2" Shorter Coil Springs = 4" Drop ?!

[Gregski]

Recently I purchased a pair of 2" Drop Front Coil Springs from a company called McGaughys out of Phoenix Arizona. I installed them and realized the front of my otherwise stock 1974 half ton 2x4 short bed V8 truck dropped 4" inches. I took measurements before and after and I used to have a 3 1/2 inch gap between the top of the tire and the lip of the fender and now the fender overlaps the top of the wheel by over an inch. Also my front wheels look like they have a bit of negative camber, top of tires lean inward.

This post may have a bit of overlap with my Restoring Rusty thread, but I wanted to hear your thoughts, comments and advice on this situation.

GMC C-10 1973-1987
Part# 33128http
www.mcgaughys-suspension.com

[65standard]

Does that rusty spring even have a pigtail on top? Doesn't look like it does. If not, it is not an original spring.

[enaberif]

Originally Posted by 65standard

Does that rusty spring even have a pigtail on top? Doesn't look like it does. If not, it is not an original spring.

Good eye that spring does look cut.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by 65standard

Does that rusty spring even have a pigtail on top? Doesn't look like it does. If not, it is not an original spring.

Those are stock springs, yes they have pig tails on them, here is a better photo

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by enaberif

Good eye that spring does look cut.

The stock springs are not cut.

[Gregski]

So I emailed the company and got this reply from Tom Parkinson.

"Can you send me images of the truck for reference. There is no reason you should have gotten 4" of drop out of a 2" coil. In all honesty sometimes you dont get the full 2" from the original point since some of those truck have been worked over the years resulting in a sagging coil. I have never seen a 2" coil drop 4". Send me some images and I will do my best to help you sort this out."

So I emailed him these pics of before and after:

[muthstryker]

Hey Greg cut one coil off your stock springs and install them, see where your measure at. One coil off your stock springs will net a 2" drop.

Dont worry about cutting the coils either, these trucks ride better with one coil cut over drop springs any day. Make sure you don't use heat to cut them.

[kalbert]

Ok, so I know it's not the look you're wanting, but I think it looks sick just the way it is! The late 70's called, and they think it looks sweet.

[wingnut78]

Greg, I also had problems with mcgaughys springs. I used the 1" drop coil, but with the cpp control arms they would bottom out on any bump larger than a pecan shell. Seriously I couldn't even drive off the driveway into my yard without it bottoming. So, even on the road the ride was crappy.

I ended up emailing Rob at no limit, after reading his make it handle thread over in the suspension section. He responded quickly and suggested a long bed spring. After scratching my head for a while on what they would be I re-read his thread. On page 15, post 370 he gave a good list of moog springs and their spring rates.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...419251&page=15

I settled on the moog 6102. Now my measurement with the mcgaughys (they have been on for almost 2 years) spring from ground to wheel opening was 26.9" Immediately after installing the 6102s the same measurement was 29" and after driving a couple of days it was at 28.5" the best part is I can actually drive my truck again on any road I have around here and the ride is much improved.

P.s. I hope I didn't screw up the thread link above. It's my first time to do that with my fancy pocket computer that pulls double duty as a phone. As you can see, I don't post much.
Josh

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by kalbert

Ok, so I know it's not the look you're wanting, but I think it looks sick just the way it is! The late 70's called, and they think it looks sweet.

No man, I love the look, I like how the front is low, but not how I got there. I read that the proper way to get there is using both 2" shorter coil springs plus 2" drop spindles, that way you don't effect the geometry.

Getting this low with coil springs alone, isn't right, I think something is wrong with them.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by wingnut78

Greg, I also had problems with mcgaughys springs. I used the 1" drop coil, but with the cpp control arms they would bottom out on any bump larger than a pecan shell. Seriously I couldn't even drive off the driveway into my yard without it bottoming. So, even on the road the ride was crappy...

Josh

Thank you Josh I do buttom out too when I go over speed bumps on my street, I am telling you guys something is not right with these Mcgaughy's coil springs.

[Gregski]

got another email from Tom Parkinson from Switch aka McGauphys Suspension

"Looks like the right drop to me. Here is an image of one dropped 4" for reference." he wrote.

Honestly when I saw these pictures I thought, man this truck looks like it has drop spindles, which Tom later admitted it did, so hey that's comparing apples and oranges, am I right fellas?

[Jake Wade]

I installed a set of 1" Mcgaughys drop springs on my '85, way more than 1", more like 2". I boxed them up and sent them back.

[68Timber]

Originally Posted by Gregski

so hey that's comparing apples and oranges, am I right fellas?

Yeah, exactly. You got something other than what was advertised, now you're being told "that's normal." I would box those up and send them back. I wish the front clip was on my 79 so I could take measurements for you, I used the Summit Racing 2" drop springs.

[muthstryker]

How tall are your tires?

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by muthstryker

How tall are your tires?

Hi Matt

29 inches

Tires are 225/75 R15

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by BRUISER

Yeah, exactly. You got something other than what was advertised, now you're being told "that's normal." I would box those up and send them back...

Seriously considering it. Look guys I am not mad or upset, I am just sharing my experience with you to see if I can help somebody out, maybe prevent it from happening to one of our forum members, or maybe even get this resolved. All in all Tom does seem like a nice guy, first of all his company does have Technical Support and second at least he corresponds with you. So I want to give him a shot to make this right.

Thanks again for reading and all of your responses, you know how we just want our trucks to be done right!

More as the news unfolds...

[muthstryker]

Did you check your order and match the part numbers on the invoice to the part numbers on the boxes? I wouldnt doubt that the springs got pulled wrong at the warehouse.. I had mcgaughys 2" springs and got 2" drop.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by muthstryker

Did you check your order and match the part numbers on the invoice to the part numbers on the boxes? I wouldnt doubt that the springs got pulled wrong at the warehouse.. I had mcgaughys 2" springs and got 2" drop.

Thanks Matt, I checked the springs and they have little white stickers on them that say 7387-2 which I assume means 73-87 2 inch shorter, the only other thing they sell is the 1 inch shorter ones, I think it has something to do with the spring rate, I wonder if Tom can provide us with that, but does it matter, its not like I have a machine to test them

[tinydb84]

Totally not helpful but I think the front looks good. I say lower the rear and call it a day!

[enaberif]

Originally Posted by tinydb84

Totally not helpful but I think the front looks good. I say lower the rear and call it a day!

If you read his posts you would know that he bottoms out and that is not safe.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by tinydb84

Totally not helpful but I think the front looks good. I say lower the rear and call it a day!

Yes David I agree and others also that it does look good, but now its a question of safety, I may want to take my kids in the truck some time, not to mention not get dead myself, ha ha

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Chaplain

Dang G you got me concerned. I'm going to be installing my McGaughy 2" drop springs and spindles this week. My 2" drop coils measure approximately 11" out of the box. I had nothing to compare them to since my oem springs had been heated.

Yeah bro, I recall you done your real already but doing the front will be the true test / validation if I'm crazy or not. Now I don't recall if you got your engine and front clip back on yet, you would need that weight to truly be able to judge.

[Gregski]

so thank you all for following along as we beat this horse to death got another email from Tom from McGauphys

"... Here is a picture of a few trucks with the same coil you have in the front for reference. They do not have a spindle installed like the black truck which is actually dropped 4.5" in the front [...] Please understand my only intention is to give you the information you are looking for to get to the bottom of the issue [...] These trucks 60-87 are what we specialize in here at Switch and are quite familiar with them..."

[Houston Ben]

2/4 belltech with 2" drop springs 275/60/15 on 15x8.5 rim for comparison. Yours is way low!