like my asshole
Hehe I have no rubber left on my crap lmao
PB B'laster > WD40
2wd
You don't show how you do anything
Kroil>pb
Nobody seems to know about aerokroil, it's the best on the market! Smells alot better also 😂