Suspension Emergency?

[outrun]

Okay I am freaked and seeking "2nd" opinions here.

I just installed a set of front and rear mono-tube KYB Shocks/Struts/Mounts and matching Spicer OEM springs on a late model F-Body.

The car is now 1 to possibly 2 inches HIGHER than normal. Their is a sizeable space on the fender wells. The shop told me that this is because the springs and shocks are new. Second, within a 1000 miles are so the springs should seat or compress down to normal.

Is this believable? Spicer's website says the springs restore proper ride height and are factory load tested.

It will kill my budget to have to buy "lowering" springs and re-install. All I wanted was OE spec parts and decent ride quality ... I hope I did not screw myself.

Thanks for any help.

 

[tom slick]

your old springs were worn out and sagging. they will settle in some after you put some miles on it.

 

[Bob The Builder]

I agree. Give them a chance to wear in a little. You were probably used to the low hight of worn suspension. It will take a little while, but things will look up...err down...whatever.

 

[sciphi]

Give it a bit of time. Springs need about a month to fully settle in. Once upon a time I installed some Eibachs, and they took a few weeks to settle down.

In the meanwhile, enjoy the ride!

 

[JohnBrowning]

Calm down. Have you driven it? It is normal for springs to have some variation especialy after market springs. Normaly after market springs are designed to fix saging and thngs like that which are normal for OEM springs. They are usualy a little bit firmer,have a progresive rate and tend to be a little bit taller. Do not get lowering springs!!! As long as the springs are seating just fine and shocks are the proper size all will be fine. Springs will always sag some as they where in. This is true with leaf springs as well. Springs are just as much art as they are science and most are still hand coiled. Eibachs are hand coiled and so are wheelers. So yes it is believeable. Now I am not saying that in 6 months they are going to be exactly the same as the oem ones since that would not make sense non oem springs are supposed to be an improvment not more of the same but they will sag or settle some. Once it settles it will more then likely be about 1 inch higher then normal. When I had my rear leafs rearched back in 1993 on my 1986 4Runner since all the old leaf spring 4Runners had a saging rear end I had them but a little bit more arch in them then the OEM had and I added two more leafs and a thicker load leaf. It sat about 2 inch's higher then the front end for about 6 months then after about 2 years it was exactly level with the front and stayed that way all this time!The place that did my work made leaf springs from stock and also rearched and repaired mostly industrial stuff like Fire Trucks and School Bus's and heavy equipment.

Now I have never used spicer springs but as long as you did not order 2-4 inch lift springs if they are OEM replacement with a little bit of heavy duty capacity built in you should be fine. If they where two-4 inch springs though the shocks would not be happy and you would have noticed a huge difference between the OEM ones and the new ones!Just check the part number ont he box and make sure you got the part you ordered. Call spicer if you have any questions. I always measure before I do any suspension work since your eye sight can be so deceptive and is not very subjective.

 

[JohnBrowning]

People on this sight frreak out way to easily.LOL You know it not like your Doctor wheeled you out of surger with extra parts left over or made you arms a foot longer then they where before etc......Just stell,aluminum and iron and very few things done to a machine that can not be fixed or set right again! So always breath first and wait for permission to be freaked out!!!LOL

 

[Aldaris]

It is a real suspension EMERGENCY!!! You should call the police. No, even the cops should dial 911.

 

[cousincletus]

Haha, with the extra height you could put 24's on it.

 

[Canawler]

If your new springs sag within a week, you have problems.
It sounds more likely that you don't have the spring seated in the mounts correctly.

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: cousincletus
Haha, with the extra height you could put 24's on it.

what what what

 

[Kestas]

Ideally, you should get the specs for ride height on your vehicle... usually in the shop manual. Maybe the guys at ford-trucks.com can help you with that.

 

[[RT] ProjUltraZ]

really, you should have gone with strano springs or new stock springs (or even used stock springs). Eibach pro-kit is not good either, variable rate is a good theory but doesn't work well in the camaro if driven hard.

There may be something you can do about the ride height. i know w/ front konis there is a way to turn the whole thing and get a little higher or lower with the hat. for the rears, some people remove the rubber isolators (donut looking things) to go lower but it makes way more road noise and sucks actually

 

[Jim Spahr]

You can cut one coil , or half a coil, off the front springs if they are straight cut and not pig tailed. On the typical RWD GM cars only the rear springs are pigtailed so the front one can be cut. Caution: cutting a coil off will make the spring stiffer as well as shorter!