Called Hal and they were less than no help. The problem I'm having is that the shocks/springs keep compressing with time. The springs have been on the car for about a month and 200 miles, and the ride height was fine at first, now it's so low that when I hit the slightest bump in the road or hit the breaks hard the car rubs the ground and the tires rub.

I called Hal, they said that I need to go with a stronger spring. But I can't see that being right, there are a lot of people that run these on some what stock f-bodies with no problems. I've removed a lot of weight from the front and I'm having this problem. The tech guy said it's more common w/ LT1s vs LS1s.

I installed the shocks/springs new at the same time...

Any idea's or suggestions?

Thanks,
Jason

 

did you try adjusting the coil over with the spanner wrench? or is it adjusted as far up as you can go?

 

I've adjusted it up a few times, and it just doesn't seem right with as high as I have the springs on the strutt. Where should the spring sit? When I first put the springs on I put them on where the the stock location kind of was. that proved to be way to low and I raised them up about 1.5" on each side. This was good for about a week or so then as the car was just sitting there the car started sitting lower and lower. I can try to raise it up again, but it just doesn't seem right.

Does anybody have a pic of theirs installed to give me an idea?

Thanks,
Jason

 

Not sure how the shocks could cause the car to ride lower, as long as you are verifying that the lower seats are not moving down the shaft of the shock. The shock itself does not contribute to static ride height in any way. They will allow the car to drop lower on the bounce, if you removed the dust cover/bumper that is provided on the stock shocks. The bumper will not actually stop the HAL, because it is shorter than the stockers, but you can add a rubber donut in the dust cover to make up for that. Unlike the stock deCarbons, the HAL/QA1 shocks are not gas-pressure shock. They don't even have the small uplift force that the gas-pressure shocks have.

So how would the shock affect the ride height? Serious question... maybe I am overlooking something.

I know when I first did the HAL's, with Eibach Pro-Kit, I set the lower spring seat height exactly equal to the stock shock location, and the front end was down 1.8".... compared to the 1.25-1.50" that I expected from the Pro-Kit. I returned the height all the way to stock, and that took about 1.5" of movement of the lower seat up the shock. However two years later it is still where I set it. But my car is pretty much track only, so it isn't seeing much in the way of total miles.

 

See thats my problem. I don't know if it is the shocks or the springs. I can try to use the wrench and put the springs up even higher, but I just dont know what it "should" look like. It doesn't seem right to have the bottom of the spring 2" away from the top of the strutt if you know what I mean.

Hal just said that I needed a heavier duty spring, but that doesn't make sense either.

Jason

 

When I had the Hal drag springs on I had the lower spring seats about 2" from the top of the shock body threads.

Count the number of threads between the top of the shock and the spring seat. After the car "lowers itself," go back and count the threads again. I'm guessing the seat collar is working itself down.

The only other thing that I could think of is that you might be only using one collar instead of the seat collar and locking collar that you tighten against the seat collar. Are you using both the seat and locking collar?

Ryan

 

I'm pretty sure everything is installed right, if I could post a picture I'd do it so you can see what it looks like. But from what I can see the springs are not backing down any. Maybe I just need to go in and raise them up again.

too bad you can't just edit copy paste a picture on here

Thanks,
Jason

 

Jason: I'd be happy to take a look at those pics. Shoot them over to me at rtr350@yahoo.com.

I doubt the springs are settling that much, but you have to check the lower seats and upper seats before you can rule that out. One of three things is not doing its job:

Upper seat mounts
Lower seat mounts
spring itself

Ryan

 

Don't the Hals come with a spring and shock for the front and just a shock in the back? Are you not using the spring they came with or did you just buy the shocks?

 

I think the easiest way to fix the problem is to just trade your hal's for my bilstiens

 

96-speed: picks will be sent in like 5 mintues, thanks

snksknr94: Yes you are correct. Hal's come w/ shock(well strut) and spring for the front, and shock for the back. and yeah I'm using what they gave me Hal shocks and hal Springs.

TimbrSS: heard you are going to drop the motor out from underneath this weekend? when you do it, call me, I want to come check it out 861-5085

Later,
Jason

 

I can't give out all my secrets If you come over you have to work, dress accordingly.

 

If I wasn't going to watch the Matrix on Saturday I would and I have to work Sunday

Jason

 

What is your # setting on the front struts?

If I set mine for 5 or less, the front end does a hard nose dive when braking. It also feels like the ride height fluctuates too cause when parked and you lean against the front of the car it will compress and lower an inch or so since the strusts are so loose.

Do you think stiffining up the struts would make a difference?...or am I missing something all together here?

I don't see how the collar and spring seat could be moving downward if the collar is tightened up good and tight against the bottom of the spring seat.

FYI...the bottom of my locking collar to the bottom of the last thread on the strut body is exacly 7 inches. (or was it the strut mounting plate...I can't remember sorry)

 

I had the same issues as you....What I came to figure out after about a month was that the spring had to be raised up....trust me seven inches from the bottom of the threads is not enough...I had mine put up to about 9 inches from the bottom of the threads and I have not had any further issue with them....I went through this about 2 months ago...We would have it on the rack and let it down and it was fine....when you push down on the front end it would far to the tire....so we adjusted them up higher and higher till I got it at about 9 inches from the bottom threads to the locking collar...I thought at first it was my shocks....I was pissed, but come to find out it was the spring.....it being so soft it has to be raised quite a bit to sit at the right heightand stay there....I went to the extent of trying my factory shocks.....But came to the conclusion it was the springs set too low......Good Luck....