I need advice re: front springs

[Northern Goat]

I have a 71 firebird with a LQ9 swap, DSE control arms and a complete 2" drop small block Hotchkis TVS suspension. I thought the car sat high when the front sheet metal and interior were installed, but thought the car would settle. The distance from the ground to the bottom of the fenders in 29" on 25.7" wheels and tires. I finally test drove the car today and it rode like a dump truck, I did not feel any movement in the front suspension. My buddy and I, who weigh over 500 lbs combined, pushed on the rad support and no movement. We looked at the spings and the coils are extremely close together and they look to be very close to the same diameter of the big block springs we have sitting around. Could Hotchkis have sent me BB springs by mistake? Any other ideas?

[Rod]

what shocks? and pictures of ride height and suspension

[Northern Goat]

Hotckis TVS Bilstien shocks

[JEFFTATE]

Post a picture please ...

Are you saying that the front coil springs are completely collapsed , and the front suspension is bottoming out ?

[Northern Goat]

I will take a pic and post tonight.

I am saying that the car does not seem to have any movement in the front and the spacing between the coils is very tight. I can't see the suspension being bottomed out as the car is sitting so high, but I have no idea what is going on here.

[andrewb70]

As I recall, Hotchkis prints the part number right on the spring. See if you can spot the part number. That will tell you exactly what you have there. Even small block springs might be too much for an LS engine, even with an iron block.

Andrew

[John Wright]

Maybe the spring is too long....if so, the spring can coil bind making it feel like a rock.

[Northern Goat]

Spoke with Hotchkis and they gave me the part number to look for. They also told me to check if the springs were installed right side up. Apparently you can install them upside down, even though they are not progressive rate springs. Will pull it all part this weekend and check.

[MrQuick]

also, don't tighten your control arm bolts with the car up in the air on jack stands. make sure its weight is on the suspension. Even though you have Delrin bushings there is a chance they could be binding.

[Northern Goat]

Well I am a little embarrassed, but will post the solution to my problem so other may benefit. The springs were installed improperly. I did not have the ends of the coils seated in the coil pockets properly, which caused them to bow a bit and bind up against the frame. The probelm was obvious once I actually got under the car. I then recruited some friends who actually know what they are doing and we reinstalled the springs properly. Now the ends are in the pockets and the coils are moving laterally. They are not binding on the frame and the suspension actually moves and the distance from the ground to the bottom of the fender has dropped by 2 1/8 inches.

[MrQuick]

glad to hear it was an easy fix. Don't be embarrased, its a learning moment.

[chicane67]

Don't feel too bad... we have all done that once, and some twice.

[John Wright]

Don't feel too bad... we have all done that once, and some twice.

Heck yeah, been there, done that!....as soon as I let the car back down I knew I had "one" of the springs not seated in the upper spring pocket of my camaro. My car sat lop-sided and gave it away...if it had been both sides, I may have been scratching my head like you trying to figure out what happened.

For those who might not know, on the camaros, the upper spring pocket looks like this up inside the subframe(see fuzzy pic)....the spring can get caught on those little locating fingers and not let the spring seat correctly in the pocket.....it is easy to do...so a person shouldn't feel embarrassed when it happens to them.
(Note):2gen camaro parts in pics
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/05/uppercoilspringbucket-1.jpg

Lower pocket...note where the tail of the coil should be to be clocked and seated correctly
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/03/ControlArm1-1.jpg
Here's the lower spring pocket

[JEFFTATE]

I've done that too .