• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

B/E coil springs

Share this page

TulsaFred

TulsaFred

Jedi Warrior
Country flag
Offline
Im rebuilding the front suspension. Original coils spings pitted and a littled corroded, but bead blasted up pretty nice.
Should I powder coat and re-use, or buy new?
If I replace should i get stock or 340# or other?

Thanks
Fred
 
Front springs:

Free length 9.4 in.

Spring rate 271 lbs/in.

Power coat or black paint by all means if they meet the specs.
 
Any easy way to check spring rate?

Fred
 
No clue without special gear but then I am not an engineer.

I have always assumed that if length was right rate was ok as well.

Has always worked out for me.
 
Seems to make sense
I'll measure the height today
Thanks
Fred
 
Fred, I'll caution you that I had a devil of a time getting correct springs when I redid Bugsy's. Ordered Springs 3 times before the correct set got shipped. I have a set of MOSS Springs for a BE, about 10k worth of wear and tear that I replaced with the correct set out of a '68 for Bugsy my '68. If interested the price will be right.
 
340lb feels good, gets rid of body roll, not too stiff (in my opinion), and lowers the front 1"
 
Measured the springs that came out

Right 9 3/8 inches

Left 9 1/4 inches

Close enough?
Tired?

Fred
 
340# sound interesting but not sure I really want to lower the front.
Scraping and problems with a front tilt if I ever do that, especially with bumper and overriders.

I'd like to try them sometime, though, since a spring change is so easy on these cars.

Fred
 
Oh,
BTW
I'm putting in a 1275 engine in place of the 948, and probably a Datsun 210 5 spd
Does this change the desired spring?

Fred
 
your springs are good, 1275 and 948 weigh the same. Go for it.
 
I bought new springs from VBM several months ago- I realized after receiving them that they were longer than the 9.4" listed- they are 9 7/8", but I haven't followed up with VBM, and I will be installing in two weeks. Has anyone had a similar issue, and if so, did the springs settle in OK?

I'm reusing the old rear springs after a rebuild, so any increase in front height may be obvious.

Thanks,

Michael
 
Other than the fact that your Springs are likely for a RB Car and when you've gotten it all back together you'll think you've created an off road Spridget. A RB Car has significantly more weight due to bumpers, like 75-100 lbs or more. It took me two tries when I reordered springs about 10 years ago. I do have a set I just took off of Bugsy my '68 that are for a BE. They measure 9.5" and are marked Blue / Yellow Paint from VB Part 5-5070. A skooch shorter than what came stock on a 1275. I recently replaced with correct springs from a '68 I parted out as I wanted to raise the front end just a little as I've got a lowering kit on the front.

These were on Bugsy my '68 for 10 years or so but VB Tags are still on them, perhaps 8k miles. I do have some a pics of fender clearance differences with RB Springs which are shown below. These BE Springs are taking up space on my workbench, make me an offer.
 
One more time
 

Attachments

  • 26717.jpg
    26717.jpg
    25.8 KB · Views: 176
Thanks Jim-

My springs are red-blue-blue (or blue-blue-red) but I assumed the color code was just to match spring capacities in pairs at the factory. They are also marked 5-5070. Go figure.

Let me check with VBM and see what they have to say. Good to know that I have a reason for concern.

By the way, what is an RB car? I haven't seen that reference before.

Michael
 
lbcfan said:
Thanks Jim-



By the way, what is an RB car? I haven't seen that reference before.

Michael
Click to expand...

RB = rubber bumper - later cars not only had the added weight of the rubber bumpers but taller springs as they had to sit higher to meet 5 mile impact rules
 
Rubber Bumper.
 
And you can definitely see the difference a set of Rubber Bumper Springs made on Bugsy when they were installed. After I put the BE Springs back on and the lowering kit that gap shrank to perhaps 1" or less.
 
BTW, I have a set of lowering springs, have no idea on what they are, that came off my retired race car shell. They have the same height of the 340# springs that I put on my car. If you are interested, PM me.

Here's how my car sits. And ignore the clearance, the driveway is buckled up. Look at the reveals in the wheel arches.

P1020220.jpg
 
Hi Fred "Any easy way to check spring rate?"
yes there is: Stick about 50lb on it as pre-load, then if spring rate is 271lb/in. That means if you get your fat mate (who should be fattened up/slimmed down to 271 lb) to stand on it evenly, the spring will compress 1 inch.
That out to be a good enough guide. Probably more important both springs are the same.
 
Back
Top