...would i have to remove the spring? how hard can it be? (in the words of jeremy clarkson)

Yes

...and while you are at it, might as well do the lower ones (since it will be apart).

it is not that hard to do it but I would say do them all at the same time to avoid having to tear it appart twice.
you could do just the top but I don't think I would want to stick my head in the wheelwell with that loded spring still in.
IMO anyway.
do all of it at once then you will only have to align it one time as well.

Is it an 84-87 or an 88? If you are gonna take the upper control arm off you mite as well replace all of the suspention with polyurathane the spring is not that hard to remove and nether is the upper and lower control arms! Just do it all at once poly is cheep! And there is a lot of good rightups on this job on this forum!

on the 84-87 you can do it without removing the spring. But you have to leave the jack on the bottom A arm.

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'84 Fiero, engine to be determined
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^ completely unsafe


Its not worth the risk a loaded sping of that size could do fatal damage and then some.

Just do it right and remove the spring properly

quote Originally posted by telefragg3d: ...would i have to remove the spring? how hard can it be? (in the words of jeremy clarkson)

No you don't have to as long as you have the bottom arm setting on a solid support since the weight of the car is holding the bottom spring compressed. But as said, if your doing the tops you just as well do the bottom at the same time.

I did my tops and then a few weeks later did the bottom ones. The spring is not that hard to deal with. Once you have a ball joint loose you put a chain or something around the spring and frame for safety, loosen the lower bushing bolts and lower the arm down.
Once the arm is down the spring is relaxed. Really quite easy. Put it back the same way, set the spring on the lower arm and jack the arm back up into place and put the ball joint back in.

An air chisel makes easy work of taking out the lower bolts that are usually rusted in the bushings. I have a video on Youtube showing removing the bolts with an air chisel.

[This message has been edited by Dodgerunner (edited 03-31-2009).]

if you only want to do the upper bushings, then you dont need to remove the spring because the lower arms hold the spring and the shocks hold the lower arm on. you can take the upper arm off without risking anything. If you do the upper bushings then i suggest you do the lowers as well cause it's cooler to have all poly. if you do all poly bushings then you'll have to get a spring compressor and dont be shy with a BIG hammer. suspension work is usually a matter of brute force.