About to give up (Help with Intrax lowering spring install)

[RoRo]

I'm attempting to install my Intrax lowering springs, which I originally bought for my first Aveo back in 2005. I've got both of the spring compressors on the right rear spring; however, I've never done this before and I have no idea what i'm doing. I don't want to pay a local shop $80, if I can do this myself.
Here's where i'm at now:


It seems like i've got both sides of the spring as compressed as it is going to get; however, I still have no wiggle room to get the spring out of there. Am I completely messing something up? I did a search online and on the aveo forum and did not come up with a how to on installing lowering springs. Can someone help me out please!!

[paulsaveo]

to start, your jackstands are in the wrong place. your jack stands should be positioned on the pinchwelds under the doors, in the jack positions. then you place the jack itself under the middle of the bar raised (up so the bar is resting on the top of the jack) where your stands are currently located. then you remove the lower shock mount bolts. once shock mount bolts are removed, use the jack to lower the whole dead axle assembly, at which point the stock springs will almost fall out without use of spring compressors

[petrified.rabbit]

what paul said, but i usually just let it drop... there is a point on the frame that i use over the pinch weld though.. but you have the spring compressed where you have the jack stands as they are still holding up the car..

[RoRo]

I'm going back out to try that now. Is the front the same procedure or something entirely different?

[RoRo]

Well thank you very much for the advice. That method worked like a charm. Still was unable to complete the job though because apparently I was wrong in assuming that '05 lowering springs would work on a '10. The stock springs standing up fit inside the '05 lowering springs. In other words the '10 stock spring is much smaller in circumference then the '05 lowering spring. And yes I triple checked and it was clearly labeled REAR on the lowering spring. I even tried the FRONT lowering spring, but it was also larger in circumference then the stock spring. So I guess I will be selling some '05 Intrax lowering springs pretty soon. I hate to admit it, but I actually contemplated cutting the stock springs, while they were sitting on the floor next to the lowering springs. But I have heard about the crappy ride quality of cut springs, so I didn't do it.

[petrified.rabbit]

thats not possible, the suspension is "exactly" the same post pictures of what you have and also part numbers off the box.

[petrified.rabbit]

look in my coilover thread for the basic idea of how the fronts come apart.

[RoRo]

I already put everything back on the car, but i'm telling you the stock spring can easily sit inside the lowering spring when they are standing on the floor. The stock spring is larger at the top and gets smaller towards the bottom, but the lowering spring is all the same circumference. When I tried to put it onto the car, the top of the spring will not fit inside the top circular thing that had the rubber piece in it. Some of the spring overlaps this part of the car no matter how I move it around and try to make it work. I double checked the box and it says Chevrolet Aveo 04+. The part # from the box is 25.1.011

[petrified.rabbit]

i know what the stocks look like, show me what you bought. sounds like you got sleeves?

[RoRo]

They're huge purple springs from Intrax. Smaller in length than the originals, but larger in circumference, hence why they won't fit.