spring problem

fiat218 · Post by **fiat218** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 6:33 pm

car is a 1980 2000

stock springs 16.3 inches 7 coils
springs that came out of the car .14 3/8 . 9 coils

the problem is this

changing all the suspension to all new,
shocks new
a arms etc,

now in installing the springs back into place and hooking the shock back up.my mechanic just said that the shock is strench to the max so he could bolt it up on the bottom side
so he is saying that the shock is fully extended out.
that not good is is? wont that be a stiff ride?

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW what is the stock over all length in the spring?
what shall i do, get standard stock springs?
is there some on on this that i could call and talk, some one who has done his/her suspesion
thanks. or call me 218.779.4555

just talking to the mechanic , he tells me that he had to pull the shock down to hook it up, he saying that there no give in the front end so there fore it will ride rough as hell, so is thinking that i should get stock springs? any idea on what the hell is going on hahah
i told him, they came out so they got to go in again, but he says it will be a stiff ride

narfire · Post by **narfire** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 10:40 pm

Not sure what is going on , but the fronts you have to compress to install. When doing the rears, the axle hangs when the frame/body is supported so all you have to do is undo the lower shock mount, push the shock up a bit and the spring just slides out. My Reds on the 80 and stock springs on the 72,do not connect with the top support when the axle is hanging.

fiat218 · Post by **fiat218** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 11:06 pm

narfire wrote:Not sure what is going on , but the fronts you have to compress to install. When doing the rears, the axle hangs when the frame/body is supported so all you have to do is undo the lower shock mount, push the shock up a bit and the spring just slides out. My Reds on the 80 and stock springs on the 72,do not connect with the top support when the axle is hanging.

the thing was, he has the spring in and all button up, so now getting the shock in place, he had to pull the shock down all the was and then some so he could bolt it in place, he said tht this should not be like this, i am wondering that being the suspension all new and tight would it make a big diffence ,
i just can;t explain it

vandor · Post by **vandor** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 12:31 am

>stock springs 16.3 inches 7 coils

That is not stock! Stock springs have more than 7 coils.

>what shall i do, get standard stock springs?

Yes!

fiat218 · Post by **fiat218** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:51 am

vandor wrote:>stock springs 16.3 inches 7 coils

That is not stock! Stock springs have more than 7 coils.

>what shall i do, get standard stock springs?

Yes!

This does not make sense to me and I have a hard time explaining it, he replaced all the suspension,control arms, etc,
But before this all took place,he replace the front shocks, there was no issue in doing that, now as I said he then replaced all the above said and in putting it all back together and the last thing he did was hook the shock back up,
He is concern is that u should not have to stretch the shock past it limit to hook the bottom back up, and that is what is going on, it is almost like he is pulling the top thru to get it to bolt on the bottom, so what has happend?
I am just wondering that maybe before replacing the control arms. That there was so much play in the joints that u would never notice the tension, now being it all new and tight that the arms are straight and tight, so now it just seems that the spring is to long or shock to short, what do I think? The book states that the stock springs are 16.3 inches with 7 coils, the springs in the front of my 80 is 14 3/8 inch with 9 coils

Thanks
Y

azruss · Post by **azruss** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:22 am

my first thought is how does the car sit on the ground with full weight on the suspension. if the car is running nose high, you've got a spring issue. If your height looks ok, i would be concerned about how the shock is mounted. most shocks require a big grommet on both the top and bottom of the upper mount. if that bottom grommet is missing, that would make the shock mount a 1/4"+ too high. The spring needs to be fulyl loaded in order to connect the shock. Yes, if you let the suspension dangle, the shock will run out of travel.

fiat218 · Post by **fiat218** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 6:12 pm

azruss wrote:my first thought is how does the car sit on the ground with full weight on the suspension. if the car is running nose high, you've got a spring issue. If your height looks ok, i would be concerned about how the shock is mounted. most shocks require a big grommet on both the top and bottom of the upper mount. if that bottom grommet is missing, that would make the shock mount a 1/4"+ too high. The spring needs to be fulyl loaded in order to connect the shock. Yes, if you let the suspension dangle, the shock will run out of travel.

Well we will find out, I am sure it will sit ok, it was ok from before

mgbgtn · Post by **mgbgtn** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 6:59 pm

The word according to Haynes is front springs have 7 1/2 turns and have a free length of13.54 ". I hope this might help.

fiat218 · Post by **fiat218** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 7:08 pm

mgbgtn wrote:The word according to Haynes is front springs have 7 1/2 turns and have a free length of13.54 ". I hope this might help.

Well the springs that are in the 80 is 14 3/8" and 9 coils, we took the springs out of my parts car,69 and they are 13 1/2. 9 coils , which do I use

mgbgtn · Post by **mgbgtn** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:20 pm

I checked my yellow springs and you are right and good old Haynes is wrong again(should of known after trying to follow their wiring diagrams and found they use wire colours that don't exist in reality). my stock 73 coils are 9 coils.

fiat218 · Post by **fiat218** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:47 pm

mgbgtn wrote:I checked my yellow springs and you are right and good old Haynes is wrong again(should of known after trying to follow their wiring diagrams and found they use wire colours that don't exist in reality). my stock 73 coils are 9 coils.

seems they are all 9 coils

fiat218 · Post by **fiat218** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:56 pm

this is how it sits, before the new suspension so i am thinking it will not change , same springs went back in

vandor · Post by **vandor** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:34 pm

> He is concern is that u should not have to stretch the shock past it limit to hook the bottom back up,

So is the shock all the way extended when the car is sitting on the ground? That is definitely not right.
From how high the front end is sitting I am thinking he tightened the a-arm bushing bolts and nuts with the suspension hanging down, instead of in the normal rest position (with the car's weight on the suspension). If that is what he did then the bushings will be short lived.

fiat218 · Post by **fiat218** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 11:02 pm

vandor wrote:> He is concern is that u should not have to stretch the shock past it limit to hook the bottom back up,

So is the shock all the way extended when the car is sitting on the ground? That is definitely not right.
From how high the front end is sitting I am thinking he tightened the a-arm bushing bolts and nuts with the suspension hanging down, instead of in the normal rest position (with the car's weight on the suspension). If that is what he did then the bushings will be short lived.

no, shock is extended to it point when he put the bottom bolt thru
yes he did tighten it all up when it was on the car stands> so it needs to be loosen up and set back on the concrete then he is to tighten them to specs?
is that what u are saying?

dmwhiteoak · Post by **dmwhiteoak** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:55 am

Yes Jim. That is exactly what he is saying. Car needs to be sitting on all fours and then torqued to spec. I'm thinking this will solve your problem.

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