need front spring advice

[corn]

I like the plas or cut off wheels. If you torch them drop them in a bucket of water just as quick as you can...

[slammed1]

Originally Posted by huero

Cut off wheel due to less heat it will create. Heating coils is a no-no.
I am having difficulty picturing how you can cut the rear coils as they are tapered. I would like to see pictures of them installed. I think it is impossible.

Rear 67-72 coils are pig tailed on each end so cutting them is a no-no. Cut off wheels or a sawzall even with the right blade work great for minimal heat.

[EAST SIDE LOW LIFE]

Rear coils do not cut use 2' lowering block. easy to make or cheap to buy.

esll.

[slammed1]

yup,drop blocks are extremely cheap and effective on the rear coil set ups 67-72 and rear drop coils dont cost that much either with the selection of companies out there lately.

[crazy longhorn]

Originally Posted by slammed1

It really all depends on how the upper part of the coil and mount is designed compared to the lower part of the coil and mount..........it is on some vehicles better to cut the top and leave the bottom alone but on others cutting the bottom is better..........so its best to take each one individually and see what works best before cutting. I still myself never cut more than one full round unless I need a little extra.

These trucks have a pigtail @ the top of the front spring to center it. I cut the bottom to leave the pigtail alone.......on my Ford ranger, the pigtail is on bottom, so I do agree that the top would need to be cut on that type spring. I sure do agree with no more than 1 round......what I see on my 69,2 rounds would have the arms almost layin on on the steer stop. As far as cutting, I have dropped them in a 5 gal bucket of water, & torched off the exposed end(its quick, & only compromizes the last 1/2" of the spring). crazyL

[EAST SIDE LOW LIFE]

There is an old timer who own's/operates a spring shop where I live, that I had a chance to talk with about a year back and we got onto the subject of springs for our trucks. First off let me make mention that he is well known as the man to take your truck/car to if you want someone that knows what he's doing to do your suspension. I found it enjoyable to talk to a guy that has done this since he was a kid (messed with springs that is) and is now manufacturing them for all vehicals as well as heavy duty equipment. I mentioned to him if there was a particular end of the spring that if you were to cut a coil or two from which end would you cut from. He said the top of the spring! The pig tail end. He told me if I wanted my springs done thats how he would do it.

Well here is a an old timer that as a young guy did his own springs this way since he was 17 yrs old. I would take his advice over anyone or here say any day. You can go more high tech as this is how we live now in a very high tech world or you can do it low tech the choice is yours. But give the old school way a break.

When we bid each other good bye he said that he has had to chop a coil out of new springs as they did not lower the vehical as they advertised they would. All I could say was "interesting."

esll.

This is a very old picture from back in the day .... please note the end that this young hot rodder is cuttig the coil from. Looks like he's going for two to two and a half coils.

[crazy longhorn]

I guess that we have to "agree that we disagree " on that one I am curious tho.....how much space do you have tween the bumpstop, & the bottom of the crossmember? crazyL

[slammed1]

I will say myself that there will be opinions on this all day long and there really isnt a great way but we all know that torching the coils so that they sag is not the best. As far as trimming which end......do as you wish,and do it by application because NOT every coil is the same so one may have a pig tail up top and another on the bottom so saying always cut from one end or the other isnt really going to work.

The picture posted above says its cutting from a pigtail end.......not exactly........if you look at the frt coils or rear coils on a 67-72 truck the rears are double pig tailed and the frts are pigtailed on the top only.......pigtailed means that the coil gets much narrower than the rest of the coil spring at an end usually for location purposes. Pigtails ends are usually best left alone.

This can go on and on forever and to each his own,but remember alot of guys read the forums who try things they see written or pictures posted when alot of details have been left out. IF your on a budget or need just a little bit more tweaking to get that perfect stance,a small coil adjustment if done correctly will work and get the job done if you do it right. IF your not on a budget,companies have drop a arms,spindles and coils for your application and those parts get the job done.

Crazy Longhorn,
my post you quoted was basically a generic way of saying take each application and apply what is needed like top or bottom......yes these trucks have a pigtail on the top which really needs left alone and since the pigtail fits a portion of the upper frame I usually trim one full coil as well soo everything still lines up. Alot of other vehicles I see dont have pigtails and its best to trim those on the bottom generally since the top of the coil gets flat for the upper mount.

I am trying to be as general as I can in my responses because I dont ever want to come off as bashing or confrontational,which is why I made this post..........Im sure there is a years worth of reading or more on the net about trimming or cutting coils.

Later guys
Brian

[crazy longhorn]

Here is a little info on cutting & rate changes.... http://www.eatonsprings.com/atqCutti...lculations.htm I have little more to add to this thread, except stay on the conservative side with this mod, think out what you are planning to, be carefull, & have fun! crazy L

[corn]

I have 73-87 drop springs in the front of my 69. No pigtail at either end, I looked at the upper spring pocket of a 73-87 & a 67-72. They both look the same. Cutting the pigtail off wont really hurt anything...

[slammed1]

This picture shows correct coils for frt and rear of a 67-72 truck.......its easy to see in the pics that both rea4r coils are pigtailed on each end,and that the frts have a pigtailed end and a non pigtailed end.

I have no idea why your 73-87 coils werent but all of them I have used or took apart and built had pigtailed tops.....strange.
I know all the Dodge Rams I do have non pigtailed ends on both ends BUT the tops of the coils flatten out for the upper mount so I always do the bottom on any trim work on them.

[corn]

Oh man! Im gonna have to tear it back apart to see now...


I was gonna anyway...

[slammed1]

Originally Posted by corn

Oh man! Im gonna have to tear it back apart to see now...


I was gonna anyway...

Oh no your not LOL,dont go to that extreme its not needed.

[crazy longhorn]

Originally Posted by corn

Oh man! Im gonna have to tear it back apart to see now...


I was gonna anyway...

Bag time?

[EAST SIDE LOW LIFE]

"Ohhhhhhhhhh .... my aching head!

esll.

[corn]

Originally Posted by EAST SIDE LOW LIFE

"Ohhhhhhhhhh .... my aching head!

esll.

Huh?

[willis0107]

i say drink some beer and let the springs fly thats why my wife has life insurance on me

[corn]

Front springs are a breeze once you've done them a couple times. No need for life insurance. Well, not for that anyway.

[txinliner]

Originally Posted by jorgensensc

Just for the sake of the oddball fact that maybe the jack lets loose, could we agree to at least put a chain on the spring to the Control arm... For safety sakes... please?
Shawn

right on not that hard to wrap a chain around it and fastend it up with a bolt and a nut. you know better safe than sorry. boy that sounded like my dad

[txinliner]

Originally Posted by JCA1972

Take the springs out and cut a 4x4 to the height you desire, put them in place of the springs. might be a little bouncy thou.

just kidding, back in the day I had a truck that I wanted to lower, my buddys dad got under the truck and heated the springs with a torch and the truck droped at least 2 inches. this would be the quickest and cheapest way if you ask me.

never i repeat never lower a truck or any vehicle by heating the springs it takes the temper out of em.

[Longhorn Man]

whatever... it's been done for 50+ years with only a handfull of problems. It isn't as good as doing it *right*... but that shouldn't stop you if you don't have that kind of money to throw down.

[leddzepp]

If you want cheap, then cut the coils, don't heat them to lower it. The BEST way to do it is get dropped spindles. Ride quality is maintained and alignment is easier and will hold better.

[Robznob11]

Originally Posted by lts70

Like boog said drop one side down at a time and cut an equal loop off of your existing springs. If you like it great. If you don't like it buy some drop springs from a vendor and swap them out.

I have a buddy with a 72 that has cut springs all the way around with drop spindles. It seems to handle the same as my truck which has drop springs and the same drop spindles. I wish I would have tried cutting my stock spring first and possibly saved some cash.

Good luck figuring out what to do.

I would like to know how he has cut springs all around on the rear did he cut to coil out of the middle and then weld it back together or did he take a big set of vise grips and twist that little coil back into the spring after he cut it, relly what did he do just giveing you a hard time...

[Robznob11]

oh by the way my front springs are 3" drop beltechs to fit an 02 f150 with no pig tails they were about a coil and 1/2 shorter than the stockers and a little bigger around but they fit like a glove