SS Springs. What Am I Doing Wrong? UPDATE
#1203414
03/25/12 09:05 PM
03/25/12 09:05 PM
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 10,948 Spokane Valley, WA
Big Bad Bee
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Okay guys, I purchased my bee with super stock springs already installed. I pulled them out to install the poly bushings and very cool heavy duty rear shackles from Just Suspension. The shackles are the identical dimension as the OEM ones. Two things are strange about the rear end. The strange thing is that I didn't notice it till I got it all back together. First, the Pinion angle of the pig is really high. With the car on jack stands and no wheels on, it's at 14 degrees up. I am getting this measurement by putting a dial indicator on the underside of the pig just behind the u joint. Second, with everything bolted in firm but not tight, the lower end of the rear shackles are aiming toward the front of the car. I do believe that the bolts in the front spring eyelets were in the LOWER spring bracket adapter holes and now they're in the top, which I can change, but holy cow! everything is looking tipped back and the pins on the shock mount plates are tipped down toward the rear so they don't run parallel to the lower mounting holes on the shocks... I did this installation start to finish on my barracuda before I sold it and it all worked out great. What's wrong here? Could I have the wrong bracket adapters? Is there away to correct the pinion angle on the rear?
Last edited by Big Bad Bee; 03/30/12 04:58 PM.
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Re: SS Springs. What Am I Doing Wrong?
[Re: Big Bad Bee]
#1203416
03/25/12 09:30 PM
03/25/12 09:30 PM
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,472 Overland Park, KS.
Joshs68
pro stock
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pro stock
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I dont have all your answers but will tell you I had similar pinion angle with SS springs in the upper hole. a set of shims between the springs and rear end fixed that up. In the lower hole it was much better but the car sat pretty high. I did just notice that your suspension is at full droop. It needs to be set up with the weight of the car on it.
Last edited by Joshs68; 03/25/12 09:32 PM.
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Re: SS Springs. What Am I Doing Wrong?
[Re: Big Bad Bee]
#1203419
03/25/12 11:08 PM
03/25/12 11:08 PM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 36,041 Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert
Circle Track
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Circle Track
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Lincoln Nebraska
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WAG it almost looks like the wrong length (A body?) springs were used. When sorted out you would want the bottom of the rear shackles pointing down/slightly to the rear as opposed to way forward as they are now so when the spring compresses it does not raise the vehicle when the shackle goes thru it's arc rearward. EDIT any possibility the perches were welded on at the wrong angle? With it jacked till the perches are level what is the pinion face angle. I Only remem the A body spec which is 5 deg "up" iirc. I have A body SS 003 SS springs on both sides in a 65 dart & the angle ain't outrageous tho I have not measured it
Last edited by RapidRobert; 03/25/12 11:48 PM.
live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
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Re: SS Springs. What Am I Doing Wrong?
[Re: Big Bad Bee]
#1203420
03/26/12 12:33 AM
03/26/12 12:33 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 31,117 Oregon
AndyF
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Quote:
Andy,
What do you think about those rear shackles?
What does it look like when the springs are supporting the car? Having the springs hanging like that doesn't mean anything. Lower the car down on the axle and take another set of pictures then we can see if you have a problem or not.
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Re: SS Springs. What Am I Doing Wrong?
[Re: AndyF]
#1203423
03/26/12 01:06 PM
03/26/12 01:06 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,880 Out in Left Field, NY
bobs66440
top fuel
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Quote:
Quote:
Andy,
What do you think about those rear shackles?
What does it look like when the springs are supporting the car? Having the springs hanging like that doesn't mean anything. Lower the car down on the axle and take another set of pictures then we can see if you have a problem or not.
Yes, you can't tell anything unless the weight is on both front and rear suspension the same as if were on the tires on the ground.
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Re: SS Springs. What Am I Doing Wrong?
