lower a spring

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Feb 02, 2015 1:46 pm

early last year I purchased a set of vogtland springs for the mustang. These are a progressive spring, but not a very heavy rated spring. These ride well and they lowered the mustang 1.2" front and rear. The inherent nature of the mustang is it has a "rake" to it and the back end sits a little high for my likes. I really don't want to buy another set of springs for this car. I can't cut the springs due to their design and I'm certainly not going to heat them up.

The rear springs look like this...

http://www.amazon.com/Vogtland-953084-S ... B000Z6J3AM the rear springs are on the right

My thought was to over compress the pigtail into the spring so it sits more even w/ the last full loop of the spring. I'd have to have the spring rest on the last full coil and then press the pigtail down into the coil. I have a press, but don't know if it's big enough to handle this.

I'd welcome some thoughts on this, I'd like to lower the rear of the car about 3/4" so I can get the stance I'm looking for. Damn, guess this makes me a waxer.... so be it...

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Mon Feb 02, 2015 1:57 pm

The spring on the left in that pic looks to be very close to a linear wind on the bottom 2/3 of the coils. Can you not just cut 1/2 a coil off that bottom end? Nevermind, you said the right were the rear springs...

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Feb 02, 2015 2:11 pm

yeah, the coils taper outward, so if I cut the pig tail, it won't seat on the post. If my only way out is another set of springs, I'll do that, but that means time under the front end and another alignment. Some how, sticking my hands under the car and re-doing all of this work is losing its appeal the older I get.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Mon Feb 02, 2015 2:32 pm

RodneyWright wrote:

My thought was to over compress the pigtail into the spring so it sits more even w/ the last full loop of the spring. I'd have to have the spring rest on the last full coil and then press the pigtail down into the coil. I have a press, but don't know if it's big enough to handle this.

What will keep the spring from returning to it's original shape when decompressed?

Jason Mauldin · **Posted:** Mon Feb 02, 2015 3:01 pm

Rodney, if you like the front spring rate, you can just get a set of rear springs that lower the car the amount you want. They don't have to be matching from the manufacturer. Most of the rear spring rates of the lowering springs are fairly close to each other. And would be more consistent then anything you could do with your press.

Jordan Normark · **Posted:** Mon Feb 02, 2015 3:03 pm

RodneyWright wrote:

I'd welcome some thoughts on this, I'd like to lower the rear of the car about 3/4" so I can get the stance I'm looking for. Damn, guess this makes me a waxer.... so be it...

What about a 1/2-3/4" spacer under the front springs? I guess that would only net you a ~1/2" drop in the front?

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Feb 02, 2015 3:04 pm

Vincent Keene wrote:

RodneyWright wrote:

My thought was to over compress the pigtail into the spring so it sits more even w/ the last full loop of the spring. I'd have to have the spring rest on the last full coil and then press the pigtail down into the coil. I have a press, but don't know if it's big enough to handle this.

What will keep the spring from returning to it's original shape when decompressed?

That's why I used the term over compressed. I'd need to compress the top part of the spring past its return point to get it lowered. Don't think this would easy to do. Just thinking out loud...

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Feb 02, 2015 3:05 pm

Jordan Normark wrote:

RodneyWright wrote:

I'd welcome some thoughts on this, I'd like to lower the rear of the car about 3/4" so I can get the stance I'm looking for. Damn, guess this makes me a waxer.... so be it...

What about a 1/2-3/4" spacer under the front springs? I guess that would only net you a ~1/2" drop in the front?

So 2 things w/ that thought. 1, it raises the front which I don't want to do. 2, I have to tear into the front end, which I'm trying to avoid doing...

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Feb 02, 2015 3:09 pm

Jason Mauldin wrote:

Rodney, if you like the front spring rate, you can just get a set of rear springs that lower the car the amount you want. They don't have to be matching from the manufacturer. Most of the rear spring rates of the lowering springs are fairly close to each other. And would be more consistent then anything you could do with your press.

I think this is going to be the "best" route, but this involves spending money =) I've looked and I think the ford racing "K" springs are about as close as I can get to what I want in regard to spring rate, is still a progressive rate spring and lowers the rear of the car.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Mon Feb 02, 2015 7:02 pm

I understand from credible sources that S197's wheel hop gets worse with lowering in the rear. Have you done anything to address that since I assume "even lower" will aggravate the problem?

http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetails. ... &ModelID=5

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Feb 02, 2015 7:50 pm

DickRasmussen wrote:

I understand from credible sources that S197's wheel hop gets worse with lowering in the rear. Have you done anything to address that since I assume "even lower" will aggravate the problem?

http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetails. ... &ModelID=5

I'm not a huge fan of the lower control arm relocation brackets. I'd prefer to use the adjustable upper control arm. You can keep the angle at about 2 degrees. That also has poly bushings that keeps the wheel hop down.

Jason Mauldin · **Posted:** Mon Feb 02, 2015 9:09 pm

RodneyWright wrote:

DickRasmussen wrote:

I understand from credible sources that S197's wheel hop gets worse with lowering in the rear. Have you done anything to address that since I assume "even lower" will aggravate the problem?

http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetails. ... &ModelID=5

I'm not a huge fan of the lower control arm relocation brackets. .

Why not?

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Feb 02, 2015 9:15 pm

Jason Mauldin wrote:

RodneyWright wrote:

I'm not a huge fan of the lower control arm relocation brackets. .

Why not?

I just don't like the way they look from the back of the car in regard to how far they drop the control arms down.

Jason Mauldin · **Posted:** Mon Feb 02, 2015 9:24 pm

Gotcha. I'd be cautious with using poly bushings in that upper control arm. The rear axle twists a great deal and the poly bushings aren't going to be happy with that.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Tue Feb 03, 2015 10:00 am

You might want to find out what the tolerances are on rake before you go to far with this Rodney. If it is anything like an E36; going too low in the rear could be very bad for handling at speed.

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