new front springs.
05-04-2009, 10:26 AM
#1
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Orlando, Flawda
Posts: 865
new front springs.
i know this has been covered before, but surprisingly the search is not working for me.
i have a 1967 with a 1971 302, my next task is replacing just about 80% of the suspension and steering components.
i already plan on the heavy duty 5 leaf stock ride height springs for the back, and i plan on using plain jane KYB shocks. but for the front im looking at a 540 or the "mach 1" springs@ the stock height. am i making sense? it seems the stock 289-302 rate was 420, and the mach 1 540, and then they have the 620 but that seems like complete overkill, plus i want to maintain a stock ride height, if not a bit taller, due to wheel size, header clearance, etc etc.
but my real question is how involved is taking off the front springs. as i type im reading up on it, but im sure there are people who have done it and can tell me something the book isnt telling me.
my goal here is not for any real performance at all, i plan on driving it daily, as it is my daily driver. also i should mention, that my goal is to get a suspension that can accommodate my 17x9 mach 1 wheels, they are an inch taller (tread to tread) than my current tires, but heck of a lot wider. i think ill be okay in the back, but im concerned about the front, and i wan the stiffer springs to cut down on tire chop on bumps etc.
not looking for a race car here.
i have a 1967 with a 1971 302, my next task is replacing just about 80% of the suspension and steering components.
i already plan on the heavy duty 5 leaf stock ride height springs for the back, and i plan on using plain jane KYB shocks. but for the front im looking at a 540 or the "mach 1" springs@ the stock height. am i making sense? it seems the stock 289-302 rate was 420, and the mach 1 540, and then they have the 620 but that seems like complete overkill, plus i want to maintain a stock ride height, if not a bit taller, due to wheel size, header clearance, etc etc.
but my real question is how involved is taking off the front springs. as i type im reading up on it, but im sure there are people who have done it and can tell me something the book isnt telling me.
my goal here is not for any real performance at all, i plan on driving it daily, as it is my daily driver. also i should mention, that my goal is to get a suspension that can accommodate my 17x9 mach 1 wheels, they are an inch taller (tread to tread) than my current tires, but heck of a lot wider. i think ill be okay in the back, but im concerned about the front, and i wan the stiffer springs to cut down on tire chop on bumps etc.
not looking for a race car here.
05-04-2009, 11:06 AM
#2
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 18
Just went through the same build with my '67 about a month ago and could sell you the below springs at a good price. These springs have never been driven on. I put them on my car for maybe 2 hours but didn't like the ride height as I was looking to lower mine an inch or two. I ended up just going back to my original springs and cutting a coil. These will definatley place your car at stock height if not a bit higher.
http://www.mustangsplus.com/xcart/pr...at=2128&page=1
http://www.mustangsplus.com/xcart/pr...at=2128&page=1
05-04-2009, 11:18 AM
#3
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Orlando, Flawda
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those are nice, but what is the spring rate? i want something stock height or a bit taller. like you said. but i need to make sure when i hit a dip my wheels dont destroy my fenders. plus my headers are millimeters from being to low to drive daily.
05-04-2009, 11:28 AM
#4
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Elk Grove, CA
Posts: 5,896
Why 5 leafs in the back? Especially since you're not interested in performance? I drive the **** out of my car and I only have 4.5 leaf springs in the back, and they ride pretty harsh on the crappy roads here.
Original springs were 4 leaf, GT 4 leaf springs were slightly heavier and will give a decent ride quality with improved handling, and 4.5 leaf springs are about the most I'd recommend on a street driven car unless your roads are as smooth as glass.
As far as the fronts, if ride quality is a concern, stick with OEM GT coils to ensure stock ride height. You can get some from NPD or Glazier's. That said, you need to make sure your wheels have the spacers to get the proper backspacing. If they don't, they're going to rub. 17x9's should fit up front, iirc.
For shocks, I'd recommend either KYB GR-2's or Edelbrock IAS's. Gas-A-Just shocks are going to be stiff.
Removing the coil springs requires a special coil spring compressor. There are several types, some of which I don't recommend.
The twin external strut coil compressor is the worst of the lot, but the easiest to find. You can't use this type as you need to access opposite sides of the coil, and you have to line them up perfectly or one will slip. Using this type on your car is likely to cost you a finger.
