front coil cutting

[snomobeelr]

My front end is up high I am just addressing it now. When I was assembling the frame and suspension the body was off the car. I used the same front coils springs that were on the car when I took her apart because I liked the stance. I didn't think going from steel to aluminum heads would make such a big difference. That or the powder coater gave me back the wrong springs. I have 15 x8 with 245/60/15 on the front and the car is about 2 to 2.5 inches to high in the front end. It is about 4.5 inches from the top of the tire to the Wheel well trim. I can stick my fist between the tire and the Wheel well with clearance to spare. Any Idea how much coil to cut off to drop it 2 inches?

[Murphy]

I cut almost one full coil & lowered the car about 5/8". These were the original small block springs........

I added a 1" spacer under the rear cargo springs plus I have air shocks with 25 lbs. This gave me the stance I was looking for, my gap above all 4 wheels to the fender lip is 1/2".

[CKZ03]

Best wait till it's fully assembled to judge that issue, is all your glass in? Complete interior in? What is left to install? All these little things add up to a lot of weight. My car sat surprisingly high once complete, even after that everything will settle and lower over time. My car must have dropped an inch easy after one summer and 1300 miles. A fist certainly sounds excessive but don't judge it until every last piece is on the car and it's been driven at least a few hundred miles, then decide if your going to lower it. You cut too much off now you may regret it.

[footballubet]

I would give it several months after it's on the road to make that decision. It will settle down after some time and miles are put on it.

[7tonemonte]

Also, did you wait till the body parts were all installed, the car was sitting on the ground before you tightened up the suspension bolts?

[Sam (Bones)]

 

I agree too, they will settle some, and if you decide to cut them, I would start with a 1/2 of a coil at a time

[502ci]

It will settle some...you can speed that process up by getting a friend or two and bounce the front end. Also like Tony said hope you did the final tightening of the suspension with the full weight on the car.

[502ci]

Oh, and cut a half coil at a time if you choose that route. I cut a half coil the first time and did not like the results so I took them back out (a lot of work) and cut over a coil this time so I would have to do it a third time...end result the car was too low and I had to buy new springs...

[snomobeelr]

The Springs,front Suspension, body shell and engine have all been installed for over a Year. the Body Panels have been on the car since the car was painted 3-1-14. The bumper and all the glass has been in for about two weeks. Interior just doesnt have passenger and back seat installed. I am a bit slow at getting things Together ; )

I tightened the front End Bolts but still need to Tourqe them to Specs. Havent done that yet any one have the Torqe specs on Hand..

 

Thanks Everyone

[Sam (Bones)]

you could get some Vicking or QA1 coil overs and be able to adjust the ride height

[snomobeelr]

I was thinking about that, Getting the Viking Shocks. I will still need to cut some of the springs away to lower it. Still havent driven it but the alignment is so far off from being so High up. So if I cut the Coils I should only cut have a coil at a time? Even if it drops an inch over time it is still really high. I am not 100% but I belive the front springs were for a 71 Impala Waygon BB...

[footballubet]

What shocks do you have on it? I know when I put my new coils (I went with the big block coils in the front) my stock shocks were too short. They were extended the whole way. I had to go through the spec. page to find ones that had the travel I needed. Had to do the same for the rear.

[snomobeelr]

I have the Bilstein High Performance Shock Absorber from PST.

[snomobeelr]

Just to see I measured to see how far the engine crossmember is from the ground. Its 9.5 Inches from floor to the bottom of the engine crossmember. Heres a couple pics to see how far up the fender is from the tire.. .

 

 

http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/snomobeelr/media/tireheight3_zps59a36712.jpg.html?sort=9&o=155

 

 

http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/snomobeelr/media/tireheight2_zpsa35cb657.jpg.html?sort=9&o=154

[footballubet]

That's up there! You definitely need to drop it a couple inches.

[502ci]

Wow, that's high

 

I take back what I said, you might want to cut a full coil off at a time.

 

[snomobeelr]

Amazing enough I found the recipt for my coil springs. I purchased them 7-7-1992. So do I cut them Or should I look for a different spring ?

