suspension question

Tleg93 · Post by **Tleg93** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 7:51 pm

I want to somehow reduce the clearance of the wheel to the wheel well so that the wheel takes up more of the space in the front. Everytime I look at my car I hate seeing the huge gap between the top of the front tire and the wheel well. Can I get clamps that would compress the springs in the front? I tried getting spacers for the back to try and make the space equal to the front end but they aren't thick enough fit between the springs turns. Any help or links to specific products would be greatly appreciated... Thanks in advance.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 7:55 pm

I think you can get little clamps meant for this purpose, yes... It basically preloads the spring a little. It should increase your effective spring rate a little too. Kind of like a poor man's spring upgrade.

If you want to use those rubber spacers, you can get the kind meant for trucks. I've got some of those holding the back of my car up. :) Subaru springs have few turns at high pitch so, as you found, normal car spacers won't fit. I'm not sure if putting spacers in the rear will reduce the front clearance though.

I bought the spacers from Advance Auto Parts, and I'm pretty sure I remember seeing the clamps right next to them.

Tleg93 · Post by **Tleg93** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 8:52 pm

Thanks a bunch for the info. I thought I had seen them before but I wasn't sure. A google search turned up little because I couldn't find the right words for the search. If I implied that I thought the front clearance would be changed by putting spacers in the rear springs it was a verbal mistake. What I was referring to (so you don't think I'm totally clueless) was the fact that, at least on my car, the front wheel wells and rear wheel well spaces aren't symmetrical. In the front there's this huge gap and in the rear the wheels fill up the well. It makes it look uneven from front to back. In order to make the spaces the same on both front and rear I thought I could either lower the front or raise the rear. I hope that's a little better of an explanation, sorry for the wordiness.

mTk · Post by **mTk** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 9:38 pm

Yes, you can put clamps ont he front springs. I used em before i upgraded my suspension. I don't know if this link will work, but I used THESE from carparts.com Two clamps on each spring.

If that link doesn't work, search for 'spring booster' in the carparts keyword.

MK

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 9:43 pm

Scotty - Ah, okay... I don't understand suspension stuff as well as I would like to, but I thought it might be possible for increasing rear spring length to lower the front a little... I dunno.

In any case, these spring spacer things are sometimes called "helpers." That might help you find them in a store.

scottzg · Post by **scottzg** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 9:57 pm

by using the clamps you will be increasing your front spring rate. If your suspension is up to snuff, it will give you more oversteer. If you are doing this on worn suspension, you will be making it behave as though it is even more worn. I would liken this to cutting springs, only its temporary. I considered this, i have 4.5" of space under the fender, but when you drive like i do

style takes a backseat to performance and safety.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 10:20 pm

I thought stiffer front springs and softer rear springs would encourage understeer.

Brat4by4 · Post by **Brat4by4** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 4:55 am

Getting lowering springs for the front should fix the height problem. Unless you wanted the back higher to match, depends what kind of driving you do...

ciper · Post by **ciper** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 4:57 am

I say raise the rear. A section of pipe can be purchased of the same diameter of the spring. Cut it to size then weld it on.

scottzg · Post by **scottzg** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 5:09 am

ciper wrote:I say raise the rear. A section of pipe can be purchased of the same diameter of the spring. Cut it to size then weld it on.

wouldn't it be easier just to jack up the rear of the car, slide the pipe in, and lower the pipe on to the pipe?

pashidar- basically, whether you heat the springs, cut them, put on half a lowering kit, use clamps, whatever, there are very bad side effects to enjoy.

ciper · Post by **ciper** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 5:13 am

"wouldn't it be easier just to jack up the rear of the car, slide the pipe in, and lower the pipe on to the pipe?"

What? I dont follow you

"whether you heat the springs, cut them, put on half a lowering kit, use clamps, whatever, there are very bad side effects to enjoy."

Thats why you raise the rear and keep everything happy!

Brat4by4 · Post by **Brat4by4** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 5:16 am

I say full coil-overs and a body lift. Best of both worlds, everything is matched suspension wise and you can adjust it to boot!!

scottzg · Post by **scottzg** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 6:13 am

i must have misunderstood. I thought you were joking to weld a bar to the spring forcing it open and locking the strut. I was saying just prop the spring all the way extended, a joke.

ciper · Post by **ciper** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 7:06 am

I wasnt joking, seriously you can get a pipe of the same diameter. Cut a small section of it so you have a ring that is 1/2 inch tall then stick this to the flat side of the spring and weld away.

I did exactly this on my XT6. Except that I wanted to increase height and travel, the front is now able to move alot farther than before. Not sure why but originally it had 2/5 downwards travel and 3/5 upwards so this balanced it perfectly.

Its better than all the other suggestions because you keep the stock spring rate, use standard struts and even increase suspension travel slightly. The price is right too!

sillyp · Post by **sillyp** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 3:59 am

hey ciper,
You know, I think i might try that pipe thing on my car (GR2's got it all funked up). I think i want the rear about 3/4" higher than it is. If i put 3/4" of pipe in, will that be about right, or might it raise the car more? Oh, it seems like with the pipe in there it would reduce the amount of area where it touches the upper spring seat, will that mess up that spring seat? How much do you think it would cost to have a shop do the welding for me?

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 4:20 am

Why would you have to weld? Couldn't you just cut a spacer out of pipe and stick it between the spring and the spring seat? The preload on the spring should hold it in there.

ciper · Post by **ciper** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 5:03 am

VRG3: It will slip out, the spring will go to one side and bang against the fender well or strut rod.
Not that I speak from experience or anything

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 5:59 am

Hehehe... I see.

What if you were to cut a little depression in the middle of the pipe's cross section to seat the spring?

ciper · Post by **ciper** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 6:05 am

What? I think we are missing each other.

A pipe that is the same size as the spring, the shock passes through the center of the pipe. The flat side of the pipe where the hole is touches the spring all the way around. The other flat side of the pipe rests in the spring perch exactly as the spring would, except it actaully touches in more places than the spring.

The wall of the pipe is only 3/16 thick.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 6:10 am

I understood you correctly, except for the fact that the pipe wall was only 3/16" thick. :)

Maybe you could use thicker-walled PVC pipe to make a weld-free spacer.

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