# How do you change front coil springs on 06 F250?



## metallihockey88 (Dec 12, 2008)

ive got a 2006 Ford F250 Ext. Cab Diesel. i want ot change the front 5200lb springs to some 6500lb springs i picked up last year. i never got around to change them last year and now dont have the money to have them done. i hear they are real easy from everyone to change. everyone says they take about an hour to do. i would like to do them myself but was wondering how you do it? do i need any special tools? what are the basic steps? im mechanically inclined and do all my own work on my truck so im sure with a little direction it should be fairly easy. any help would be apprciated. thanx


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## rob_cook2001 (Nov 15, 2008)

I have done a few, takes a couple of hours. I think the first time i did them it took about 4 hours. My directions suck but you need jack the front of the truck up 1.5-2 feet. Put the frame on jackstands, then jack the axle up, take the shocks loose, depending on some trucks you might need to loosen the brake lines. Let the axle down until you can pull the springs out, put new springs in, jack axle up, put shocks back in. jack up a little more, remove jackstands, let down and your done.
DAMN I can NOT type lol


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

metallihockey88;1072592 said:


> ive got a 2006 Ford F250 Ext. Cab Diesel. i want ot change the front 5200lb springs to some 6500lb springs i picked up last year. i never got around to change them last year and now dont have the money to have them done. i hear they are real easy from everyone to change. everyone says they take about an hour to do. i would like to do them myself but was wondering how you do it? do i need any special tools? what are the basic steps? im mechanically inclined and do all my own work on my truck so im sure with a little direction it should be fairly easy. any help would be apprciated. thanx


Its kind of tough without a lift. My advise, take it to a dealer, I think it pays (the tech) 1.2 hrs a side but dont quote me. Why I say its too hard without a lift is you have to let the axle, wheel and everything drop so far in order to remove the extended spring, plus where ya going to jack it up, cant use the axle. If there is even the slightest tension on the spring it could spell disaster if it came out. When I was a Ford tech a couple years ago I had a spring, in the spring compressor tool that was mounted to a wall in the shop. It was only compressed 1/2 of the way and it came out and sailed 50yrds down the shop and took a nice chunk out of a cinder block wall. (and this was a small spring assembly). Unless you have a small compressor tool that goes on an impact gun (which are not very safe IMO) your kinda stuck taking it to a dealer.


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## metallihockey88 (Dec 12, 2008)

thanks for the quick responses guys. one last thing, does the axle drop enough from disconnecting the shocks to accomadate the extra 1.5in or so taller the new springs will be?


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

metallihockey88;1072622 said:


> thanks for the quick responses guys. one last thing, does the axle drop enough from disconnecting the shocks to accomadate the extra 1.5in or so taller the new springs will be?


It will as long as you have the truck raised up enough. Its not like the spring is compressed 6 inches but it will extend quite a bit. One thing you might want to check, and I think you'll be ok but the length of the shock might be an issue. The new springs are going to be a bit longer but definitely stiffer so they wont compress as much. The last switch over I did was quite a few years ago but I think original shocks were fine. Just spray down the shock bolts really well before you snap them off.


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## metallihockey88 (Dec 12, 2008)

alright cool. thanx a lot guys, appreciate the help. got all the info i need. ill give it a try tommorow and see what happens. think i should be fine.


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

metallihockey88;1072656 said:


> alright cool. thanx a lot guys, appreciate the help. got all the info i need. ill give it a try tommorow and see what happens. think i should be fine.


Snap a before and after pic please. I am thinking of doing this to my 06. Ever since we put on a back drag edge on our Fisher Extreme V, while in "V" position driving down the road the edge of the back drag edge hits the road on bumps and dips. It freaks people out beside me while driving. :laughing:


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## metallihockey88 (Dec 12, 2008)

Brian Young;1072671 said:


> Snap a before and after pic please. I am thinking of doing this to my 06. Ever since we put on a back drag edge on our Fisher Extreme V, while in "V" position driving down the road the edge of the back drag edge hits the road on bumps and dips. It freaks people out beside me while driving. :laughing:


lol i know exactly what your talkin about. when i had my gmc it would bottom out and scrap all the time and scare the hell outta whoever was with me. the 5200lb springs hold my 8ft boss great, not much sag and without the chain it doesnt bounce anywhere near as bad. mostly doin it to raise up the front end a bit since im addin a leaf in the back. you just want pics of the height difference or pics of somethin specific?


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## Sawboy (Dec 18, 2005)

Brian touched on it, but I just want to say it with a touch more emphasis. This is an "easy" job, but one that's VERY dangerous. A loaded spring can kill you. A head shot or a chest shot can do it. I personally called the EMT's for a guy in my shop when the spring compressor broke. Spring hit him in the chest and he was out like a light. Breathing real erratic, came to about 30 seconds later. He was in terrible pain. Final story was a cracked sternum, some broken ribs, and a bruised lung and heart. Yeah, and actual bruise to his heart. Not trying to be doom and gloom, just lending personal experience. 

Oh yeah, and he was 6'5", about 260 in great shape. Please be careful.


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

metallihockey88;1072683 said:


> lol i know exactly what your talkin about. when i had my gmc it would bottom out and scrap all the time and scare the hell outta whoever was with me. the 5200lb springs hold my 8ft boss great, not much sag and without the chain it doesnt bounce anywhere near as bad. mostly doin it to raise up the front end a bit since im addin a leaf in the back. you just want pics of the height difference or pics of somethin specific?


Just a side shot of the truck before then after, thanks.


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

Sawboy;1072696 said:


> Brian touched on it, but I just want to say it with a touch more emphasis. This is an "easy" job, but one that's VERY dangerous. A loaded spring can kill you. A head shot or a chest shot can do it. I personally called the EMT's for a guy in my shop when the spring compressor broke. Spring hit him in the chest and he was out like a light. Breathing real erratic, came to about 30 seconds later. He was in terrible pain. Final story was a cracked sternum, some broken ribs, and a bruised lung and heart. Yeah, and actual bruise to his heart. Not trying to be doom and gloom, just lending personal experience.
> 
> Oh yeah, and he was 6'5", about 260 in great shape. Please be careful.


Yikes! Mine was a little spring mounted on a strut assembly.


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