Spring clamps

[Mopar_Nutz]

Quote:

Originally posted by turbovanman I personally wouldn't use them but thats just me. I don't know of anyone that has but I have had customer cars come in with them and taken them off.

Well next time pocket them and send em up to me! I'm curious

[Turbo Charger]

Here's some handling info I recently ran across: http://www.turbomopar.com/handling.html

Quote:

Don't clamp springs or cut springs, especially with a torch if handling is a primary concern for you! Both of these change the spring rates, usually to slightly different values on each corner of the car, especially with cutting with a torch. (The heat tempers the metal, making it harder.) This makes for a funky, bouncy ride that the shocks/struts can't control, destroyed bumpstops, rattling your teeth from the suspension bottoming out, unpredictable handling depending on what wheel hits what, and worst of all, extreme bumpsteer. A friend's Daytona had spring clamps on it when he bought it and the car would nearly change lanes while going moderately fast on less than perfect roads. We took them off, and it did much better, but the springs were less than perfect from being clamped, and the shocks, well, were terminal. The bumpstops had been pounded to nonexistence, and the car would go "CLANG!" every time it hit more than a mild dip in the road from the top of the strut impacting the strut mount as the suspension bottomed out.

[Mopar_Nutz]

That may be true, but I suspect that you have handling problems when you crank em down to lower the car, not to even out the ride. They CAN bring a car down 2", and if you do that, I'm sure you'll be on the bumpstops and have terrible handling.

But hey, how bad can these things be, they were endorsed by the thrify king himself, Gus.

[turbovanman]

Quote:

Originally posted by Mopar_Nutz Well next time pocket them and send em up to me! I'm curious

Ok, done, lol "thumbs up

[Mopar_Nutz]

Quote:

Originally posted by turbovanman Ok, done, lol "thumbs up

Woohoo!!!

[Vigo]

i dont know how you can possibly mess up your car with clamps.. i mean, the bolts arent long enough to clamp more than one coil unless you modify it (and if you're going to any extra effort you might as well just buy springs or cut your stockers) so you're pretty much limited to what one coil will lower your car. which on my dynasty is not terribly much.

heating the springs, yeh thats dumb.

but clamping or cutting in moderation is not dangerous and doesnt make your can handle stupid unless your car was already stupid and you failed to fix it before you lowered it.

[Mopar_Nutz]

Quote:

Originally posted by Vigo but clamping or cutting in moderation is not dangerous and doesnt make your can handle stupid unless your car was already stupid and you failed to fix it before you lowered it.

Or if you lower it to the point where you're hitting the bumpstops. Maybe some people put 4 on each spring to lower it further? They could just buy more clamps and do 2 more coils if they wanted to. But yeah, again, thats pretty stupid.

[PaintPeelinPbod]

Im reviving this thread with a question.

Most springs clamps come in packs of two. Vigo, did you use both per spring? or just one? I figured if I brought one coil together, that would lower it about an inch. Im afraid if i use both, it'll lower the car too much. Any thoughts? 2 or 1?

[90Acclaim]

So, at a Canadian Tire all you need to do is go up to a parts counter and ask if they have any automotive spring clamps, or spring savers?

My Canadian Tire around here, is pretty sad too. Basically have to spell everything out for them.

- Jim

[Johnny]

Be cautious with spring clamps. Think about what would happen if you are changing lanes or in a hard corner and one broke or slipped. That unsettling under those conditions could have "very" negative results. We would not want you or your car destroyed. I would not use them.

It is not that hard to change springs!

Johnny
http://www.polybushings.com

[lametec]

I used them on my Lancer for a while a few years ago. Worked just fine, other than the occasional rub on the inside of the strut tower.

[turbovanman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 90Acclaim So, at a Canadian Tire all you need to do is go up to a parts counter and ask if they have any automotive spring clamps, or spring savers? My Canadian Tire around here, is pretty sad too. Basically have to spell everything out for them. - Jim

Look around on the shelves, there usually around the HELP section or isle.

[turbojerk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaintPeelinPbod Also, anyone know far Daytona springs will drop a Pbody?

I tried 87 Shelby Z springs on my 87 Shadow last week. They dropped it a little (like 3/16" if that) and defiantly isn't worth the hassle of changing them out. In fact, if I hadn't taken a before and after measurement I would have thought that it didn't get lowered at all. I would suggest with a P-body to cut 1 coil off of the original springs. The bottom 2 or 3 coils are very closely wound and removing one shouldn't change how the spring seats on the strut by much at all if any.

T

[mike mckay]

I put some Shelby Daytona springs in front and back of an 88 Shadow. In my case it dropped the front 1". I'm not sure what year model these came out of so I would have to go back and check. The rears don't really drop but the spring is obviously stiffer. The rear especially helps. The car doesn't sag down in rear when loading it with stuff anymore. I paid 50$ total for springs. Before cutting a coil out of those front ones you might want to try as is first. If it drops it as much as mine did how low will it be after you cut a coil out? Is car street or race?

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaintPeelinPbod Anyone else have any info on these things? Does anyone know if it will improve handling at all? My Shadow feels really top heavy in the corner, not helped at all by my bigger wheels and tires, and i wanna drop it a little. I could just buy Eibachs, but i dont have 200 bucks too drop on springs right now, considering I dont want to drop the money on new shocks either. So should i just give this idea a whirl? Also, anyone know far Daytona springs will drop a Pbody?