65 A-code with 1" drop applied to the upper control arm With the car frame rails sitting on jack stands and the wheel off the car, the upper control arm is as "relaxed" as it gets. How much pressure is the coil spring under at that point?
Enough to do some serious damage to you, I suggest a compressor, better safe than sorry
Amen!!!!!!!!!!!
Had a difficult time getting them compressed enough to get in and out. But, was using a really cheesy compressor. Think the springs have been changed at some point. Even with the drop, it sits a bit high for my liking. Am thinking about getting another set that is a bit stiffer, but lets front sit bit lower. Springs under that much pressure will kill you.....
Quote from: mygt350 on April 07, 2019, 09:07:22 PM
Had a difficult time getting them compressed enough to get in and out. But, was using a really cheesy compressor. Think the springs have been changed at some point. Even with the drop, it sits a bit high for my liking. Am thinking about getting another set that is a bit stiffer, but lets front sit bit lower. Springs under that much pressure will kill you.....
I used the springs listed in the Boss 302 Chassis Modification booklet. They were cut somewhat. I think it was 1/3 of a coil. Whatever the recommendation originally was.
First I used the 1" drop, then I went to the full 1-3/4" drop which I found to be better. I found that the ride height to be too low and shimmed up the springs 1" with Mr. Gasket full rubber coil spring spacers. That put the car where it should be.
With the shock removed and the spring cut, the spring practically falls out of the seats.
I found that lowering the upper a-arms induced quite a bit of bump steer. I had to go to a bump steer elimination kit.
The only way you can tell for sure how much bump steer you have is to remove the springs and move the suspension through it's travel and measure toe change. In all honesty, I didn't do it but can say that whatever there is left of it, I can't notice any at all. Whereas before, the car would jump about 1/2 a lane. So something needed to be done.
Radial tires also help quite a bit as opposed to the old poly-glass bias tires the modification was originally performed with. BFG 235-60-15 on 15x7 Shelby 10 spokes. Run 35 psi in them and anyone can drive the car safely.
In my '66, I have 1-inch dropped springs and the Shelby/Arning drop. If I jack up the front end and remove the wheel, the spring still has enough tension to not want to come out easily. However, once I unbolt that side's sway bar, the UCA literally drops until it hits the body, if I let it. I usually place a floor jack under the LCA and then unbolt the sway bar so that I can slowly lower the suspension. Once lowered, these dropped-springs literally fall out and a compressor isn't needed.
I do have the correct spring compressor which bolts to the spring perch, in place of the shock, and compresses the spring/perch/UCA, but then you must either unbolt the perch or remove the UCA and that was more work than just unbolting the sway bar.
The compressor that he mentioned above can be rented or purchased from West Coast Cougar. I have the Arning drop with Global West 1" lower Big Block springs. I can install the springs without a compressor. However, I elected to buy the Global West 1/2" poly spacer because I wound up a little lower than I wanted with headers, which did require the use of a compressor.
-Keith