IRS spring install into Fox, is there an easier way?

Just getting around to getting the IRS into my 91 project. No coil overs for this one, H&R springs into stock location onto lower arms and into spring pocket.

I know I'm going to have to trim the coils so they'll be in and out a few times.

I have the IRS loosely bolted at the torque boxes and am lowering the rear of the assembly, pivoting down. The car is still on stands all around.

When jacking the rear of the IRS into place the springs aren't compressing much and I'm lifting the entire rear of the car. This time I got my neighbor to put his 210lbs on the back of the car which was barely enough to compress the springs so i could bolt the rear mounts.

I can't be the first one dealing with this. I can build some sort of rig, but am looking for an easy answer I'm overlooking. A spring compressor is the obvious thing, but also a pita.

With shocks off, place springs in the pockets, jack up under the rear center of the IRS cradle. Once rear bolts are in place, jack up under control arm one at a time to install shocks. When doing on a hoist, we actually strap the car to the hoist itself to ensure it doesn't slide off the front. If doing on the floor, perhaps which jacking center rear of the cradle, if it does not go up enough before raising entire car, ratchet strap on each rear corner to the mount n help pull it into place.

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Originally Posted by ZR

With shocks off, place springs in the pockets, jack up under the rear center of the IRS cradle.

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This is what I'm doing now but the rear of the cradle doesn't make it into place before the entire rear of the car lifts off the stands. I'm gonna spend some time thinking about compressing the spring. I could have planned for this with the hard tail by adding a feature to it, but it didn't occur to me. Next time.

I'd bet combo of jacking into place plus ratchet strap on each rear corner pulling up will sent it home.

Over thinking once again

As a bonus, good access for rustproofing. The floor hole is caped with the grommet when done. I’ll be cutting the springs so i anticipate dropping the assembly a few time. Pretty specific to hard tail converted IRS using regular coil springs (not coil overs).

if the hatch is not on the car jam a 2x4 between the top of the frame near the spring perch and the roof truss —worked for me squeezing 500lb springs into the front of my fox —I also had a cement ceiling that made it a bit easier

I wanted a "system" that didn't require restraining the car. This works pretty well. My crappy 18 volt Rigid impact had no issues. I alternated side to side with about an inch of travel before swapping back and forth. I can do the job with the car on stands pretty easily now.

The puller rods and associated pieces take a couple minutes to install and are removed just as quickly. Strapping to a hoist, pushing from an above structure or getting my 210lb neighbor to sit in the hatch all work but require some external input. This allows me to do the job quickly by myself with minimal fuss, aside from thinking up and fabricating the pieces (all made with scrap bin parts btw)

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Originally Posted by hammerhead

….jam a 2x4 between the top of the frame near the spring perch and the roof truss

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No

Come to think of it —I think I used a 2x6