The internal twin-hook design is the second worst, but also easy to find. A big threaded rod goes through two sets of hooks that clamp down on the springs as you rotate the rod. The problem with these compressors is that they can break and hospitalize or kill you. I'd avoid these. Talk to Day over at dazecars.com for a horror story.
There is a hook/fork type professional shop tool out there, but I haven't seen too many floating around, and you're not likely to afford one if you want to buy it. Similar to the above, it's much beefier with a set of heavy hooks on the bottom and a large fork that slips through the coils and around the rod on top. Cranking on the rod compresses the two. I used this type and felt very safe with it.
The correct tool to use is a plate-style compressor. Like the hook/fork setup, it's harder to find and very expensive if you want to own one. But they work great and are the safest of everything I've seen. Two thick steel plates are used to compress the coils rather than relying on hooks. You get more surface area to clamp with, which makes it very stable.
You can also build your own, if you're mechanically inclined. The plate style is easy enough to build, or Day @ dazecars can show you how to build another style, or even build one for you and sell it to you for cheap.
Original springs were 4 leaf, GT 4 leaf springs were slightly heavier and will give a decent ride quality with improved handling, and 4.5 leaf springs are about the most I'd recommend on a street driven car unless your roads are as smooth as glass.
As far as the fronts, if ride quality is a concern, stick with OEM GT coils to ensure stock ride height. You can get some from NPD or Glazier's. That said, you need to make sure your wheels have the spacers to get the proper backspacing. If they don't, they're going to rub. 17x9's should fit up front, iirc.
For shocks, I'd recommend either KYB GR-2's or Edelbrock IAS's. Gas-A-Just shocks are going to be stiff.
Removing the coil springs requires a special coil spring compressor. There are several types, some of which I don't recommend.
The twin external strut coil compressor is the worst of the lot, but the easiest to find. You can't use this type as you need to access opposite sides of the coil, and you have to line them up perfectly or one will slip. Using this type on your car is likely to cost you a finger.
The internal twin-hook design is the second worst, but also easy to find. A big threaded rod goes through two sets of hooks that clamp down on the springs as you rotate the rod. The problem with these compressors is that they can break and hospitalize or kill you. I'd avoid these. Talk to Day over at dazecars.com for a horror story.
There is a hook/fork type professional shop tool out there, but I haven't seen too many floating around, and you're not likely to afford one if you want to buy it. Similar to the above, it's much beefier with a set of heavy hooks on the bottom and a large fork that slips through the coils and around the rod on top. Cranking on the rod compresses the two. I used this type and felt very safe with it.
The correct tool to use is a plate-style compressor. Like the hook/fork setup, it's harder to find and very expensive if you want to own one. But they work great and are the safest of everything I've seen. Two thick steel plates are used to compress the coils rather than relying on hooks. You get more surface area to clamp with, which makes it very stable.
You can also build your own, if you're mechanically inclined. The plate style is easy enough to build, or Day @ dazecars can show you how to build another style, or even build one for you and sell it to you for cheap.
05-04-2009, 12:40 PM
#6
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Orlando, Flawda
Posts: 865
also thanks for the infor on the tools needed. i have a friend that works for lexus and went to UTI, so hopefully he can help me out with the tool appropriating.
cschoonm PM your price. let me know what you can do, they are nice springs, but they have basic oem style springs for 88-100 dollars at NPD. so idk.
05-04-2009, 01:35 PM
#7
I've posted before that I tend to think I prefer my suspension stiffer than a lot of other people who post on this forum, that being said I will say that my suspension is certainly stiff but not overkill IMO. I run 5 leaf standard eye, 620 coils with KYB gas-a-justs all around. I like how my car feels driving down the road and in corners, with the minor caveat that my car can be a bit bouncy now and then.
A pic of the ride height is below, I run 17x7's in the front and 17x8's in the back with 265/50/15 BFG's. I never bottom out, well i did once but my trunk and back seat were completely full of stuff and I hit a really big bump. I think I have something approximate to stock ride height. Not totally sure. Also you can see in the pic that my headers hang down low and they haven't scraped once since the new suspension went in.
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/996/p1010001n.jpg
A pic of the ride height is below, I run 17x7's in the front and 17x8's in the back with 265/50/15 BFG's. I never bottom out, well i did once but my trunk and back seat were completely full of stuff and I hit a really big bump. I think I have something approximate to stock ride height. Not totally sure. Also you can see in the pic that my headers hang down low and they haven't scraped once since the new suspension went in.
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/996/p1010001n.jpg
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