Rear Ball Joint Trouble - E53 - spring set-up

[andrewwynn]

The spring doesn't need to be all that compressed it will be at maximum so maybe 500-800# of force. That amount can easily be held by a dozen wraps of steel wire.

Of course safety being paramount you must be a step ahead of danger. Safety squints and maybe some ear plugs in case something gives way because it will be hella loud if the spring snaps open even when you cut the wire to release it, it will snap expand though if you cut every few strands it may actually just stretch the wire or better, hold the wire and slowly let it retreat.

I wouldn't have a prob using the pre-compress and wire-tie method. If you can use a floor jack under the swing arm right under the lower spring perch then you know just how much you need to compress. Do an extra inch, hog tie the thing, lower the jack just enough to bind the spring and have play for the bolts and leave the jack just under the swing arm in case the wires give way.

Then when done push up on the spring and you can remove the wires while under no tension.