 

MOOF-5374 Fronts

MOOG-CC507 Rears

[snomobeelr]

So I am thinking about getting new springs that would not be so Heavy duty. If the springs I get Are not high Enough I could always get the Viking Coil over Shocks. I am not sure which springs to get. Looked up the rates for the springs I just removed and ones listed for out cars from Moog. Or does anyoeone else have a suggjestion? Or should I just cut the ones I have and Re-install? Thanks

 

part In DIAM Out DIAM spring rate LOAD INSTALL HEIGHT FREE HEIGHT

5374 : 3.63 : 0.64 : 317 : 1957 : 11 : 17.17 : JUST REMOVED

5536 : 3.63 : 0.687 : 487 : 1984.5 : 11 : 15.06 : Big Block

6330 : 3.68 : 0.625 : 293 : 1827 : 11.25 : 17.5 : Small & Big ?

5372 : 3.63 : 0.625 : 288.5 : 1843 : 11 : 17.38 : Small Block

[snomobeelr]

Got the new springs. These springs one side of the coil is flat. Old ones were not like that. Does the Flat side face down to the ground in the control arm ? Or up towards the hood in the pocket ?

[MCfan]

Flat end goes up. The Moog 6330s I just installed on my '70 SS also had a spot of white paint on the flat end with instructions to be sure that end was oriented up.

 

Also, be sure the top end of the coil is correctly positioned around the guide tabs that stick down from the frame before you raise the lower control arm or the spring will bind terribly against the frame opening.

 

The bottom end of the coil needs to be positioned radially so the very tip of non flattened end rests between the two little holes in the spring groove in the lower control arm. You also have to do this before you raise the lower control arm and begin to compress the spring.

[snomobeelr]

Thank...The springs are now installed. What was the height of yours when you were done? Did you replace just the coils? I had also replaced all the Control arm bushings with the Polyurethane Bushings. Mine is still sitting high over the tire. Guess I need to be patient now and see where she settles to like everyone said.

[MCfan]

Alan, something seems very wrong with your front spring situation ... what are the specs on the new springs you just installed? Is the engine in the car? Did you happen to torque your control arm bolts with the suspension unloaded? Did you install new upper and lower travel limit bumpers? Are your shocks installed? If none of these apply, you must have some really tall (unloaded) new coils or some with a very high spring rate.

 

I replaced the front coil springs when I completely rebuilt the front end (bushings, ball joints, tie rods, idler arm, bumpers, wheel bearings, brakes, etc) of my SS about a month ago. That car is virtually stock so I used all US-made OEM parts, mostly Moog for the suspension parts. I also went with original rubber bushings (no poly) and made sure the suspension was naturally loaded before torqueing both upper and lower control arm bolts.

 

Actually, I was thinking the car was riding a bit low so I ordered Moog coils for both front and rear. When I removed the front coils, I was surprised to see they were also stamped "Moog 6330" so I didn't expect much change. In fact, the set I replaced was only 1/2" shorter when I stood them side by side with the new set. I have no idea how long the first pair of 6330s had been in the car but you can see the ride height they produced in my signature photo below (gold car). The new springs only raised the front a tiny bit from that. I have not yet installed the new rear coils.

 

I was just about to take that set of Moog 6330s to the metal recycler along with all of the other old suspension parts, but if you want them to wack on, you can have them for shipping cost. Just let me know.

[snomobeelr]

Dennis,

 

I just installed the Moog 5336 (Specs Below ). It was between the 5336 and the 6330 that you just installed. Everything is in the car except the Passenger and back seat and the door panels. I have the lower control arm bolts snugged up , I still have to torque them down. I did torque the uppers without the engine in the car. Now that I replaced the front springs all the front suspension is brand new. All Polyurethane bushings. Even the rubber bumpers.

 

 

part In DIAM Out DIAM spring rate LOAD INSTALL HEIGHT FREE HEIGHT

5536 : 3.63 : 0.687 : 487 : 1984.5 : 11 : 15.06 : Big Block

6330 : 3.68 : 0.625 : 293 : 1827 : 11.25 : 17.5 : Small & Big ?

[Sam (Bones)]

if wanting to lower it I do not understand why you would have used the 5336's?, they have a higher rate that the 5374's you had in there (317 vs. 487)

 

you went the wrong way, I see a alum headed big block (correct?) which weight wise is more comparable to a small block and I see no AC

 

either the 5372's or the 6330's would have been a better choice, you went the wrong way

[snomobeelr]

I messed up. Yes I do have Aluminum heads now. I had the used Springs 5374 powder coated and thought the powder coater may have given me back the wrong springs as they were a bear to install and sat so high. Not thinking the heads would have mattered that much. The new springs I just got were no issue to install. I was looking at the free height when I sold have been looking at the spring rate. Looks like the 5536 are getting returned... Should I go with the 5372's then?

 

Thanks