[Re: bobs66440]
#1203424
03/26/12 01:59 PM
03/26/12 01:59 PM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 15,134 Kelowna, B.C. Canada
DPelletier
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I agree with the others that you need to have the weight of the car on the springs, but I had similar issues with the length of the springs.....so much so that I needed to use a floor jack under the diff to lengthen the spring out enough to even get a bolt in the shackle. ....They were so far off, I went back to the HD springs and the SS springs decorate my storage room. Dave
1970 Super Bee 440 Six Pack
1974 'Cuda
2008 Ram 3500 Diesel
2006 Ram 3500 Diesel
2004.5 Ram 2500 Diesel
2003 Ram 3500 Diesel
2006 Durango Limited
[url] http://1970superbee.piczo.com [/url]
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Re: SS Springs. What Am I Doing Wrong?
[Re: Big Bad Bee]
#1203427
03/30/12 05:13 PM
03/30/12 05:13 PM
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 10,948 Spokane Valley, WA
Big Bad Bee
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Well, last night Prostock1320 and I got after the Bee. I loosened the shackles, put on the rear tires, pulled the jack stands and set her down. the shackles swung back as easy as you please with the lower bolts 5 degrees to the rear. Big smiles. I put the dial indicator on the pig. Nose was now at 10 degrees upward. So we went from 14 to 10. Curiosity got the best of us and we decided to put the front spring bolts in the lower hole in the front SS spring brackets. We put the car back up on stands and raised the rear end with the floor jack, pulled wheels and the front SS spring bracket to frame bolts and dropped her down. We had to do this because I had the nuts facing outward and the frame rails were blocking the spring bolts... Duh... Took the bolts out of the springs and moved the springs to the lower holes on the brackets and with a bit of arm wrestling, got everything bolted back up. The rear shackles remained at 5 degrees to the rear and now the pumpkin sits at 7 degrees nose upward.
So, the question is, what now? What's the ideal degree for the nose of that diff? Moving the springs to the lower bolt hole did raise the rear a tad bit and I'd like it lower. The shock plate bolts are still pointing slightly downward but I can mount the shocks okay. Do I shim the spring perches? How much? or leave it as is?
Lindy
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Re: SS Springs. What Am I Doing Wrong?
[Re: DPelletier]
#1203431
03/30/12 08:42 PM
03/30/12 08:42 PM
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 12,291 Kent, Wa
340SHORTY
Truck Nut
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Truck Nut
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 12,291
Kent, Wa
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www.speedwaymotors.com has the shims in 2 and 4 degrees. I believe you are going to need more than 4 degrees to correct your problem. You dont stack the shims either. I believe you are going to have to cut the spring perches off and reset to the proper amount and reweld.
I am truckless..
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Re: SS Springs. What Am I Doing Wrong?
[Re: Joshs68]
#1203433
03/30/12 10:28 PM
03/30/12 10:28 PM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 892 USA
krw71ragtop
super stock
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super stock
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Quote:
They are cheap and you may need to try more than one set as they are sold in fixed degree increments. But not made to stack together
What do you consider cheap ? And where is this place you get them from "cheap" ?
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Re: SS Springs. What Am I Doing Wrong?
[Re: krw71ragtop]
#1203435
03/31/12 01:46 AM
03/31/12 01:46 AM
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 10,948 Spokane Valley, WA
Big Bad Bee
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John, The SS springs came on the car.
I wish I could find it, but there is an article on the web with a dodge wagon where the guy used SS springs and put a leaf spring wedges in it that were WAY over 4 degrees. thick ones, probably 2" at the thickest point. The owner of the car said he got them from a 4x4 truck parts store.
regardless, what degree should I be trying to achieve? and is there a drawback using the wedges to achieve the angle? the thicker blocks would actually lower ride a bit.
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Re: SS Springs. What Am I Doing Wrong?
[Re: Big Bad Bee]
#1203436
03/31/12 01:57 AM
03/31/12 01:57 AM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 27,347 Today? Who Knows?
1_WILD_RT
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I would cut the perches off & reweld them at the correct angle.... If you use more than 4 degrees of shims you'll find the center bolt no longer has good penetration into the axle... Really ever 4 degrees is more than I like...
