i would like to know how many coils it takes to go from this to this.i am lowering my wagon the low tech way (cutting coils)i was thinking 2 coils front and rear.anyone else have any ideas or advise?thank you, jimmy this:
Two wrap's will stiffen it up some. Give's about 4" drop, you will need some shorter quality shock's. If you do not have a sway bar, add one after the drop. Tame the road.
I cut 2 coils out of my '60 Elky (same suspension and spring I think) And with the car jacked up the spring is so short it just falls out with the stock length shock. Well. you can say big deal I won't jac it up... but the first time you "get air" going over the local RR tracks with the pedal down they will fall out too. I put some Monroe #31000 shocks in it instead, they are 19 1/2" long instead of 21" and they keep the coils in I had to take the toop mount cross bar out of the old shocks and put it in the ring of the new one but that's no biggie. Oh, by the way, 2 coils is way low
drj, do you have any pics.also,what is the part # for the rears?thanks fellas. oh yeah, i love to be low!
No pics. That was for the rear. The front are OK with the stock shock, because the shock goes thru the spring so it can't go anywhere. If you want a different brand or type of shock just cross reference the size at a store that still has "parts books". I found the one's I got on the dimension chart here http://www.monroe.com/catalog_lookup/ocl_miscappinfo.asp and then just found them in the stacks fir myself at Pep Boys. (They don't dare tell grumpy old gray hairs they can't go in the inventory stacks)
One more thing, I cut the coils with a cutoff wheel on an angle grinder and didn't flatten the spring end at all because that takes the spring out of the metal and it'll get way too low. But I did grind the cut ends of the spring a little rounded and smooth so they don't start cutting into and thru the saddles in the frame and arms. I put some bolt "anti-sieze" on them too because springs 'walk" around in the saddle when they move up and down. When you cut them fit the ends to the stops in the saddle leaving at least 3/8" gap for the spring to move in or they will bind. (That's in the factory book)
I say take a coil off first and reinstall, if not low enough (would not be for me) take an other half coil.) always easier to remove more.. As for the rear coil, safety wire it in so it can not go anywhere (or build a strap device to hold the coil in (strapped over one of the coils)
On my 62 Impala wagon, I just used s-10 coils. A friend of mine had just lowered his stock s-10, so I took his coils from the front, and put them in the back of my wagon. It was about 3-4" lower than stock, and the ride was fine. The front had already been lowered some, so I left it alone. Here is a picture, please excuse the big inch billet rollers. -Joe
I took 13/4 wraps out of my 64 impala wagon, it sat nice and rode the same, it was a good trade... I did have it aligned afterward... Sorry no pics on this machine...
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