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  • 1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk-

Installed C-springs but....

  • Thread starter Thread starter eliteJAE
  • Start date Start date Jul 6, 2008

eliteJAE

Member
May 29, 2007
0
1
16
Stanford University
Jul 6, 2008
#1
  • Jul 6, 2008
  • #1
just installed c-springs, and it came out lower than i expected......on one side LOL it seems my passenger front fender gap is noticeably higher than the driver side

i wonder if i should remove the isolators or cut the coils hmmmm....

either way, now i need wheel spacers lol Also, one of the rear wheels sticks out further out away from the axle than the other wheel...like a 1/4 inch, dunno how that could happen.

that is all
 
J

JimC

Member
Dec 1, 2002
170
0
17
Duluth GA
Jul 6, 2008
#2
  • Jul 6, 2008
  • #2
I wouldn't touch anything. The springs are going to settle and will change the fender gap all around. Worst case you could remove the isolators on the high side.
 

eliteJAE

Member
May 29, 2007
0
1
16
Stanford University
Jul 6, 2008
#3
  • Jul 6, 2008
  • #3
so they settle all over??? how long should i wait it out? not that I'm in any hurry to tear down the suspension again, although i could do it 45 minutes instead of 4 hours LOL

btw, the american muscle writeup for spring install sux it involves removing the shock from the bottom, and taking apart everything i just removed the strut from the top and let the mofo fall lol (with a jack lowering it of course)
 

Tim2002GT

Founding Member
Apr 10, 2002
635
4
29
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Jul 6, 2008
#4
  • Jul 6, 2008
  • #4
Sounds like you might not have the pigtail down in the control arm correctly. I would jack the car up and take a look.

As for the rear wheels not being centered, do you peel out or slide around corners alot? That could, over time, shift the entire axle housing one way or the other.
 

eliteJAE

Member
May 29, 2007
0
1
16
Stanford University
Jul 6, 2008
#5
  • Jul 6, 2008
  • #5
Tim2002GT said:
Sounds like you might not have the pigtail down in the control arm correctly. I would jack the car up and take a look.

As for the rear wheels not being centered, do you peel out or slide around corners alot? That could, over time, shift the entire axle housing one way or the other.
Click to expand...

whats the pigtail supposed to be oriented to? i set the new springs in JUST like the ones before it, but i have a feeling that this car was previously dropped and they replaced the stock springs before selling it. so it could've had wrong placement
 

Tim2002GT

Founding Member
Apr 10, 2002
635
4
29
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Jul 6, 2008
#6
  • Jul 6, 2008
  • #6
The low spot in the control arm is where the pigtail should rest. I don't know if this is the problem or not, just throwing some ideas out there. Good luck!
 

Stark77

Member
Jun 11, 2008
501
0
16
Tallahassee, FL
Jul 6, 2008
#7
  • Jul 6, 2008
  • #7
That's what I was going to suggest - I put in the Bullitt Suspension upgrade package and added in a set of C Springs. If your pigtails aren't facing the right direction (in your case make sure the passenger side pigtails are facing the drivers side) then one side will be lower/higher than the other. I took about a week for mine to settle in and they're probably still gonna drop a little more. The ride now is superb - no body roll and hardly any brake dive.
 

eliteJAE

Member
May 29, 2007
0
1
16
Stanford University
Jul 6, 2008
#8
  • Jul 6, 2008
  • #8
ok so passenger side pigtails face driver side, do the driver side pigtails face passenger??
 
D

Dragstr05

New Member
Dec 21, 2004
643
1
0
Stafford VA
Jul 6, 2008
#9
  • Jul 6, 2008
  • #9
eliteJAE said:
ok so passenger side pigtails face driver side, do the driver side pigtails face passenger??
Click to expand...

If you remove the spring you should clearly be able to see how the springs are supposed to sit.

/---------
------/

____ /--------
------/

In my retarded drawing, the top one is without the spring. Notice the indentation, or where the surface drops/rises. The very end of the spring, where it stops, should sit or rest right against this surface. Imagine twisting the spring as a corkscrew, and then when it hits the "wall" (like the bottom drawing) the spring will no longer rotate...if that makes any sense.

EDIT: my top drawing is a little messed up, the dashes should be aligned and wont do so. Solid line in bottom drawing indicates the spring.
 

04GreyGtUSAF

Member
Dec 10, 2007
43
0
7
KS
Jul 6, 2008
#10
  • Jul 6, 2008
  • #10
+1 on the pigtails probably needing re situated. I recently did the c-spring install and one side seemed higher so i pulled them back out and re seated them.......I also took out the isolaters which put it down exactly how i wanted it.
 

eliteJAE

Member
May 29, 2007
0
1
16
Stanford University
Jul 6, 2008
#11
  • Jul 6, 2008
  • #11
Dragstr05 said:
If you remove the spring you should clearly be able to see how the springs are supposed to sit.

/---------
------/

____ /--------
------/

In my retarded drawing, the top one is without the spring. Notice the indentation, or where the surface drops/rises. The very end of the spring, where it stops, should sit or rest right against this surface. Imagine twisting the spring as a corkscrew, and then when it hits the "wall" (like the bottom drawing) the spring will no longer rotate...if that makes any sense.

EDIT: my top drawing is a little messed up, the dashes should be aligned and wont do so. Solid line in bottom drawing indicates the spring.
Click to expand...

this helps man, thx

04GreyGtUSAF: How does the ride feel without the isolators? does it squeak at all? i think i might just take off the isolators too hmmm...
 

04GreyGtUSAF

Member
Dec 10, 2007
43
0
7
KS
Jul 6, 2008
#12
  • Jul 6, 2008
  • #12
Ride quality isnt to bad not as good as stock but the feel of the car is great. If you do take the isolators out. Make sure you do a quality wrap job on either end of the spring with some electrical tape(I used Scotch Super 88, supposedly more all weather type?) No squeak either. I love the rake look! I washed mine up today and went for a cruise so I took some pics hope they convince or dont. haha






john
 

2oo3MustangGT

New Member
Apr 27, 2008
46
0
0
birmingham, alabma and marietta, gerogia
Jul 6, 2008
#13
  • Jul 6, 2008
  • #13
pigtails is probably the issue, may have possibly switched a back spring for the front, unlikely but it's possible. i'm pretty sure all the pigtails face the middle of the car (so passenger pigtails point to driver/driver tails point to passenger). not sure about the one wheel sticking out furtuer, unless maybe the spring is pushing the bottom down more- making the top of the wheel cambered out too much..?
 

Black_02_GT

Member
Mar 2, 2008
0
0
16
Mississippi
Jul 6, 2008
#14
  • Jul 6, 2008
  • #14
eliteJAE said:
so they settle all over??? how long should i wait it out? not that I'm in any hurry to tear down the suspension again, although i could do it 45 minutes instead of 4 hours LOL

btw, the american muscle writeup for spring install sux it involves removing the shock from the bottom, and taking apart everything i just removed the strut from the top and let the mofo fall lol (with a jack lowering it of course)
Click to expand...

i used that write-up... one side took longer being the first time i had ever done the front. The other side went smooth with no hang ups.

As far as where the pigtails going, when you look down in that control arm there should be a little indention where is lowers and conforms to the spring....
 
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