Pontiac GTO Wheel and Drag Bag Installation - Hookin' Up A Goat On A Budget

The lower shock bolt on the passenger side is removed with a 21mm socket.

A pole jack is positioned under the A-arm, and a 13mm socket and wrench are used to disconnect the sway bar end link from the A-arm.

A pry bar is used to force the A-arm down until sufficient clearance is gained to extract the coil spring.

Once the spring is extracted, the lower spring pad is modified by cutting approximately 1 inch off of the upper portion with a hacksaw or Sawzall.

The upper spring pad is similarly modified, except this time the bump stop portion of the pad is completely removed. Cutting the upper and lower pads allows enough room for the air bag to fit inside the spring.

Before squeezing the air out of the bag and attempting to insert it in the spring, care is taken to make sure that the air nipple is facing downward on the bag. Soaking the polyurethane bag in some warm water before trying to collapse it will aid installation.

The air line is routed down through the spring mount on the A-arm so that it comes through the center hole. This plastic air line was a very tight fit, so rather than risking a kink in it, a 131/432-inch drill bit is used to enlarge the rubber in the mount, thereby providing ample clearance.

Next, the line is attached to the nipple on the air bag and a pair of needle nose pliers is used to secure the provided hose clamp. Since the owner wanted to be able to service the air from inside the trunk, the section of hose was measured and cut appropriately.

The modified upper and lower spring pads are installed into the A-arm and the line is routed through the A-arm. The spring is then mounted into the perch and the procedures are duplicated on the drivers' side.