coil springs

[kilog]

i put the 5662 oils on the front, very tall, might need trimming. i put the cc635 single pigtais on the rear and it is now sitting on the tires. did i miss something?

 

[kilog]

just more info. i am replacing the original front springs. one spring had a rubber piece on the top one didnt. i put the camaro 5662 springs on the front 700# or so instead of 420#. i herd that was not a bad thing to do. i was looking the the manual and apparently the springs need to be orientated a certain way. the front end came up about 2 inches or so. i run a 235 60 15 tire and have 28' the the fender.
on the rear i replaced the factory cargo coils ( double pigtails) with the camaro cc635 ( single pigtails) and the rear dropped about 2", sitting right on top of the tires. is there a part that goes on top of the spring as a spacer or something?
reading the moog spring charts this combo should have worked.

 

[Bonnewagon]

All the coils should have a rubber or poly insulator at the top. I like energy suspension brand. When I put a heavy Pontiac 400 in my Malibu the front end dropped a lot so I tried 77' TA 400 springs. That put the front pointing at the trees. I ended up cutting the coils a 1/4 coil at a time to get the front down to where I wanted it,about 2" over stock. About 3/4 of a coil did the trick. Beware that cutting coils increases the rate and stiffens the ride. If you decide to cut, go slowly since a little cut drops the car a lot. You can allways cut more, but you can't put it back on. I used the cargo coils in the back and ended up using spacer cups from a spring shop to get the rear up to match the front. It goes under the spring on the axle pad. I like a tall rear for towing a boat and on my latest car I used "B" body springs from a Buick LeSabre. It's about 4" over stock.

 

[fodoimp]

Kilog
I have a set of rear coil spring spacers if you are interested.
http://gbodyforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=13040&p=95398&hilit=coil+spring+spacers#p95398

 

[kilog]

if i do end up cutting the front springs, do i cut from the bottom or top? just a 1/4 coil at a time? do i need to do anything to the cut end after?

 

[kilog]

any one want to jump in?

 

[Bonnewagon]

Here's how I do it. I use a coil spring compressor to hold the spring up in the spring bucket. I drill the upper shock mount hole a bit and thread the long bolt of the tool down through the hole and the spring. I then take the threaded finger clamp and slip it into the spring. Thread the rod into the clamp and make sure it's not going to slip off. I learned the hard way to chain the spring to the frame for safety's sake. Then I tighten the bolt end from up top untill the spring raises up off the lower control arm. Disconnect ball joint from spindle and lower out of the way. Now you can cut the bottom of the spring with a cut-off tool either electric or air just don't overheat it-cut clean and fast. When you reattach the ball joint and lower the spring it won't line up with the little ditch and two holes in the control arm like before. I lower the spring until it just touches the arm then I twist it with a big crowbar until it is positioned correctly, then finish unscrewing the tool. A ball joint tool should be used to remove the joint but in a pinch you can loosen the nut until you get a 1/4" gap then whack the spindle where the ball joint is with a small sledge hammer. It will deform the metal just enough to loosen the ball joint. It will bang apart so be ready. Then you can unscrew it all the way when the spring is off it. You then lower the car and see where it sits and if it's not right,go back and do it all over again. Some fun,eh? If you feel uncomfortable doing it this way, feel free to use the coil spring tool to completely remove the spring and cut it away from the car. Then it is easier to get the bottom end lined up in the ditch. Just be carefull and safe- you don't want to snap your head off if that spring comes loose!

 

[Bonnewagon]

Fodoimp-that is exactly what I used. Works great and is safe. Kilog- I suggest 1/4 coil at a time simply because no one can tell you exactly how much to cut to get so-and-so results. Too many variables. Others can tell you what worked for them but your car is unique and it boils down to trial and error. This way you will see the car go down in a controlled manner and not be tempted to cut too much and wind up buying new springs. No need to do anything to the cut end unless you want to dress it a bit with a grinder.

 

[kilog]

i was thinking about bringing the front end down to the tires, like it was with the old springs. maybe an inch and a half or so. is this too much to do with a coil spring?
big question is the rear end. sitting way too low. i used the cargo coils from the iroc z. and i am scared to leave the drive way worrying about eating up my rear tires. it is sitting about a 1/4" from the tires. 275 60 15. i had plenty of room with the g body cargo coils i replaced them because they were old and not level anymore.

 

[Bonnewagon]

Well, as I said, the more you cut a coil spring, the stiffer it gets. I wouldn't worry about dropping the car a couple of inches, but any more and you might not like the ride. Also if you cut a spring too much you risk ruining it alltogether. For the rear you may be better off just buying new springs. I used JC Whitney "high jackers" with the spacers first time around, but I tow a boat. Without the spacers the car sat maybe two inches above stock. I think they cost about a hundred bucks. If you want stock height ESPO is a good source.