FRAMING JOHN DELOREAN - ON VOD www.framingjohndeloreanfilm.com
Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 1 2 3 LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 25

Thread: Front coilovers the easy (and fast) way

  1. #11
    Senior Member
    Join Date:  Dec 2018

    Posts:    1,235

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark D View Post
    Obvious spring cutting safety concerns aside, you can rent spring compressors for free from auto zone, oreilly, advance auto, etc.

    Plus when you remove the springs intact you could actually make a few bucks selling them instead of throwing the cut up scraps into the bin. Not that there is a huge market for stock front springs, but still.

    I'm glad you didn't get hurt cutting the springs and that the rest of your installation of the coilovers went alright.

    My only other concern would be that removing the spring perches from the LCA's may have weakened them due to the loss of material, and any slight nicks, cuts, or gouges you may have introduced into the remaining sheet metal. The stock LCA's are not the most robust parts to begin with so adding stress concentration points could potentially lead to cracks or fatigue failure later on down the road.

    I know DPI sells their own stainless LCA's without the spring perch for their coilover setup, but those are significantly beefed up in material thickness and there were several rounds of testing and revisions to that design.
    I had thought about the strength lost from the spring cup. DPI mentioned I might want to remove it. Now that I've worked on these, I have to say they are pretty Mickey Mouse. (Even with the cup) I might have to buy a new set from DPI. I really think I could make a good set quite easily. Right now I have too much on my plate to work on it.

  2. #12
    LS Swapper Josh's Avatar
    Join Date:  Mar 2013

    Location:  Illinois

    Posts:    2,440

    My VIN:    11408

    Club(s):   (DMWC) (TXDMC) (DCUK) (DOI)

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark D View Post
    Obvious spring cutting safety concerns aside, you can rent spring compressors for free from auto zone, oreilly, advance auto, etc.

    Plus when you remove the springs intact you could actually make a few bucks selling them instead of throwing the cut up scraps into the bin. Not that there is a huge market for stock front springs, but still.

    I'm glad you didn't get hurt cutting the springs and that the rest of your installation of the coilovers went alright.

    My only other concern would be that removing the spring perches from the LCA's may have weakened them due to the loss of material, and any slight nicks, cuts, or gouges you may have introduced into the remaining sheet metal. The stock LCA's are not the most robust parts to begin with so adding stress concentration points could potentially lead to cracks or fatigue failure later on down the road.

    I know DPI sells their own stainless LCA's without the spring perch for their coilover setup, but those are significantly beefed up in material thickness and there were several rounds of testing and revisions to that design.
    removing the spring seats is fairly common practice when installing coilovers, many people have done it. They also usually box the arm and reinforce the balljoint area though as these are known weak points.

    The Billet DPI LCA arm is aluminum, not stainless steel. Same goes for the LCA deloreango is selling. DPI used to make sheetmetal LCAs but they are superseded by the aluminum units.

    Supercharged 5.3L LS4 + Porsche 6spd
    [email protected]
    lsdelorean.com
    I am not affiliated with Delorean Midwest in anyway.

  3. #13
    Guy with a DeLorean Mark D's Avatar
    Join Date:  May 2011

    Location:  Stevens Point,WI

    Posts:    2,468

    My VIN:    6125

    Quote Originally Posted by Josh View Post
    removing the spring seats is fairly common practice when installing coilovers, many people have done it. They also usually box the arm and reinforce the balljoint area though as these are known weak points.

    The Billet DPI LCA arm is aluminum, not stainless steel. Same goes for the LCA deloreango is selling. DPI used to make sheetmetal LCAs but they are superseded by the aluminum units.
    Yeah that's a good point, I think all the failed stock LCA's I've seen photos of were cracked around where the ball joint is attached.

