1962 Biscayne front spring issue?

[Stormed_Norm]

O.K. I decided to change up my front end and go with Southwest Speeds tubular control arms. Now the shocks are hitting the springs. I messaged them and they said I have a spring issue as they have sold dozens of control arms and nobody else has complained. I have a all aluminum LS1 engine in it and the car is sitting on blocks in the pics. Any ideas? the springs are the same ones I had in it with stock components and drove it like that before I changed up. Spindles are a 2 inch dropped one, had them in there before also.

 

[skipxt4]

The original upper control arms, had a rubber bumper under them. Can't tell by your picture, if that is under your New control arm?

 

[blkblk63ss]

Are you sure the spring is seated properly on top .

 

[Stormed_Norm]

Hi. There is a nylon bump sop mounted on the a-arm, not the frame. , and yes spring is "clocked" correctly. They (Southwest) said my spring is wrong. it is as far as I know the original v-8 spring from this car. It is around 17 inches in height.

 

[DonSSDD]

If the geometry is the same as before and it worked, can't see why it won't still work. Can you measure the mounting points, old and new, and see what might be different?

Those springs- you painted them red? They don't look original but hard to tell in red, whole different look. And oike you say, if they worked before, they should still work.

Don

 

[Stormed_Norm]

I am in the process of pulling the tubular arms out to measure from the old stuff. Yes, Painted them red to put some color there. Same with the shocks. Black is o.k. for a chassis. Just need to make it "interesting" under there.

 

[Jim Sullivan]

With a smaller bump stop, the suspension might be hanging farther than down. If you Jack up the wheel to compress the spring, does the shock move away from the spring?

 

[303Radar]

Can you post a pic of the original LCA next to the new LCA? I'm curious if the lower shock mount is centered/located in the same location in both.
It seems to me that the shock mount further to the outside of the new LCA than it was in the old LCA.

 

[Stormed_Norm]

Actually the bump stock mounted on the upper control arm is bigger than the oem on. Just made from urethane. I will get pics this week of them side by side. Raining like crazy right now. Ad the car is very close to the door so I hate getting wet . Should have had the car the other way in the garage,

 

[blkblk63ss]

You might have misunderstood me , but i meant do you have the upper spring in it's pocket in frame . If the spring is outward on top and hitting spring.

 

[Stormed_Norm]

no, I knew what you were asking. It was indexed with the place for it in the top perch.

 

[Stormed_Norm]

A few more pics. I think the angle of the low spring perch is wrong it looks more flat.

 

[blkblk63ss]

Actually the bump stock mounted on the upper control arm is bigger than the oem on. Just made from urethane. I will get pics this week of them side by side. Raining like crazy right now. Ad the car is very close to the door so I hate getting wet . Should have had the car the other way in the garage,

May not help if your user name is storming!!!! I would think as many of those arm's have been made .
,that you are the only one having those issue's.

 

[models916]

Same control arms as I have. You need to seat the spring in the upper and clock it for the cut end and then move the bottom rubber to clock to the bottom of the spring cut off. The shock center mount is center on the spring center clock position. From your picture, yours is off.

 

[Stormed_Norm]

Same control arms as I have. You need to seat the spring in the upper and clock it for the cut end and then move the bottom rubber to clock to the bottom of the spring cut off. The shock center mount is center on the spring center clock position. From your picture, yours is off.

They are both clocked and seated on each side. I rechecked this before I took the pictures. Both sides are the same, I even thought I had the spindles backwards, upside down, upper control arms on the wrong side. These just don't fit properly. Going to put some stock ones back on and see what goes on.