79 Coil spring install?
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Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 8,542
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From: Louisiana
79 Coil spring install?
Ok, I had my lift on for a while now, but I tried to deal with the coils bowing out towards the wheels, and I just can't stand it any more.
I looks like crap, and it rubs my tires when I hit somthing hard enough.
The spring only fits one way at the top, and the coil doesn't fit in the intended groove at the bottom which causes it to bow really bad.
Is this common, and can it be fixed?
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...120410&width=0
The passenger one is alot worse than the drivers side.
I looks like crap, and it rubs my tires when I hit somthing hard enough.
The spring only fits one way at the top, and the coil doesn't fit in the intended groove at the bottom which causes it to bow really bad.
Is this common, and can it be fixed?
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...120410&width=0
The passenger one is alot worse than the drivers side.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 118
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From: Minnesota
One of my buddies had that happen to him. He ended up making a mount, I think he used a little u-bolt, and clamped the the spring into the upper spring mount on the inside, closest to the frame. His spring started to bow out right away at the trail ride and his bottom spring mount started to collapse, so we wedged a couple chunks of trees under there to keep the mount level. Well, it still ended up bowing the spring out. He braced up lower mount and all his problems went away. Here is a pic of his spring bowed out with the wood wedged in and the stock upper mount still.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Louisiana
If I flip the coil spring retainer at the bottom 180 degrees, then I'd only need to cut off about 2"s, but if I kept the retainer like it is, I'd have to cut almost a whole coil.
Rintin69, I didn't really understand, what did he do to fix it?
Rintin69, I didn't really understand, what did he do to fix it?
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Minnesota
MBBFORD - Sorry, I was trying to type that before going to a funeral this morning so it got a little wordy. As far as I know, he left the bottom the same, maybe trimmed the spring to fit the retainer, but not sure. As far as the top mount, on the top of the spring, closest to the frame, so the inside. He used like a little u-bolt and came up from the bottom of the mount and clamped the spring to the actual mount. I'm not sure how else to say describe it. Maybe someone else can describe it better.
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Joined: Apr 2004
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Rintin, I think having the upper spring retained towards the inside was the root of his whole problem, the outside of the upper bucket has no support letting the springs flex out,
MBB, I think if you get the spring to fit in the lower bucket properly it should fix most of your problem,
(edit) do not cut the spring yet, pull the upper retainer, then turn the lower buckets 180* like you said, then bolt down the lower buck & spring retainer with the spring setting in the groove, then install the upper retainer, it might be a bit of a fight, but it should go,
MBB, I think if you get the spring to fit in the lower bucket properly it should fix most of your problem,
(edit) do not cut the spring yet, pull the upper retainer, then turn the lower buckets 180* like you said, then bolt down the lower buck & spring retainer with the spring setting in the groove, then install the upper retainer, it might be a bit of a fight, but it should go,
Last edited by Skipped_link; Jul 10, 2006 at 06:56 PM.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Louisiana
I fought with it yesterday, and got it to fit properly in the bottom retainer after flipping the retainer 180*, but the top wouldn't fit right, causing the spring to bow towards the front bumper.
How hard would it be to cut the spring with a cut off wheel??? IF I can't get it to work any other way....
How hard would it be to cut the spring with a cut off wheel??? IF I can't get it to work any other way....
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Elder User
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Originally Posted by MBBFord
I fought with it yesterday, and got it to fit properly in the bottom retainer after flipping the retainer 180*, but the top wouldn't fit right, causing the spring to bow towards the front bumper.
How hard would it be to cut the spring with a cut off wheel??? IF I can't get it to work any other way....
How hard would it be to cut the spring with a cut off wheel??? IF I can't get it to work any other way....
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Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 8,542
Likes: 5
From: Louisiana
At the bottom end of the coil, it doesn't fit into the slot at the bottom retainer IF I put the top part of the spring in the proper location.
So when the top is like this:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...122125&width=0
The bottom looks like this(not fully rotated into it's groove which is at bottom left of pic):
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...122126&width=0
Causing them to bow like this:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...122127&width=0
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...122128&width=0
So when the top is like this:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...122125&width=0
The bottom looks like this(not fully rotated into it's groove which is at bottom left of pic):
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...122126&width=0
Causing them to bow like this:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...122127&width=0
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...122128&width=0
Last edited by MBBFord; Jul 11, 2006 at 04:50 PM.
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2004
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Could you drill the lower buckets so they have a hole pattern like this
o
o o
o
(edit) My o's aren't working out, just drill new holes
Then you could rotate the lower bucket 90*
o
o o
o
(edit) My o's aren't working out, just drill new holes
Then you could rotate the lower bucket 90*
Last edited by Skipped_link; Jul 11, 2006 at 06:48 PM.
Thread Starter
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Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 8,542
Likes: 5
From: Louisiana
It crossed my mind, I've been trying to get in touch with the spring company to see what they say, and if they don't help any,
I'll try drilling the bracket instead of cutting the spring.
Thanks for the help skipped_link, and everyone else.
I'll try drilling the bracket instead of cutting the spring.
Thanks for the help skipped_link, and everyone else.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 118
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From: Minnesota
Originally Posted by Skipped_link
Rintin, I think having the upper spring retained towards the inside was the root of his whole problem, the outside of the upper bucket has no support letting the springs flex out,
In that picture, he just had the stock mount and didn't have the u bolt added yet.