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New Springs Settleing?

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Stinky

Stinky

Jedi Trainee
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Hi,

I just installed a set of front springs on my 71 TR6. These springs are supposed to be 25% stiffer than stock, and still maintain the Stock ride height.

Well,...I lowered the car from the jack standss and it looked like a 4X4 TR6. I drove the Car around a bit and they seemed to settle a bit, maybe an inch or so. Although they still seem way too high.

Will they continure to settle? How long does it take before they reach there final stance.

I went from having about 1" of clearance from the top of the tire to the fender lip,...to now having 3.5" of clearance.

I also measured the frame height at the control arm. I've got 7" there, and a friend says stock should be 6".

If it drops another inch I'll probably feel ok.

I'm hoping it looks better in the morning.

Anyone been thru this?

Thanks
 
Well...I just installed the TRF rear springs and replaced the T/A bushings while there. It had somewhat the same effect as yours only on the back; on the positive side I don't scrape the exhaust anymore and the rear wheel camber is neutral now instead of that dreadfull negative camber; on the downside I don't like that gap above the tire. I'm ok with mine on the basis that I'm going to replace the P185-60R-15's with P205-70R-15's in the Springtime which should take up another inch or so of the gap.
BTW I doubt yours will settle much; unless you want to wait another 30 years!
 
I had a similar issue when I rebuilt the front suspension on my TR4 last winter. I did not measure the clearance then but I just measured and there is 2-1/2" from the top of the tire to the fender so I'm happy with it now. Like you said, it looked like a MUDDER when I first set it on the ground.
 
Well, if the springs don't settle some more I'm gonna have a problem. I'm not looking foward to going thru the labor all over again,...but I can't live with it the way it is now. Even if I replace the rear springs with the matching rear springs the whole thing is gonna be too high.

We're waiting to hear from the manufacturer to get his opinion on what has happened. Being 7" from the frame to the ground sounds like maybe we got the wrong springs, as we are off 1 inch. Unless it's supposed to settle that much.

Hopefully I'll hear from them tomorrow.
 
they won't settle as much as you need them...this is typical of all of the aftermarket sprngs sold by the big 3.

I'd cut them with a cut-off tool to the height you need them. Or get a copy of Hemmings and find another supplier who can custom make what you need...
 
Here's a pic of the front tire as it is now. That's a 215/65/15. I suppose I could go up in tire size to take up some of the gap.

And, No, it's not still up on the jack stands LOL!.
Hard to believe this is stock ride height.


TRSpring002_edited.jpg
[/img]
 
If this is what they consider Stock ride height, I need 1" lowered then.

Supposedly these came directly from the manufacturer that supplies the big 3. A friend picked them up for me at VTR this past summer.
 
Went through the same thing when I bought competition springs from a big 3 vendor. Sent them back and went with competition springs from Brit Parts North West. They did what I wanted, gave a better handling and a lower ride of about 1", which is what I wanted.

Sorry you are having the trouble. You might consider the same.
 
I had the same problem with my old set of springs. The initial drop you experienced is just the suspension and tires settling from the positive camber from being in the air. I dreamed that mine would settle more, but didn't after 8 years.
I solved my problem by purchasing Goodparts springs.
 
TR6BILL said:
Went through the same thing when I bought competition springs from a big 3 vendor. Sent them back and went with competition springs from Brit Parts North West. They did what I wanted, gave a better handling and a lower ride of about 1", which is what I wanted.

Sorry you are having the trouble. You might consider the same.
Click to expand...

Another vote for the BPNW springs. Went through several sets of stock and mild comp springs from TRF and Moss, all left my car looking like a 4x4.
 
Stinky said:
If this is what they consider Stock ride height, I need 1" lowered then.

Supposedly these came directly from the manufacturer that supplies the big 3. A friend picked them up for me at VTR this past summer.
Click to expand...

Wow, in the photo, it looks like the suspension bushings were replaced and tightened while the car was on jack stands. If all you did was replace the springs, I would say you need different springs.
 
Well, I did replace one balljoint while I was in there. Also the end links for the sway bar,..but I don't think either of those would raise the ride height.
 
I had the same problem, went to Good Parts springs and it made the car just sit right. Let me know if you want photos of the difference.

Adam
 
I have the same problem with my TR4A rear springs. The rear was too low and I was scraping the exhaust often so I thought I needed new springs. I bought new rear springs from one of the big three and now I have more clearance then I want. I went from less then I want to more then I want. I guess I am hard to please.

here is a picture of the before
newfrontright.jpg

Kind of looks like an aircraft after it started to rotate on take off.

Here is a picture after the new rear springs were installed
tr4ongrass.jpg

At least the car is even wit the ground now. Just a bit too much clearance.
 
So which way should I go?

BPNW looks like they have springs that are actually gonna be correct according to the recomendations here.

Good Parts has springs that are 1" lower than stock, then they offer spacers to tweek the height to get it where ya want it.

Sounds like there's some flexability with the Good Parts set. I'm kinda leaning in that direction. At least if the 1" lowered is too low, I can bump it up a little with the spacer without buying another set of springs.
 
here is a picture of my car with Richard Good springs. No spacers. Poly rings, tires 215-65-15.
IMG_3753.jpg
[/img]

I have no rubbing lock to lock.

Gordo
 
This is kinda sad. I spoke to the guy that sold me these springs. He said there is nothing wrong with the springs. He sells thousands of thses springs every year, and has NEVER heard of this happening before.

That's kinda odd since so many people here have dealt with this exact problem. How could someone that sells these springs not have been thru this at some point, when obviuosly I'm not the first to run into this issue ?????
Unless the guy is being less than honest with me /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif

I'm probably gonna order springs from Richard Good once he calls me back. At least then I can tweek the ride height with his spacers in necessary.
 
It could be the supplier is trying to sway you into keeping them.
Maybe with a stock redline, the gap isn't as bad. Take a look at some of the old driving reports to see what the ride height was originally.
When I put my car together, I wanted to make the tire fit the wheel well better. I referred back to old Group 44 photos for wheel/fender distance. I know that it was tighter than original from watching them race.
Maybe our memories are fogged with time and saggy springs.
 
Just to comment I ordered stock spring replacements
to be installed with Koni shocks. I am hoping
that I don't end up with some weird-sitting car.
Been waiting for parts since June. Hope to have the
shocks to install next week. We'll see.
 
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