    Good to know on the aluminum LCA's as well. I was thinking DPI was still making the welded stainless sheet metal ones but it looks like the "Gen 3" version is billet aluminum like you said. I had to go back and search and see what the SS ones looked like and holy crap it's already been like 4 years since they switched to aluminum. I've gotta get with the times.

    http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?15...s+control+arms

  4. #14
    EFI'd dn010's Avatar
    Join Date:  Jul 2011

    Location:  Florida: Pinellas County

    Posts:    2,096

    My VIN:    5003 Never placed Concourse

    Club(s):   (DCF)

    I once tried to do something stupid like this and had a shard of hardened steel fly off and shoot into the skin of my hand, down into the knuckle of my thumb. I still have the x-rays from the ER. I left the shard where it was for years until I needed an MRI and it required surgery to remove.

    Just because the larger spring pieces can't "fly off" and is caught by the shock, doesn't mean something can't break into pieces and still get you. I am just happy mine was my thumb and not something else like my eye.

    Use a spring compressor.
    -----Dan B.

  5. #15
    Senior Member
    Join Date:  Dec 2018

    Posts:    1,235

    Quote Originally Posted by dn010 View Post
    I once tried to do something stupid like this and had a shard of hardened steel fly off and shoot into the skin of my hand, down into the knuckle of my thumb. I still have the x-rays from the ER. I left the shard where it was for years until I needed an MRI and it required surgery to remove.

    Just because the larger spring pieces can't "fly off" and is caught by the shock, doesn't mean something can't break into pieces and still get you. I am just happy mine was my thumb and not something else like my eye.

    Use a spring compressor.
    "Something can't break off"? What are you talking about? Be specific. Ware safety glasses. Ware a face shield. Ware thick gloves. Better yet, you should hire someone else to do this. Stay home and ware a mask so you don't get sick.

    Let's face it, a spring compressor can fail also.

  6. #16
    LS Swapper Josh's Avatar
    Join Date:  Mar 2013

    Location:  Illinois

    Posts:    2,440

    My VIN:    11408

    Club(s):   (DMWC) (TXDMC) (DCUK) (DOI)

    Quote Originally Posted by Helirich View Post
    "Something can't break off"? What are you talking about? Be specific. Ware safety glasses. Ware a face shield. Ware thick gloves. Better yet, you should hire someone else to do this. Stay home and ware a mask so you don't get sick.

    Let's face it, a spring compressor can fail also.
    How dare someone question you!
    i have no idea how mask usage and covid has anything to do with this. You are a moron.

    Dan has owned his delorean for decades. He has done engine swaps, transmission rebuilds, and a full EFI conversion. You need to post daily threads asking why your car isnt running right. Maybe you should be hiring your mechanical work out.

    Supercharged 5.3L LS4 + Porsche 6spd
    [email protected]
    lsdelorean.com
    I am not affiliated with Delorean Midwest in anyway.

  7. #17
    EFI'd dn010's Avatar
    Join Date:  Jul 2011

    Location:  Florida: Pinellas County

    Posts:    2,096

    My VIN:    5003 Never placed Concourse

    Club(s):   (DCF)

    Thank you Josh, time flies!

    Helirich - While I can appreciate your Bill Robertson approach to working on your DeLorean, the point of my post was that cutting compressed springs is unpredictable. While you think you're all good and safe with your practice (I too am glad nothing bad happened in your case), there are times where it simply will not be the case for others, clearly. Sure, you can "ware" [sic] all sorts of equipment, top off the fuel tank and I guess wear your mask too if that's your thing, but I am not going to jump into a bubble to remove springs. I will do as suggested and use spring compressors after learning experiences from long ago. It doesn't really matter how or why or what happened in my case, the point is that something CAN happen and injure you with this practice. Someone new is going to come on here looking for a shortcut, read this thread and try it - I couldn't imagine cutting an early Grady lowering spring without something going terribly wrong - or did you forget there are different springs out there with different rates you're telling people to take a wheel to.

    As an aside: did you know you could just short out the electrical wiring your working on in your attic to trip the breaker instead of climbing down and doing it the "hard" way? There are good chances it will work without starting a fire but it's probably not a good idea to write up a how-to on it and post it over on electriciantalk.
    -----Dan B.

