Front Coil Springs

[sackracing]

Trying to get the front end right on this disaster in my garage. I tried the moog 5600 and the spring rate was too soft, tried the 5606 and that was too stiff. I want it to sit lower, and I'm considering the hotchkis lowered fronts.
This is primarily a race car and I am lost as what to put in it.
Any input would be appreciated, I'm tired of taking this apart and putting it back together.

 

[charlief1]

5606 is stock and has a 421 lbs/in rate. The 5006 is stock and has a 355 lbs/in rate. The 5600 is rated at 347 lbs/in rate so it's not much softer than the stock spring. How much lower than stock are you wanting to go here? You could put the stock spring back in with a taller lower ball joint and get an inch lower than stock and still keep the stock ride or cut the spring down some. The hotchkiss springs are a lot stiffer than any of them that I listed so I don't think you'll like it any better.

 

[~JM~]

Have you considered drop spindles? They are usually a 2" drop. I have a set of drop spindles & a pair of 1" lowering springs in the rear. This was performed by the P/O & I don't know what type of springs he used. I think the spindles are Bell-Tech. I'm running 17" wheels & think the stance is just about perfect. if anything the rear could come down a hair more.

Good luck
~JM~

 

[sackracing]

Hard to tell on spring rate. My car has no air, no power steering, aluminum heads, th400, and no heater box. The 5606 was too tall, might try the 5600. I am using the shocks to control the lift and rebound.

 

[charlief1]

Have you scale the car to see hwere the weight is? That might help you out.

 

[sackracing]

haven't scaled it, so it's trial and error for now. I cut one coil out of the 5606 and it was way too low.

 

[sackracing]

Correction, it was a 5660

 

[sackracing]

And I have a set of 5600 with one coil cut out and it's about an inch too low. An uncut set might work.

 

[charlief1]

No wonder it was rough. That's a 598 lbs/in spring! You almost doubled the spring rate in the car with that one. Give me a few and I think I can come up with a better spring combo for ya. What spring do you have in the rear right now?

 

[sackracing]

I have qa1 coil over springs in the back with adjustable perches. 275 / 60 tires and it sits right at top of tire, which is good. The front has 26 inch Mickey Thompsons and top of that tire with about a half inch gap would be good.

It needs to come up a couple of inches, this is with the 5660 and one coil cut.

 

[charlief1]

Do you know what the spring rate on the rear is?

 

[sackracing]

I don't recall, I can go out and look, its on the springs.

 

[charlief1]

Can you measure the chasis height at the rocker pannels just behind the front wheels and just in front of the rear wheels so I can get an idea of the height it's at right now?

 

[sackracing]

Nope, it's back up in the air with the front springs out.

The rears are 12 / 120

With the 5660 springs it sat at what was probably stock height. I'm sure the front mount and Th400 made up for weight I took off the front.

 

[sackracing]

Spindles are not an option since I had to work these over to fit the Aerospace brakes.

 

[Mike E]

TRZ reccomended I start with a 350 lb./in. I'm running coilovers, so I can adjust the ride height.

If you haven't sold the afcos yet, you could buy adjusters and run them as coiloves with qa1 conical springs. They can bolt on top of the a-arm like that so clearance through the arm is not a problem.

 

[charlief1]

5606 with about 1/2 coil off should do just about right for you then. It's 66 lbs/in heavier which would give you just a little more than the stock weight. 421 lbs/in VS 355 lbs/in and with what you were running at 598 lbs/in it should be nice. You could also use 584 spring at 457 lbs/in but you'll need to cut at least 1 full coil off it and most likely 1.5 to 2.

 

[sackracing]

I'm pretty sure they'll kick me out of TSM with coilovers. I wish I would have started with TRZ arms in the beginning, and kept the Afcos.
I have some QA1 shocks now.

 

[garrett]

I'm pretty sure they'll kick me out of TSM with coilovers. I wish I would have started with TRZ arms in the beginning, and kept the Afcos.
I have some QA1 shocks now.

I just cut one coil out of my stock front springs and it lowered my car by 1 3/8 inches in front. I think it looks perfect considering I don't have the heavy duty rear springs and after 27 years, I think they have sagged alittle. It should be noted that I have my battery in the trunk, so that does redistribute the weight alittle.

 

[sackracing]

I ordered a set of QA1 coilovers, I'm tired of putting springs in and pulling them out.