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radar1 · 08-13-2014, 10:52 PM

I got my truck back from the local body shop last Friday. They determined that I rolled the front crossmember about a inch to a inch and a half. They were able to pull it back into position, at least now the lower control arms, where they mount to the frame section is level. When I put the replacement lower control arms on I put a different set of springs in. This set is a original set that I cut off one half of a coil. Hoping to raise it up a inch, thinking that I may miss the rails this time. I have found with the half coil cut springs that the one on the left side seems to be ok. The spring on the right side isn't fitting so well. When I cut the springs I cut the bottom coil, just as I did on the previous spring. When installing the springs I located the cut end in the notch on the lower control arm, but am having trouble with the top end of the spring. It appears that the upper locating piece is not just round, more of a rounded triangular shape. I cant seem to get the spring to set properly in the upper locating mount. It is causing the spring to bow, which in turn causing it to rub on the crossmember. I am thinking now that if you wanted to cut a original spring one coil, that is fine. but to try to cut a half a coil causes the spring alignment to be off. I could be wrong. I actually removed the spring and turned it to align with the upper locating piece, and the spring straightend out. But it raised the truck back up nearly two inches. Right now I can live with what I got, but I am planning on ordering a set of one inch lowering springs. I figure they will have the tails of the spring in the appropriate places. My initial drop was like, right at five inches in the front and five and three quarters in the rear. Now I am four inches in the front and the rear hasn't changed. Driving now feels better, I am hardly ever rubbing the inner fender well. Even though I still feel squeamish when I go over the local train tracks. By the way I am still running the full rubber bump stops on the front control arms, and we completely removed the rear bump stops from the rear axle.

08-13-2014, 10:52 PM	#19
radar1 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: kansas Posts: 55	Re: lowered 86 I got my truck back from the local body shop last Friday. They determined that I rolled the front crossmember about a inch to a inch and a half. They were able to pull it back into position, at least now the lower control arms, where they mount to the frame section is level. When I put the replacement lower control arms on I put a different set of springs in. This set is a original set that I cut off one half of a coil. Hoping to raise it up a inch, thinking that I may miss the rails this time. I have found with the half coil cut springs that the one on the left side seems to be ok. The spring on the right side isn't fitting so well. When I cut the springs I cut the bottom coil, just as I did on the previous spring. When installing the springs I located the cut end in the notch on the lower control arm, but am having trouble with the top end of the spring. It appears that the upper locating piece is not just round, more of a rounded triangular shape. I cant seem to get the spring to set properly in the upper locating mount. It is causing the spring to bow, which in turn causing it to rub on the crossmember. I am thinking now that if you wanted to cut a original spring one coil, that is fine. but to try to cut a half a coil causes the spring alignment to be off. I could be wrong. I actually removed the spring and turned it to align with the upper locating piece, and the spring straightend out. But it raised the truck back up nearly two inches. Right now I can live with what I got, but I am planning on ordering a set of one inch lowering springs. I figure they will have the tails of the spring in the appropriate places. My initial drop was like, right at five inches in the front and five and three quarters in the rear. Now I am four inches in the front and the rear hasn't changed. Driving now feels better, I am hardly ever rubbing the inner fender well. Even though I still feel squeamish when I go over the local train tracks. By the way I am still running the full rubber bump stops on the front control arms, and we completely removed the rear bump stops from the rear axle.