hotchkis springs 1 1/2 drop??? bull****

[brads69]

i bought the 1 1/2 inch drop springs from hotchkis and got a whopping 1/4 inch drop! i'm pissed ive got the entire front end back together and now i've got to take them back out and cut them, could have done that with the stock springs.

anyone have any idea how i can get 1 1/2 to 2 inches more off my front end. how much do i need to cut off the springs?? any help appreceated.

[BRIAN]

Easy give it a couple of months they will settle about an inch.

[brads69]

i don't think they will, the springs were put in the car about 4 months ago with the front end off, we then put the car on jackstands (which were directly under the a arms) now we are ready to put the fenders back on and i have a 2 inch gap between my tire and the fender. i had the rear multi leafs de arched 2 inches and they came out great just tucking the rear tires. i've went through this before with a mustang, i was told they would settle, i drove it for 8 months and it still sat like i had a load of dirt in the trunk.

[dhardison]

I had the same result Brad. I let my Hotchkis coils settle around 60 days. They didn't budge a bit, so I ended up cutting a full coil and that dropped it 3/4"-1".

Dan

[dennis68]

Were the springs you replaced brand new springs? You gotta remember that the drop is based off stock height, not your 35 year old sagged spring.

Coil spring specialties will custom wind whatever you want, tell them the height you want and what rate...about 135.00/pair.

[MikeDVC]

Is the front of the car all factory? Meaning do you have a fiberglass hood, alum. heads, battery in the trunk or have you made any other modification to lower the weight of the front of the car? If so the spring rate will be off and the front end will be very bouncy.

I cut a full coil from my Hotchkis springs, to compensate for all the weight I removed. I can assure you that the springs will not settle much, I've had mine for about 9 months.

[BRIAN]

Springs do settle with wear. Make sure they are seated in the pockets correctly. I also agree with Dennis as you have to measure from approx orig stock height which was pretty high. Hey if you want to go lower cut one coil out. Remember you aren't going to get air bag look with stock set up. Also do yourself a favor a turn wheel full lock both ways and then measure how much you can drop before hitting lip. Subtract at least 2-3"'s for compression when you hit a bump. Just curious as to what size tires you are running? Good luck.

[zbugger]

Same deal here. I put the Hotchkis springs on my car and I only got about 3/4" drop. Thing is, my car already sat lower than stock. This is on a '77 Camaro by the way. Anyway, I've seen the springs drop lower than what you've seen. I haven't even driven the car to let them settle either. I do believe I got the advertised drop with mine. Something I do have to ask though. What's the rest of your setup? Did you tighten the control arms with the front end off or in the air? Loosen it up and bounce the car. See if it drops anymore. Also, is it completely together? Is the engine in it as well? Also, what other parts have you changed on the car? Hood? Heads? Intake? It all makes a difference.

[streetk14]

I was thinking the same thing. If the control arms were tightened when the front end was not in the loaded position, that would be a problem. I am also curious on your set up, and tire size. I have the Hotchkis small block springs on my '68 Camaro, and it sits pretty low. 245/45/17's tuck into the wheel wells, and I'd think a '69 would "look" lower due to the fender design. I've been driving my car with this suspension for over 3 years, and it is as low as I would want for a street car. my Hooker super comps are all scraped up, and I've taken out more than a couple front spoilers. Just something to think about if you plan to drive it.
-Andy

[LowBuckX]

Like others have asked Id like to know when did you tighten up the control arms? If you tightened them down with the suspension hanging you need to loosen them and tighten them with t on the ground.

I went one step further and drove around the block a few times before I final torqued them. (on the ground) I feel I got full drop out of mine--- About 3/4-1 inch lower than my OG springs from 72.


This pic is with Front and rear hotchkis springs and stock size rims and tires..

[brads69]

i tightened the control arms after it went on the ground and i've bounced it up and down several times with no change. the motor is in place and the rest of the suspension is stock but all new including the bushings. i know they are seated in the pockets. i'm running 245/45/17s on the front and 255/45/17s on the rear. i know i can't achieve the airbag look with a stock setup but i've seen several cars with similar setups and they look great. yeah i thought about the headers scraping so i went with manifolds and a complete chambered exhaust system as i want the car maintain its Z28 appearance :help:

[MarkM66]

Pull them and cut. Cut 3/4-1 full coil.

Even Hotchkis has stated their springs may settle 1/4" max.

[vanzuuk1]

Give a fat girl a ride on a bumpy road.

[Piet]

Anyone ever get feedback from Hotchkis?
Seems to be a common issue... maybe even FAQ worthy

[brads69]

thanks, for the advice everybody. i cut one full coil and the car sets the way i wanted it to.

BUT, i have another question, i had my rear multi leafs dearched 3 inches a few months ago and now that the car is off the jackstands and on the floor it sets 3/4 inch higher on the passenger side than the driver side??? any solutions to this problem. any help appreciated. :help:

[MikeDVC]

Piet,

I talked to Hotchkis when I had the same problem, they told me to cut the springs, 1/4 coil at a time, until I got the height I wanted.

[zbugger]

They did have to cut the coils on the 71 Camaro they built. I don't see myself having to do that for some reason though. Maybe I just got lucky.