Spring and shock install from hell....

[jordanvraptor]

Keith, you're a great friend and a good sport.

Well, Keith and I decided to work on my Cobra Saturday. Everything pretty much went downhill from there... The plan was to install my "anti hop shocks" and a set of springs that had 1/2 a coil cut off. Thanks again Jesse for the springs.

Well, the only thing that went according to plan was taking the old ones out. There are many grisly details, some of which we should probably take to the grave to spare our families any dishonor.... The topper had to be the stock nut for the top of the shock absorber would not fit the new "anti hop shocks". We had to drive into town to an Autozone to pay $1.50 for 2 nuts...

The end result of it all? Well, the experiment of cutting 1/2 of a coil off the stock springs failed. It dropped too much, I wanted a drop of maybe an inch at max, I got at least 1.5 inch drop. Doesn't look bad, but now I might have to do the fronts or try it again. Not an experience I want to repeat...

Oh, and the anti hop shocks still hop, just not as bad.

Then I go to PIR and its not crowded but with bad air I run a pathetic 12.7 @ 110 mph and after my 4th run my car doesn't want to start. I think the heat may have temporarily knocked out the battery or something. After a cool down it was fine.

 

[the_david]

Chopping springs = bad mmm, k...

Sorry to hear about the misfortune(s)... Could be just a bad week, good luck with the spring issue!

 

[260thouONmyGT]

im sure that 1.5 drop will still look good sorry to hear about the struggles, just remember u gotta be smarter than the springs
tony

 

[Visceral]

yeah Im trying to remember anyone who cut stock springs who didnt immediately utter "Woops..." when the car was back on the springs.

At least Autozone has the 2 bolts you were looking for... thats pretty lucky... I assume they werent big metric bolts. Noone seems to have anything much larger than a M10

 

[909]

There was just a big thread on SVTP that discussed chopping stock springs. A lot of folks have had good success with this method. Of course there are all the folks who rant on about spring rates and integrity....

But, if it works, us it. Heck, I use my daughters baby bottle on my car to catch the overspray oil from my KB. It works great and it was about 299 dollars cheaper than Hermans oil spray tank. I digress.

Jordan, Drop the front of the car down to match. The distribution of weight may improve your rear hop. Glad to hear you decreased it, but seriously, I would drop the front to match the back, for appearance. But I would also do it to see if you can't change the weight distribution of the car and improve your hop situation. I don't know, maybe it won't have any change on hop but it will look good!

 

[jordanvraptor]

Cutting these springs is not bad, I did the research. It just dropped a little more than I figured it would. It does look good though.

Keith, guess what? The company forgot to send me some parts.... There was supposed to be a whole set of washers and bushings and nuts for the top mount area of the shock. They are sending them out today. They say this may also be why I still have a little hop.

 

[duner]

Keith, guess what? The company forgot to send me some parts.... There was supposed to be a whole set of washers and bushings and nuts for the top mount area of the shock. They are sending them out today. They say this may also be why I still have a little hop.

Mucking Forons

I hope this cures the hop.

 

[jordanvraptor]

Got the parts today, they overnighted them. Not that I needed them that fast... I'm also getting a set of rear spring isolators from Krazy Koncepts to raise the rear end ride height just a bit. Also considering a Kenny Brown rear shock tower brace. View attachment 524032

Also, I might install the Steeda IRS bracket to stabilize the IRS even more or a homemade version of this which is called the Mathis bracket.