Front Spring Retainers Cracked
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,455
Likes: 2
From: East TN
Front Spring Retainers Cracked
I bought a VBP front sport spring a while ago which lowers the car about the same as a lowering kit would. After installing a cross brace I began bottoming out and VBP sent me some blocks to glue on the spring to raise it back to factory height. Well I put everything back and set my torque wrench to 46 ft. lbs per FSM and both of the spring retainers cracked!
Does anyone know if with these VBP springs you need to use less torque on those retainers? I did email them but I had some unanswered questions from a week ago so I hope someone here knows. The replacements were $46, don't want to break those again.
Does anyone know if with these VBP springs you need to use less torque on those retainers? I did email them but I had some unanswered questions from a week ago so I hope someone here knows. The replacements were $46, don't want to break those again.
Last edited by dan6712cc; Mar 21, 2009 at 07:55 PM.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 655
Likes: 2
From: Rio Vista ca.
Did you cut down the tops of the retainers to account for the reduction in rubber bushing height plus any removed shims? Also, it seems like a good idea to tighten both sides of the retainer nuts gradually (i.e. tighten one a little then the other etc. until you get the spring up tight against the spring channel, then torque them a bit evenly.) Hope that made sense.
Don't hold your breath waiting for a reply from VB&P.
Don't hold your breath waiting for a reply from VB&P.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,455
Likes: 2
From: East TN
Did you cut down the tops of the retainers to account for the reduction in rubber bushing height plus any removed shims? Also, it seems like a good idea to tighten both sides of the retainer nuts gradually (i.e. tighten one a little then the other etc. until you get the spring up tight against the spring channel, then torque them a bit evenly.) Hope that made sense.
Don't hold your breath waiting for a reply from VB&P.
Don't hold your breath waiting for a reply from VB&P.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 13,956
Likes: 706
From: WI
Yes to short, if they were to long the spring wouldn't get all the way up and seated. To short and they break like that. Measure how long they are and compare. You would need to measure the spring thickness from the top of where the shim is to the bottom of those round bumps that go into the holder.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 9,922
Likes: 38
From: South Carolina
St. Jude Donor '03 & '05
I got one for the rear spring from Corvette Central. The front one I had an NDT examiner reweld it, and used the aluminum spacers to strenghten it by welding it to the bottom of the bracket. I was in a hurry. But after he cleaned the aluminum, which is crappy aluminum, he welded it together.
It does need to be cut a little to compensate for lowering kit and or spring.
FOr example, the ZO7 spring I used was a different thickness than the standard FE1 spring originally in the Vette. VB&P is probably a little thicker or thinner, depending on which way you went with stiffnes.
It does need to be cut a little to compensate for lowering kit and or spring.
FOr example, the ZO7 spring I used was a different thickness than the standard FE1 spring originally in the Vette. VB&P is probably a little thicker or thinner, depending on which way you went with stiffnes.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 655
Likes: 2
From: Rio Vista ca.
I looked up the torque values for the spring retainer nuts in the FSM for my '89 coupe and they are 48 lb. ft.. The FSM also indicates that these nuts should be torqued while the vehicle is at proper trim height. Since I couldn't get under the car to tighten them while the car was setting on the ground, I put each side under load with a floor jack under the lower control arm. I raised each side to the point that the shock was fully compressed and the load just barely started to come off the jack stand. Also, as you mentioned, it would seem that the retainers would crack only if they were too short. Any chance that the new VBP spring and the blocks they sent you created a situation where the retainers would be too short?
Kim
Kim
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,455
Likes: 2
From: East TN
The increased height due to the blocks they sent made the retainers too short, I just got under the car and checked.... would have been nice if they would have told me when they sent those pieces to raise the height.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 655
Likes: 2
From: Rio Vista ca.
I just lowered my car by cutting off about 5/8" of the top rubber bushings (didn't have any shims) and cut the same amount from the tops of the spring retainers. I got just a little less than a one inch drop in front which is exactly what I was looking for.
Maybe you can sand down the rubber blocks they set you so your new spring retainers won't be too short.
Good luck with your project.
Kim