"The Armies of our ancestors were lucky, in that they were not trailed by a second army of pencil pushers."
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Re: SS Springs. What Am I Doing Wrong?
[Re: 340SHORTY]
#1203440
03/31/12 10:04 AM
03/31/12 10:04 AM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 892 USA
krw71ragtop
super stock
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super stock
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
They are cheap and you may need to try more than one set as they are sold in fixed degree increments. But not made to stack together
What do you consider cheap ? And where is this place you get them from "cheap" ?
$ 19.99 a pair..
I read your post. Considering Mancini has them for $27 a pair or 3 for $100 for a solid shim I guess the 19.99 hollowed out ones are cheap. My concern would be that the cheap hollowed out ones would be more likely to crack and fall out.
you didnt read my post did you...
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Re: SS Springs. What Am I Doing Wrong?
[Re: JohnRR]
#1203441
03/31/12 10:13 AM
03/31/12 10:13 AM
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 131 central,pa
ply64post
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Quote:
You definitely need to adjust the rear so the pinion is nose down. If you want it to sit lower then put them back in the upper holes and get angle shims for under the perches, but to they make shims big enough to go negative ? you may have to cut the perches off and have them rewelded on ???
What is making you go with SS springs ?
He ever answered your question,I would also like to know !!
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Re: SS Springs. What Am I Doing Wrong?
[Re: Big Bad Bee]
#1203442
03/31/12 10:49 AM
03/31/12 10:49 AM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,880 Out in Left Field, NY
bobs66440
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Quote:
Understood. But what should the final pinion angle be?
The trans output shaft and rear yoke should be on the same plane and both should be about about 2 degree angle in relation to the driveshaft for a street driven car. In most cars, the engine/trans will be installed in the car at about a 3 degree angle trans down relative to the chassis (this is why intake manifolds are taller in the back than front; to level the carb). This means that the rear needs to be at about a 3 degree angle nose up (relative to the chassis) to be on the same plane. With the driveshaft installed, the angle between each and the driveshaft should be 2 degrees, no more than 3, because u-joints are designed to safely work between 1-3 degrees.
http://www.carcraft.com/howto/91758/index.html
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Re: SS Springs. What Am I Doing Wrong?
[Re: ply64post]
#1203443
03/31/12 01:05 PM
03/31/12 01:05 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 75,136 A Banana Republic near you.
JohnRR
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Quote:
Quote:
You definitely need to adjust the rear so the pinion is nose down. If you want it to sit lower then put them back in the upper holes and get angle shims for under the perches, but to they make shims big enough to go negative ? You may have to cut the perches off and have them rewelded on ???
What is making you go with SS springs ?
He ever answered your question,I would also like to know !!
Yes he did , they were on the car when he bought them.
I'm not sure what the spec is supposed to be , I haven't had to deal with this issue ... yet.
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Re: SS Springs. What Am I Doing Wrong?
[Re: Roadrunner451]
#1203447
04/01/12 12:49 AM
04/01/12 12:49 AM
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 10,948 Spokane Valley, WA
Big Bad Bee
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Quote:
I had a similar problem with my shackles pointing towards the front of the car when I installed the S/S springs on my 68 roadrunner. When I first installed them and lowered the car back on the ground, my shackles looked just like yours do in the photo. My car sat really high as well. My dad looked at it, grabbed a long pry bar, and just levred both shackles backward. The car lurched a bit and then sat very nicely with the shackles pointind down and slighltly to the rear. If I remember right I just added a 2 degree down shim to get the rearend to 5 degrees down. It's been like that for the last 10 years. Every time it gets jacked up without weight on the wheels, the shackle moves forward and has to be levered back to the correct postion once it is back on the ground again.
Aha! Mine needed no pry bar, but I see what you are saying for sure. My engine and trans aren't in the car yet. When we get there, I'll install the driveshaft and degree everything. This has been WAY helpful.
I’m listening.
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