Hal/QA1 question
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From: Metro Detroit
Hal/QA1 question I bought a qa1/hal drag spring setup off a fellow board member and I finally installed them. When I put them in the car, the car was riding really high so I lowered the spring perches so the car would come down some. Well I got it to about 2 inches from where it needs to be, and the spring is totally loose in the perch now. Basically, the unstretched length of the spring is less than the distance between the bottom spring perch and the top mount so it just moves around when there is no load on the a-arm. Is this normal or is it possible that this spring is too short? I checked the part number and it was right and the unstretched length is 14 inches which is also right from what I've seen so I'm not sure what I can do. It seems to me that the spring should always be in tension between the perches or else if you did a wheelie, the spring would float around until you landed and then it might not land in the correct position.
I have the bottom spring perch about 4 inches from the bottom of the shock, which I also found weird because most people said they had the bottom perch up about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way (mine is much less). Any thoughts? This is really getting irritating since my buddy has the same setup and his ride height is lower and the spring is still under compression.
I have the bottom spring perch about 4 inches from the bottom of the shock, which I also found weird because most people said they had the bottom perch up about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way (mine is much less). Any thoughts? This is really getting irritating since my buddy has the same setup and his ride height is lower and the spring is still under compression.
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From: Schererville, IN
That's strange, I just installed the same setup and w/the seat about half way up the car looked totally slammed. I had to go about 2/3 of the way up to get the correct ride height.
I would guess you have the wrong springs.
I would guess you have the wrong springs.
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From: Metro Detroit
Originally Posted by XFiveLiter
That's strange, I just installed the same setup and w/the seat about half way up the car looked totally slammed. I had to go about 2/3 of the way up to get the correct ride height.
I would guess you have the wrong springs.
I would guess you have the wrong springs.
http://www.motorcityoutlaws.com/user...prings%201.bmp
When the car is on the ground, it obviously has load but I would think it needs to be in somewhat compression all the time or it will move around when the car lifts the tires. The spring are 14 inches unstretched. If you have to move your perch up 2/3 of the way, then maybe you have 10 inch (unstretched length) springs? I can't figure that one out yet.
Edit: I know the lower locking mount isn't doing anything right now.
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From: Metro Detroit
Originally Posted by 2001-WS6
Before we go any further with this... we are talking about putting these on the red car right??? Not the blue one before the motor goes in it??? 
Rick
Rick
I know the motor/trans/ "other stuff" will weigh the car down, but if the springs are each 275 lb/inch, then even if all that stuff is 1100 lbs it will only drop the car two inches (275x2 = 550 lbs/inch x 2 inch = 1100 lbs by my math but maybe I'm missing something obvious here). Edit: And that's assuming all the weight goes on the front suspension which it won't. I wanted to get it at the point so when motor goes in, it brings it down to around where it should be. Everyone's car I see though they have the bottom perches way up high so are they using 10 inch springs or should I go back to my remedial math classes???
I have springs OED 315 S and they are 14 inches unstretched.
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From: Lake Orion, MI
I just wanted to be sure which car we were talking about first. Your math makes since but I think you'll be surprised still by the real world results.
We did the math too and setup the AFCOs before the motor and trans went back in and she ended up going into the weeds even though the math was correct.
Well, we set it back up the way we wanted it and figured we'd be good to go. Then one more surprise came when we added all of the fluids and turned out to be just enough to sink it in the weeds again. In the end I had forgoten to check to see if I might need some spacers for the new setup and sure enough I did. Got them and put them on and everything was all good after that.
So don't worry too much on the initial setup because you'll probably be tweaking a few more times even with the right math.
Rick
We did the math too and setup the AFCOs before the motor and trans went back in and she ended up going into the weeds even though the math was correct.
Well, we set it back up the way we wanted it and figured we'd be good to go. Then one more surprise came when we added all of the fluids and turned out to be just enough to sink it in the weeds again. In the end I had forgoten to check to see if I might need some spacers for the new setup and sure enough I did. Got them and put them on and everything was all good after that. So don't worry too much on the initial setup because you'll probably be tweaking a few more times even with the right math.
Rick
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From: Metro Detroit
Originally Posted by 2001-WS6
I just wanted to be sure which car we were talking about first. Your math makes since but I think you'll be surprised still by the real world results.
We did the math too and setup the AFCOs before the motor and trans went back in and she ended up going into the weeds even though the math was correct. Well, we set it back up the way we wanted it and figured we'd be good to go. Then one more surprise came when we added all of the fluids and turned out to be just enough to sink it in the weeds again. In the end I had forgoten to check to see if I might need some spacers for the new setup and sure enough I did. Got them and put them on and everything was all good after that.
So don't worry too much on the initial setup because you'll probably be tweaking a few more times even with the right math.
Rick
We did the math too and setup the AFCOs before the motor and trans went back in and she ended up going into the weeds even though the math was correct.
Well, we set it back up the way we wanted it and figured we'd be good to go. Then one more surprise came when we added all of the fluids and turned out to be just enough to sink it in the weeds again. In the end I had forgoten to check to see if I might need some spacers for the new setup and sure enough I did. Got them and put them on and everything was all good after that. So don't worry too much on the initial setup because you'll probably be tweaking a few more times even with the right math.
Rick
Edit: I think you wanted to point out that you're privileged enough to afford afco's!!! $350/shock but worth every penny I hear! Someday...someday...lol
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Your math is not correct. The car will compress the spring that is correct, BUT the spring isnt on the spindle. If you look at the shock mount versus the wheel then the spindle is inboard of the spindle. The lower control arm has more leverage with the spring inboard so you will need a stiffer spring OR run the spring up higher.
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From: Metro Detroit
I lost you right around here:
What you're trying to say is that there is some kinda multiplying affect occuring? The spring is at X and the spindle is at X + some length which means the spring must have more force to equal the mechanical advantage of the weight on the spindles? I'm sorta getting some idea here...
Originally Posted by MADMAN
If you look at the shock mount versus the wheel then the spindle is inboard of the spindle. The lower control arm has more leverage with the spring inboard so you will need a stiffer spring OR run the spring up higher.