[Z Code 400]

The shorter springs are so much easier to install. My stock 294lbs/inch springs were a whopping 18.00" OAL and my new 500lbs/inch springs were only 14.875" OAL...:-)

[aronhk_md]

Z Code.....just found this thread. I would have told you about Coil Spring Specialties months ago if I had seen it. They are terrific, and as long as you are patient and give them all the info on your car, as well as what you want to do, they'll fabricate springs for you that are perfect. All for less than off the shelf Hotchkiss or X brand. I dont work for them, but info on them should really be a sticky at the top of this board. They are THAT far above anyone else I believe.

Unbelieveable that most people here still dont seem to know about them. They do prefer though if you can send them your old spring first to help verify what your car was sitting on when you took the measurements. Reason being you may be able to look up stats on your springs as listed in the books, but they sag as the years go by, and OCCASIONALLY someone has changed them out from stock in the past for the same reasons we do. Going for example to A/C car springs. Also, god knows what the guy on the assembly line 40 yrs ago was drinking the night before.....then going to the parts bin for a set of springs rubbing his eyes and holding his head.....lol. So when you measure to your fender well lip for them and tell them exactly how many inches you want to drop they like to have your spring on hand.

I also believe that the best way to get the rear height exactly where you want it is to bring the car into a spring shop. Whether you are using the old leaf springs or buying a new set, they can reshape the leaf to get the exact ride height. Of course, you may find when they pull your old one that it had a broken leaf or two anyway.

Spread the word though......CSS is KING!!!

[Z Code 400]

Aronhk,

As you have pointed out, Coil Spring Specialities is fabulous to work with. I only wish I would have found them sooner. Once we had all the measurements, I just had the springs wound based on the mathematical calculations and the end results were dead-on the money; the custom wound springs produced precisely the desired installed height and drop that our calculations predicted.

I have since requested (3) more sets of coil springs for friend's cars, based on the same formulas, and each and every one came out perfect.

However, on an average car, when all the weights are unknown, sending in the springs would probably be best...Robert

[aronhk_md]

Robert,

Yep........and american made too! lol

Aron

[Z Code 400]

Originally Posted by aronhk_md

Robert,

Yep........and american made too! lol

Aron

I remember back, just in my short lifetime, where everything was American made. Now, a large majority of the stuff we do still make in America shows no real quality control.

One of our neighbors just bought a new Corvette and the engine hammers like hell until the oil pressure comes up. You hear this with a lot of newer cars in parking lots, but they try to convince you things are made so much better nowadays.

My 30 year old Pontiac 350 doesn't make any noise at all, even after an oil change....Robert

[vidguy]

I received my Coil Springs Wednesday. Been busy this weekend with family get togethers. Got a few hours this afternoon. The new springs are 16" long, bout 1 inch shorter then mine are now after cutting 1/2 coil off.
I went ahead and started removing my coil springs.
I had a heck of a time with my Ball joint. Had to hit it with a BIG OL hammer that was hitting A BIG OL hammer against the joint..
I want to replace my dust boots anyhow with the poly ones. The rubber stockers on the upper ball joints are already getting small tears in them where they are creased.. And they have only been installed for a few months and haven't left the driveway..

I had trouble in that I had the lower control arms installed as per the manual with the bolts from the front, nuts on the rear. Once I got the ball joint losse and I removed the jack, I couldn't get the control arm to swing down enough to get the spring out gracefully as the rear edge of the control arm was hitting my Hedman 28150 Header tube. This is on the Drivers side.. If I was to pry it would of jammed against my header tube..

I intended to take the arm off entirely. I was able to get the front bolt off OK (they weren't torqued yet) but when I took the rear nut off the 3 1/2 inch 9/16th bolt was not going to come out pushing it through to the front!
The head hit the header tube!
No way...

I scratched a few things... and got my Milwaukee SawzAll with a bi metal blade and carefully cut the Grade 5 bolt trying real hard not to cut my header..I was successful ...I then pushed the cut bolt shaft out from the front with a long rod and hammer.

So that's a tip: Install the bolts from the rear on the Rear bushing on your Lower Control Arms.. If you have headers..

I also took the opportunity to trim off about 1/4 from the Front Flange on bottom of the Control arm bushing flanges. The bottom of that flange was about 1/8 inch from the top of the header tube.. I again, carefully, placed the SawzAll blade along the bottom of the flange and cut a 3/16 half moon shaped slice off.. Again trying not to scrape or cut the headers. Successful again..Filed it down..That gives me about 1/4 - 5/16 clearance there..I feel a bit better.
Started raining and got dark before I could reinstall..

[Z Code 400]

keep up the good work!!!!!

[vidguy]

Got the Coil Spring Specialty Springs in! They dropped the car exactly 1.75"/
I had measured at 29.50 and now I'm at 27.750. They were 1'' shorter then my originals. just about 16.00 free length.
I'm real happy with them Kevin was just a nice guy to deal with and the parts came on time..

I had trouble with a different part of the task however. I replaced my front suspension with a Kit I bought from a vendor this summer.. I had some troubles with the parts and had some more trouble today.

Turned out that I had stripped the upper ball joints.

I hadnt noticed when I installed them and had torqued them to the factory spec of 90 ft. lbs.
The parts have been on the car for about 6 months, with only 5 miles on them. Sitting in the driveway and the ball joint boots on the uppers, had already cracked and peeled open. That was a bummer,so I bought some poly boots, and while I was taking the springs off figured it'd be the perfect time to replace them.

I disassembled and when I took the nuts off the uppers I could see the ball joints were stripped bare in a 1/2" spot on each stud. The nuts were toasted too. I think I recall feeling not to sure about the feel of the torque when I put them on, but figured I never stripped a ball joint before..So I left it.

Im glad I did this. I had to hurry down and bought some MOOG's at NAPA and compared them. The parts I had were obviously not Moog. No markings. Compared to the Moogs, that had markings.

I'm pretty bummed I'm out $60.00 on new Uppers... But glad I have quality ball joints in anyhow..
Now I wonder about the Lowers.. At least they didnt strip..
I'm off to DC for business for a week. It's supposed to rain when I get back here so I dont know if I'll get any more work done. this next week.

[vidguy]

I also ended up grinding a semi circle out of the back of the Driver side control arm where it hit the 28150 header tube. Enough to let the Control Arm swing under the header. It made the spring install a lot easier.
Just an FYI that might help someone else.