OGTS intermediate spring on 69 GT

[raycemon]

I'm trying to install a OGTS intermediate leaf spring on my 69 GT. With the spring compressed so that I'm 2 inches off of the bump stops the spring eye screw still is about 3/4 of a screw hole from going in.

I believe that the 69's and 70's had shorter lower control arms. Should this spring fit? Do I have to move the holes out on the lower control arms? This would cause more of an interference with the sping eye and the lower ball joint.

Does anyone have any experience installing one of these?
I hate to just keep on compressing the spring if it's not supposed to fit.

Thanks for your help, Bill

[Anonymous D]

There are no changes to the installation, everything goes back in the same way as it came out, aside from rotating the upper ball joints to adjust camber. Also, there were no changes in size of lower arms for any of the GT's (I'm wondering, where did you get that idea? Are you mistaking the change in the diameter of the inner metal sleeve for something else?). If I were you, I'd re-read the instructions that came with the spring, and do whatever it says.

[jordan]

You should look at the lower ball joints on the back side as there are some spring/LBG clearance issues depending upon what ball joints you have in. This would require grinding on the spring eye as there is nothing to modify on the ball joint that would not destroy it, or if you have the higher profile ball joints you can exchange them with the lower profile version and that may solve the problem.

[DennisGardiner]

Originally Posted by raycemon I'm trying to install a OGTS intermediate leaf spring on my 69 GT. With the spring compressed so that I'm 2 inches off of the bump stops the spring eye screw still is about 3/4 of a screw hole from going in.

You want to keep both lower control arms very loose. ie. just barely hanging on by a couple threads. Then using a long punch I slide it into the spring eye bushing hole in the lower control arm and into the spring eye bushing sleeve.
I then pry the bushing sleeve over so I can get the bolt started from the other side. Next I keep working the punch until I can tap the bolt through with a hammer.
It's a pain working with the GT transverse leaf spring. I've had to do the same trick on every GT I've worked on as well as every Kadett.

And It do not matter with a stock spring, or intermediate spring. The easiest springs (oddly enough) are the full on sport springs.

Most likely because they are almost flat to begin with.

The worst is the stock spring. As a matter of fact, I hate the stock front GT/Kadett spring.