I was away with the BIL today getting the hot rod corner weightds done on the scales BUT.
He had ordered new springs as requested by the guy doing the job. The paperwork he had for the car said it had 6 inch long springs on the front and 9 inch long on the back.
They were however 7 and 11 inch long respectively.
The guy argued that the ride height would not be obtainable with a 9 at one side and an 11 at the other and I can't get my head around why.
Surely if the spring rates are preloaded as required for the corner weights, then the only difference apart from the spring frequency is that the platform heights will be different on each shocker to obtain the correct ride height.
Am I wrong or stupid or both
If I am wrong (that'l be a first the wife says) can someone explain why.
Also at the rear shocker, with the 9 inch spring on, the threaded portion for adjusting the spring seats, has 4 of the 6 inches of platform adjusting threads showing below the lockring. Whereas the eleven inch spring LOOKS to be much better fitted proportionaly to the threaded seat adjusters.

What you will loose is suspension travel and run the risk of coil binding before you hit the bumpstops. This will knaker something at best and chuck you off the road at worst.

You have less coils, so less gaps, so less travel.

The only way to be sure is to install them, measure the gap between one coil and the next, then mutiply that measurement by the amount of gaps to give you the amount of travel.

I would tell him you want the proper length springs on, afterall he got the wrong sizes why should you accept the compromise?

[Edited on 12/3/06 by Nick Skidmore]

I understand and debated all you said Nick with the guy. It's not my car and the correct spring lengths will be fitted through the week. But what I still cant get my head around is the fact he thought that the ride height was unatainable.
I started to get the impression that the guy might not be the guru the BIL thought he was ( although he has all the equipment).