Okay, there are "alignment holes" in both the top and bottom spring seats... which one do I want to line up the spring with? I have heard both at different times, but top more often.

I just cut 1/2 coil from my factory Gymkhana springs (550lb/in). I seated the top end of the coil near the alignment hole, this put the bottom about 1/2 way off from the 2 alignment holes at the bottom. When I installed them originally, I seated the bottom between those 2 holes which I believe put the top in the right place also.

The problem is, after driving a little, tightening the bushing "caps", then driving several miles, it sits at the same 28 inches on each side... the same that it did before!

What did I do?

-Chris

 

I don't know about the alignment holes in the top. I do know that you can stick your hand up into the tower and feel around for the spring indentation. Folow it around and where it ends is where the spring end is positioned. I marked that spot with some white chalk. The bottom spring position doesn't matter and probably won't line up. If the top isn't "seated" you're screwed and will look like a 4x4! :D

Once you have the top spring in it's groove(indentation) have someone slowly raise the control arm to meet the bottom of the spring. Be careful to keep the upper part of the spring in place.

Button everything up. Don't tighten the control arm bushing bolts(if you loosened them) until you have weight on the front end. That too could cause the front to sit higher than normal.

 

There is one hole in the top, near the indention where the spring should rest. I don't know if I have it right in there, but it must be within an inch or so. I did what you said with the bushing bolts. I've read every thread on this forum about front springs (before I did it the first time, and now again after having problems!) I am really dumbfounded about what is wrong. I want to get it aligned but can't until it's at the right ride height... :banghead:

-Chris

 

I just cut one coil off my VBP 460 lb springs that I have in my front end. I aligned the bottom of the spring in the seat (lower control arm). My car sits perfect now 26 3/4" before it was 28 +" much like yours. I didn't tighten the sway bar until had the weight of the car on it. Never touched my control arm bolts. Car sits perfect now. :yesnod: :yesnod:

 

My swaybar bushings are greased, I don't think they're holding any preload. Should I disassemble and try aligning the bottom instead??

-Chris

 

little help...

 

[Modified by lostpatrolman, 11:50 AM 4/5/2004]

 

lostpatrolman, lost post

 

This has been talked about a lot in previous posts and everyone seems to have a different answer. Here is my experience after changing my springs FOUR times. Mainly due to the seating issue. I have re-installed original, GT, Gk and OEM replacement springs

The cup at the top is tapered. If the spring does not sit in the cup properly then the spring will be about 1/2 inch too high. That is the diameter of the coil that would have been recessed if it was in the cup. The best way to make sure that it sits in the cup it to put a white dot on the end of the spring. Then place the spring up into the cup and rotate until the white dot is visible in the upper inspection hole. The inspection hole is about 1/2 " from the end of the recessed channel in the cup so this verifies that the spring is seated right.

The bottom requires that at least one hole be uncovered to allow for drainage. I wouldn't really call them inspection holes, I think they are drainage holes but I am open to other interpretations. You want the bottom of the spring to follow the recess in a smilar manner to the top. You want the end of the coil to sit so that it does not overlap the "step" in the recess uneccessarily. If it overhangs the lip then this will add 1/2" also.

The biggest thing I found was the lack of uniformity in springs between batchs and also between ratings. Between the original, Gk, GT and OEM style replacements the coil ends were ALL in different places. The originals basically had the coil ends in line with each other. This meant that if you seated the spring coild end in the top cup channel at the alignment hole that the bottom also ended up in the lower channel about 1/2 before the "step" and then left one of the drainage holes exposed. Now consider all the replacement springs. I found all of them were either 1/4 "longer" ie coil on bottom is past where original coil end was or "shorter" ie coiled end was before the end of the coil. I think the shorter ones pose no problem. The longer ones end with a 1/2" extra ride height then desirable as the bottom is not seated right. If it is longer then either new springs should be sourced or you should cut off a small amount to make the end of the coil right for bottom seating.

Short answer - seat top in channel, use alignment hole. Then check that bottom is in channel and not overlapping step and not giving extra ride height.

You will also find if the top is seated right that the spring will compress a lot straighter and not want to bend outwards.

Hope this helps.
:cheers:
Pete


[Modified by stingry, 1:12 PM 4/5/2004]


[Modified by stingry, 1:13 PM 4/5/2004]

 

With half a coil cut, the ends are 180* from eachother. I was thinking about this earlier, and it seems like the spring sits exactly where it would have before it was cut. As in, the "new" end of the spring would be resting on the pocket whether it was cut there or not, so you just have less contact, but the same "active" number of coils. Active meaning not seated against the pockets.

That's probably confusing, anyway, hopefully I can just disassemble and reassemble and end up with something better. I don't think I want to cut off another 1/2 coil to seat it properly... might be too much.

-Chris