In the beginning there was stock...

First things first, you are going to have to remove the abs sensor from its mount.

The abs sensor is magnetic so its a good idea to clean it while you have it out.  This is also an excellent time to check the brakes and rotors, this 'Gator had only 13K miles on it.

There is also a clip on the upper control arm which has to be removed so you can move the abs line out of the way while working.

One last abs clip is mounted on the shock.  You'll need to remove this as well in order to get the shock off the truck.

Once all the lines are clear, remove the sway bar end links and remove the shock.  Once you have accomplished that loosen the upper ball joint nut and break the spindle free.

After loosening the upper arm, support the lower arm with a jack and remove the nut on the ball joint.  Lower the jack slowly to keep the spring from becoming a projectile and carefully remove the spring.

In the picture you can see we used a coil spring compressor, which we really didn't need.  The spring slipped out without incident.

The side by side comparison, factory left and Progress on the right.  Almost a perfect color compliment to our 'Gator.

Before you install the Progress spring you have to reach up inside the coil mount and pull the rubber spring wrap out and install it on the new spring.

The Progress spring goes in much easier than the old one came out because of its shorter size.  Make sure you have the spring oriented properly in its mount.

Once you have the new Progress spring installed, slide the shock back into its location and button it down.  Reinstall the sway bar bushings and end link hardware, torque the ball joint nut to factory specs, install the cotter pin and you are almost done.  Remember the abs stuff?  Uh huh, I thought so.  You still have one more side to do, but it gets easier the second time.

Here is a worms eye view of the rear air bag on the 'Gator, these are fully adjustable to accommodate lift or dropped suspension.

You will notice that we did not replace the factory shocks in this story, there is a reason for this.  It is our intention to drive the vehicle lowered on Progress' springs and factory shocks to gauge how much the factory ride quality is changed.  We wanted an accurate feel without a "performance" shock to mask any shortcomings the Progress spring may give.  I am happy to report after 1000 miles of spirited driving and grocery getting the 'Gator drives better than factory.  It hugs the road, goes where you point it and stays there and seems to float down the highways.

Stay tuned for an upcoming report on different shocks and how they affect ride.

The arrow is pointing at the adjuster bolt.  Depending on where you position the adjuster gives a different ride height.  With the Progress springs installed we opted to slide the adjuster all the way down.  The factory ride was still maintained and we were pleased with the look.

For more info on these or any other type of performance spring give the Progress Group a call or visit their website by clicking on the logo.

1390 N. Hundley St.,  Anaheim, CA.  92806

714-575-1193