Bob's Studebaker Resource Website

Merlin Klotz

August 2013


When I disassembled the control arms on the Speedster I used a loaner spring compressor from Advanced Auto. It was a poor fit and I was fortunate to not lose a finger when it unloaded. I knew at that point that reinstalling would be a challenge.

I went to the trusty shop manual to see their methods for installing control arms and the instructions were to lift the inner bar of the control arm with a jack and let the weight of the car do the work.... Duhhh! The weight of my car body is sitting on saw horses and the weight of my engine is on the engine stand. Plan "A" won't work. So I had to create plan "B".

1/2" threaded rod through the shock absorber holes; double nuts locked against each other on the bottom; 2 well greased washers between the nuts and the shock mount; Top side 2 well greased washers and a nut held stationary by a box end wrench; and on the top end of the shaft double nuts locked so that the threaded rod will turn when the top nut is driven by my impact wrench.

To position the center to frame holes counter to the spring pressure I used a motorcycle strap and a long pilot bolt dropped in a frame hole and corresponding Control arm hole. (Remove strap before torquiong frame bolts)

If I do this job again I’ll de-energize the springs with the same technique I used to re-install them. I’d also add a quality motorcycle strap through the spring as a safety just in case the locked nuts on the bottom failed to lock.