Technical Lowering springs lifted my car!

I bought rear springs from Eaton for my '39 Dodge. They're perfect.

 

I flipped the springs over and - it worked! Just kidding.

 

Cut a coil and a half, if you're good with a torch they can be done in the car, in the 50's everybody at the cool muffler shops would cut them in the car. Now with spring compressors it should be easier.

 

Did they give you a spring rate with the new springs? With larger coils it could be dramatically stiffer especially with less active coils. I would guess the stock Mopar springs are in at around 400 lbs/inch.

 

I figure somebody there(eaton) saw or heard the word "suburban" and bamb you got springs for a......... 'chevy' burb.

 

That year of Chevy Suburban is leafs front and back....

 

Yeah i know .

 

I'm sending the springs back to Eaton, and I will attempt to cut the stock springs. 1.5 coils? I was just going to do it with my angle grinder...

 

Will it bounce at all?

 

I’d start with a 1/4 to a 1/2 a coil cut at first. It doesn’t take much to lower one pretty quickly. My son wanted me to cut a set for his 68 F100, I did, the truck sat on the bump stop! Luckily we had another set, we cut about 1/2 a coil and it sat perfect. I did the cutting with a 4” cut off tool.

 

You can cut with grinder, Or tie a wet rag just past where you are cutting.Use torch, rag acts like heat sink .I think some how you got wrong springs

 

Most A arm suspension arms have about a 2 to 1 leverage ratio. Meaning, you will get a drop at the wheel of about twice the amount (inches) of spring height reduction.

Ray

 

The problem with cutting springs is that the spring rate increases as they get shorter. If it is stiff now, it only gets worse with more cut off it.

 

I ended up cutting one coil out of the original springs, flipped them over twice, and stuffed them back in there. I'm quite happy with the outcome. The car actually handles much better, and the ride is not harsh at all. no rubbing or bottoming out either. What a difference the right stance makes! Thanks for all the advice boys!

 

Even I faced the same problem with Eaton Spring.

 

I put Aerostars in the front of my Ford... too low. Took the factory springs, acid dipped the rust off, removed 1 coil and painted them. Rides well, the spring rate went from 414 to 495 with just the 1 coil lopped off.