Coil Spring Completion and Driver Upper Ball Joint Replacement

Today, I finished the replacement of the front coil springs by handling the driver side.  This included not only replacing the spring but also the upper ball joint.  

A few months ago, I decided I'd check the front suspension, make sure everything remained tight, and lubricate everything.  In the process, I learned of a slit in the driver side upper ball joint boot.  It was not horrible but it would certainly cause the ball joint to fail early.  

The ball joint replacement required that I grind off the rivets which held the original in place.  The new one is a Moog K8142 which bolts in place once the old one is removed.  The current upper control arm is a Moog unit so I thought I might be able to just replace the boot but the new one is held on by a trim ring while the original had a metal ring inside the boot which held it in place.  Regardless, the job is done and did not take too long.

If you look close, you can see the slit running from left to right on the top surface of the boot.

The new one bolted in place...

I then installed the new spring with the entire job requiring about 2 hours due to taking a leisurely pace with it all.  

I drove around the block some with the rear suspension bolts still just snug.  The front is now at 25 1/8" to the bottom of the fender which is a 1" increase over the 24 1/8" height before starting work.  I did not expect as much of an increase as I used the exact same springs and cut them exactly 5/8" higher.  Being longer, I expected the spring rate to be every so slightly less such that it would be between 1/2" and 5/8" higher.

The rear is still a bit of a mystery.  I'm still using the 1" lowering blocks and stock shackle with 5 leaf springs.  The passenger side is at 25 3/4" while the driver side is at 25 1/2" which has not settled much although I've not driven much either.  This is not much different than it was before switching but I'm completely full on gas which likely makes a bit of a difference.

I'm tempted to buy a set of .75 or .5 lowering blocks just to raise the rear a slight bit more.  I've not had the tire drag but then again I've not had many people in the car or the trunk full of gear for a road trip.  This would raise the rear to make it balance more with the front of the car.  I could also cut the front springs down just a bit more.

The best option would be to leave it alone for a bit now and drive it around some.  The front might settle some in the days to come.  It would be best to give it that opportunity before making any permanent change like cutting them.  If I were to do anything, I would try some different blocks to balance it out some for now as I wait to see if it changes over time.  

New Coil Springs - Passenger Side Done

I purchased a new set of front coil springs (NPD # 5310-8) and have been waiting to install them.  As a baseline, I measured the front suspension and the height to the bottom of the fender lip was 24 1/8"

I'm replacing my current springs with the exact same style I used before which are for a big block car.  The springs are rated at 428 lbs and set the ride height at 11.5" which is a little high.  I'll be cutting some off but not a full coil like I did with the last set.  My goal is to raise the front end by about half an inch which is not much and is a little picky.  However, now that I have raised the rear, the front will look rather strange unless I raise it at least a little.

I removed the passenger side coil spring and set it next to the new one.  I oriented them the same so it was each the height of the current spring on the new one.  I then measured up on the spring to the height that the overall spring height is 5/8" taller and cut both of the new ones there.  

I installed just the passenger side spring and went for a drive around the block.  The passenger side currently sits at 25 1/8" so I gained essentially an inch.  Trouble is that I know the raised height on one side is loading the other side of the suspension some.  If I move both up equally, perhaps this side drops more or perhaps it is actually shifting weight to the back some now.  It is hard to state.  I'm debating if I leave it alone or cut a little bit more off, install the driver side, and then pull the passenger side back out to fine tune it.

Since I had the measuring tape out, I measured the back and found the passenger side is at 26" and the driver side is at 25".  This is a little bewildering.  

When I installed the 1" lowering blocks, I drove around a bit to try to get the suspension to settle.  While I was out driving, I filled up with gas which was a bit of a mistake as it changed an extra variable.  When I made it home, I found the driver side was 1/2" lower than the passenger.  The blocks are exactly the same height so I figure it is something with the spring rates being slightly different or more gas weight on that side but none of it really makes any sense.  

As I said before, one of the many joys of working on a car with parts from China.