Author Topic: Aftermarket springs sagging prematurely?  (Read 8309 times)

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Offline Gary Wells

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Aftermarket springs sagging prematurely?
« on: November 01 2006, 08:54:22 PM »
Anybody ever have any problems with aftermarket springs sagging /collapsing prematurely? I am running Kirban stock height replacement "stiffer" front springs, and now my front passenger side is about 5/8 lower than the driver front side. The rear springs are "Kirban" stock height replacement stiffer springs also, but they are within 1/4" of each other, which might be in my measurement method/process. These springs are only about 10 months old and have about 2K miles on them. Anybody ever have similiar problems with moog, Dana, Hotchkis, or Eibach springs as far as matched sets?

Offline Top Speed

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Aftermarket springs sagging prematurely?
« Reply #1 on: November 01 2006, 09:05:41 PM »
I have Hotchkis springs and have not experienced any sagging.
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Offline 87natty

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Aftermarket springs sagging prematurely?
« Reply #2 on: November 01 2006, 09:47:06 PM »
Maybe when they were installed both sides were out of the spring pockets and one finally settled in? Then again, 5/8" ain't much bud.
My 1958 Mamiya can beat up whatever camera you just wasted your money on.

Offline Gary Wells

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Re: Aftermarket springs sagging prematurely?
« Reply #3 on: November 02 2006, 05:29:05 AM »
I and the suspension shop checked yesterday and both front springs are in their spring pockets and both have the isolaters located/seated properly.I have recently heard from a very reliable source that Moog & Dana springs can and do suffer poor height matching right out of the box & premature sagging. I have also heard that Kirban uses Moog springs. I also heard that Hotchkis & Eibach are generally well matched out of the box and do not suffer premature sagging. Unfortunately both Hotchkis & Eibach only make/resell/remarket 1" lowering springs. I can't go an additional 1" lower on the front end as I have already gone 1" lower on the tall lower ball joints with the pole position uppers, or SCNC Street Comp Stage II package. It is about 5/8" difference at the front end if I measure from the ground to the underneath of the wheel outline at it's highest position, but if you know about it, it is visible or detectable visually. If I measure the difference from the top of the tire to the underneath of the wheel outline on each side it looks more like an 1" difference. I can band-aid it temporarily by using a spring isolater from a particular year series of F body, 3/8" or so thick, which will raise the dropped front end passenger side about 5/8" or so, but that is not a good fix on the long term.

Offline Recklessrob

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Re: Aftermarket springs sagging prematurely?
« Reply #4 on: November 02 2006, 07:19:55 AM »
I have Moog springs all the way around in my Grand Prix. The back
sag only slightly due to stereo equipment. perfect in every other way.
I left the stock front springs in the gn, and it already had aftermarket
rears when I bought it. It has decent weight transfer as it is, so I leave
it alone. I bought GM springs for the front of my S-10 because they
don't offer the extreme package springs aftermarket and I wanted a
recipt from GM in case I ever get stopped by the cops. "Sorry officer,
it's all factory parts made for this chassis" :-P
Rob

Offline 87natty

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Aftermarket springs sagging prematurely?
« Reply #5 on: November 02 2006, 02:04:29 PM »
How about swapping spring side to side? That way when you get in, it levels out.
My 1958 Mamiya can beat up whatever camera you just wasted your money on.

Offline Gary Wells

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Re: Aftermarket springs sagging prematurely?
« Reply #6 on: November 02 2006, 02:25:45 PM »
If I swap out the springs, it would make it worse, as the low side is the passenger  side now, and $200 labor for swapping the springs out. It will cost me the same on the labor ($200) and about $200 for a set of front springs if I come up with with some good springs. I am looking for a name of a spring manufacturer/retailer that has front non-progressive springs (most are) about 10% stiffer than stock, and about stock height. That, unfortunately, removes Hotchkis & Eibach, who both make only 1" lowering springs.

Offline Recklessrob

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Re: Aftermarket springs sagging prematurely?
« Reply #7 on: November 02 2006, 11:04:09 PM »
Quote from: "Gary Wells @ Thu Nov 02, 2006 2:25 pm"
If I swap out the springs, it would make it worse, as the low side is the passenger
Rob

Offline Gary Wells

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Re: Aftermarket springs sagging prematurely?
« Reply #8 on: November 03 2006, 05:12:48 AM »
Somebody has to die fat and feed the bugs.

Offline Recklessrob

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Re: Aftermarket springs sagging prematurely?
« Reply #9 on: November 04 2006, 12:04:11 AM »
True. However, do bugs have standards ?
Rob

Offline Gary Wells

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Re: Aftermarket springs sagging prematurely?
« Reply #10 on: November 05 2006, 08:08:16 AM »
Quote from: "Recklessrob @ Fri Nov 03, 2006 9:04 pm"
True. However, do bugs have standards ?

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Sure, some do. The ones out here use "Pacific Standard Time". How about your bugs?

Offline Gary Wells

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Re: Aftermarket springs sagging prematurely?
« Reply #11 on: November 05 2006, 08:29:19 AM »
Update:
     Sat I got out and looked under the car good and I did notice that the driver side rear spring progressed somewhat different than the passenger side. On the driver side I noticed that the lowest 3 spring coils touched one another, then seperated after that, but on the passenger side, the 4 lowest coils touched one another, then seperated after that. This would lead me to believe that the driver side is a little higher than the passenger side. I also looked at the front end of the car good, and much to my suprise, I noticed that the front bumper had a noticable passenger side lean to it, maybe more than the car itself. The bumper had a total lean of about 1", with about 1/2" of that being the basic car lean, so I readjusted the bumper to agree with the basic 1/2" lean of the car, and now the car lean is no longer apparent. So now the entire car leans about 1/2" to passenger side, both front and rear, but does not show, and I can live with that until I come up with some extra thick front and rear spring isolaters. Maybe I will learn to live with this. I cannot stand anything aesthetically or cosmetically imperfect.
     On TB.com someone posted that spring isolaters are really thick from about '88 or so to about "92 or so "F" bodies factory springs. Anybody have any knowledge of this, or any knowledge about extra thick spring isolaters in general. I need some about 3/8" to about 1/2" thick, preferably the 3/8" thick ones, front & rear both.
     If i decide to "airbag" the rear springs/spring, what are the benefit or airbagging both springs over the passenger side only, and if I airbag the passenger side only, will pressure there raise the front of the passenger side somewhat?

Offline Recklessrob

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Re: Aftermarket springs sagging prematurely?
« Reply #12 on: November 06 2006, 07:31:36 AM »
I've never documented the change, but I would think an
air bag in the right rear would help.
Rob

Offline Gary Wells

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Re: Aftermarket springs sagging prematurely?
« Reply #13 on: November 06 2006, 06:43:31 PM »
Quote from: "Recklessrob @ Mon Nov 06, 2006 4:31 am"
I've never documented the change, but I would think an air bag in the right rear would help.

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I am thinking that it will help the passenger rear more than the passenger front. Unfortunately, my concerns are just the opposite. I am mainly concerned about the passenger front. I think that I am going to experiment with spring isolators first. Are aftermarket isloators made for the front? I have seen ads for the rear, I think, are quite common.

Offline Recklessrob

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Re: Aftermarket springs sagging prematurely?
« Reply #14 on: November 06 2006, 11:31:11 PM »
If your car is well braced, I think a bag in the rear will help the front as well.
It won't hurt to try it.
Rob

 

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