  8. #18
    Senior Member
    Join Date:  Dec 2018

    Posts:    1,235

    Quote Originally Posted by Josh View Post
    How dare someone question you!
    i have no idea how mask usage and covid has anything to do with this. You are a moron.

    Dan has owned his delorean for decades. He has done engine swaps, transmission rebuilds, and a full EFI conversion. You need to post daily threads asking why your car isnt running right. Maybe you should be hiring your mechanical work out.
    Josh, I don't mind him (or you) questioning me. As I said earlier, in the interest of safety, I would like to here your fears. Then other people can decide for them selves about the risks. That was my point about the masks. If you want to ware a mask because you deturmine there's a risk and a mask will help, feel free to ware one. But when someone points out there is no evidence that masks work, I can hear you say, "shut up and lessen to the professional that has years of experience".

    That additude does not convince me. You listing his accomplishments does not convince me. You don't know me or my accomplishments. If I were to list more accomplishments than you or him, would that convince you? I hope not. The only thing that would convince me is a rational explanation.

    Quote Originally Posted by dn010 View Post
    Thank you Josh, time flies!

    Helirich - While I can appreciate your Bill Robertson approach to working on your DeLorean, the point of my post was that cutting compressed springs is unpredictable. While you think you're all good and safe with your practice (I too am glad nothing bad happened in your case), there are times where it simply will not be the case for others, clearly. Sure, you can "ware" [sic] all sorts of equipment, top off the fuel tank and I guess wear your mask too if that's your thing, but I am not going to jump into a bubble to remove springs. I will do as suggested and use spring compressors after learning experiences from long ago. It doesn't really matter how or why or what happened in my case, the point is that something CAN happen and injure you with this practice. Someone new is going to come on here looking for a shortcut, read this thread and try it - I couldn't imagine cutting an early Grady lowering spring without something going terribly wrong - or did you forget there are different springs out there with different rates you're telling people to take a wheel to.
    I don't know who Bill Robertson is, but I'm giving people an option here. Im not telling them to do it this way. Im telling them how It can be done. I would hope they would read it and decide for themselves if it's for them. I'm not sure what differnce a lowering spring would make. But somebody doing that job would need to decide if this will work.

    When you say "something CAN happen", I agree. Something can always happen. I bet that someone has been hurt using a spring compressor. If I find an instance of that on the net, would you advise against useing one? What if I found someone that simply said "I did something stupid like that with a spring compressor and knocked my eye out". Then went on to discribe his eye problems. Would that convince you not to use a spring compressor?

    I can tell by your post that you are not as young as Josh and it's likely you do have more expertise to offer. But this is the net, you need to explain why, you can't just deliver tablets from a mountain top.

  9. #19
    EFI'd dn010's Avatar
    Join Date:  Jul 2011

    Location:  Florida: Pinellas County

    Posts:    2,096

    My VIN:    5003 Never placed Concourse

    Club(s):   (DCF)

    Quote Originally Posted by Helirich View Post
    Josh and it's likely you do have more expertise to offer.
    I don't think so. We might have started the same displacement long ago, but now Josh's engine is bigger than mine. I'm sure he's got bigger calipers hanging than I do too.
    -----Dan B.

  10. #20
    Senior Member
    Join Date:  Dec 2018

    Posts:    1,235

    Quote Originally Posted by dn010 View Post
    I don't think so. We might have started the same displacement long ago, but now Josh's engine is bigger than mine. I'm sure he's got bigger calipers hanging than I do too.
    I'm not going to touch that. Ha-ha.

    You might think that I hate Josh because apparently he hates me. This is not so. I think he's a young guy with lots of piss and vinegar. I don't have use of a 10 second Delorean, but he wants one and is working to make it happen. I like that! It seems to me these day young people don't do anything. When I see 30 something guys in an auto parts store, they usually are buying wiper blades. (And then they have the employee install them)

    I'll buy Josh a beer some day. (If he'll let me)

Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 1 2 3 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •