Front drop install gone bad?

[Texas77Stepper]

Seems like I missed something yesterday when I finished the install of 2.5" drop spindles and 3" drop springs and Nitro shocks.
The passenger side sits about 2 inches lower than the driver side.
It looks like the springs are sitting differently, or at different angles. Is this possible? Here's the summit link for what I got:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/DJM-CS2353-3/

When I bounce the front end I can hear the springs "moving" I guess. I'm thinking I need to take it all apart and check the mounting of the springs. Or do I only need an alignment? Or maybe I need something like this:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SPS-1702/

But in that case wouldn't I just exchange the 3" drop springs for 2" drop?
I need some help from you guys that have done this before, I'm lost....

[50mercfan]

i would say the spring on the high side is not seated in the pocket. there are reassess the spring rides in.

[vasquezmrysvll]

it sounds like one of your springs isnt sitting correctly, you should be able to put a jack under the engine cross member, jack the truck up, adjust the springs, then lower slowly making sure the springs stay located squarely.

[Texas77Stepper]

I jacked it up last night by the cross member and tried readjusting the springs. The lower side has some play but the higher side none.

When I lowered off the jack stands right after the original install and rolled about a foot, I did hear a bang or pop like the passenger side spring was seating/moving. So that’s what I was looking at last night. I had a feeling the spring wasn’t sitting correctly, but only looked at the lower side. Ran out of time.... and wits.

[vasquezmrysvll]

i would jack it up again, have a buddy at each wheel to guide the springs, while you SLOWLY lower the jack. that's the problem with 2.5-3+" drop springs. good luck

[big_al_71]

I would also do as already mentioned double check that the one spring is sitting in the pockets correctly....

[Texas77Stepper]

Do you recommend I try to see if Summit will exchange to 2" springs instead of the 3"?

What pros and cons with springs 2 or 3 inch, like tie rod wearing or anything like that?

[cdowns]

did you replace ball joints and tierod ends when you did your drop??

[Texas77Stepper]

Put new ball joints, upper and lower, this weekend while I had everything off waiting for the correct spindles. New tie rods and ends were done about 2k miles ago. Would that make a difference?

[chevy_mike]

The '65 I just bought has 3" dropped springs and if I jack the front all the way off the ground, the springs kind of flop over in the pockets. This is common on 3" springs as they are not long enough to hold the sitting in the pockets, especially if you are missing the upper a arm bumper.

Likely you don't have the drive side in the upper pocket correctly and it is bound up unlike the pass. side which seats correctly when you get some weight on it (i.e. the bang you hear). I get that same bang.

As for changing them to 2" springs, you lose an 1" of drop but the springs are long enough to stat seated when lifting off the ground. That's your call based on how you want it to look. BTW, I am finding the 3" springs allow the suspension to bottom out a lot easier than longer springs. Will be changing them at some point.

YMMV

[Texas77Stepper]

That helps! I'll get the front up on a jack again tonight and see if I can't get that driver side into the correct spot. I'll post a reply tomorrow with the results. Thanks for all the info.


.......now, do I want to do 2" or or stick with the 3" drop springs? hmmmm...

[70-Shorty]

Originally Posted by Texas77Stepper

.......now, do I want to do 2" or or stick with the 3" drop springs? hmmmm...

I'd say stick with what you have as since you installed them, chances are Summit won't take them back. Besides lower looks better!

Tim

[BIG ORANGE]

I say 2" spring will be the better choice! jmo

[Texas77Stepper]

So I was able to fix last night. Turns out the driver side was not seated in the upper mount properly, as suggested. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Once I put it in there correctly and lowered it slowly to make sure it stayed, the driver side came down even with the passenger side.

WOWo is the front end low now! I'll post some pics later today.

Here in Houston the roads are not horrible but they are definitely not great either. I'm now thinking of taking the stock springs and cutting a half OR a full coil and using them. I will use this as my daily driver and don't think I'll be comfortable with the rather extreme drop it has right now.

Anyone care to chime in on drop springs vs. cut stock springs?

[chevy_mike]

A full coil cut will be approx. 2-2.5" of drop, depending on how much the stock ones have sagged. By shortening the stock spring, the spring rate will increase making it stiffer so if you have weak/blown shocks, you will notice a decrease in ride quality. As for dropped springs, I would only use ECE ones as they give the drop but keep the load rating/ride of stock. Many other ones (like the Ground Force ones I have) use a lighter rate and in turn, don't have the same load rating and tend to be soft in feel.

I am trying to get a set of dropped spindles and then use my old factory springs with about a 1/2-3/4 coil cut, on my '65. Hoping to stop the bottoming out and firm up the front a little more. YMMV

Oh, glad getting the springs seated correctly worked.

[leddzepp]

I dropped my front end using 2.5" McGaugheys drop spindles, along with a full coil cut off each OEM HD front spring (used on BBC and 3/4 ton trucks) I got about 4.5" total drop. I am running 15 x 7 stock rallye wheels, with 215/70 tires. No alignment issues, or clearance problems.

[Burb]

Ya I threw on some 2" drop springs on my burb worrying that too much lower and bagless would not be wise ...
for those that have never navigated the craters of the Houston road ways ... after a good rain here potholes become the size of Rhode Island and can swallow a Dodge Ram chasing a Prius without even a wimper.