I dropped the engine out the bottom and left the k-member kinda out in the weather for like two years...

Fast forward to now: New motor on k-member... got it up in the body. When I went to put the control arm assembly up through the holes, I couldn't do it. I messed with it FOREVER and came to the conclusion the shock was stock. I couldn't compress it at all!

I finally got them in and was wondering if the weight of the car will "unstick" them? If not, I guess I'll be buying some new ones. I sure don't wanna be riding around with the front up in the air... and riding with no front suspension!

 

Dude, you will NEVER compress the springs & shocks by hand!!! (if that's what you're trying to do? ). Even if you were jacking directly under the lower ball joint, you'd start lifting the car by the time you'd start to compress the spring/shock .

I mean, after a couple years of sitting outside in the weather (if they weren't at least protected from direct contact with rain), it's entirely possible that the shocks got water in them and have now rusted in place. BUT, I don't know how you're lifting that assembly up, and if it's in a manner that would actually prove the shocks are seized or not?! Chances are, once you put the weight of the car down onto the suspension, they'll compress .

 

What I'm saying is.... I can lower the car down, with jackstands under the control arm, and the shocks don't compress.

 

Well what you said originally was "New motor on k-member... got it up in the body. When I went to put the control arm assembly up through the holes, I couldn't do it. I messed with it FOREVER and came to the conclusion the shock was stock. I couldn't compress it at all!"

... so I thought you were lifting the A-arm assembly UP into the car .

Ok, if you do have the car sitting on jack-stands now, WHERE are the stands located under the control arm? At that nice spot (that I often use ) about ~3" out from the horizontal mount bolt? Or are the stands out near the ball-joints? This will make a HUGE difference!

Try putting the weight down on the outer ends of the A-arms, as if the car was sitting down on its wheels. Or hell, for that sake, bolt the wheels on and sit it down!!

Last year, I was doing some work under the car, and I had it supported on stands under the A-arms near the inside of the arms. The wheels were still on the car, and when I looked at it, I couldn't believe how huge the gap was above the wheels ... almost like the suspension was at full droop?! Not until I put weight back on the wheels did the suspension compress and look normal.

 

Yes, jackstands out at the ends of control arms.

It took me over two hours to get the passenger side in! I had to take the shock loose at the bottom, stick it in from the side at an angle, then beat the shock back into place! Terrible.

Other side took like 5 minutes.