When my 68 Cutlass convertible is in my garage on the lift (two arm, low post adjustable) and the rear suspension hangs down, both rear springs slide off to the side of their top mount. I have new spring insulators installed, but the springs still don't settle back into their mounts when you put the car back on the ground. What happens is, as you drive the car down the road, you go over bumps until the springs finally "pop" into place; and you hear it. Because the springs don't stay in correct position, each time the car comes down from the lift, the springs chew apart the insulators and eventually you have springs against bare metal and hear a clanging sound when the rear end goes over bumps.

So, I ordered new replacement rear springs from Moog to replace the original ones on the car. They came today and are the EXACT same height as the old original ones. I THOUGHT the new springs would be taller being new, and solve the problem, but they aren't; so the problem wasn't with the old springs being compressed over time.

My question is this. Has this happened to any of you before and what have you done to solve the problem? Use taller springs, but which ones? Do you think that over the years the space in the boxed rear end has opened up causing a more than normal spacing between the bottom and top? Is there any way to adjust how far the rear end and suspension drops when the car is put on a two-post lift with arms?

Let me know your thoughts please.

Thanks in advance,
Frank

 

This happened to me as well I thought the new springs were a tad taller but no. I dont know about taller springs but what i do is lower my car slowly and guide the spring into place that way the insulator wont get chewed up

 

May be stating the obvious here but you do have shocks installed, right? I recently replaced my entire suspension- if I raise the car and let the suspension hang with out shocks the springs shift, with shocks they stay solid in the upper and lower seats. I am using BMR 1" lowering springs. Just my 2C worth....

 

The even more obvious question is, exactly WHAT shocks are installed? The shocks are the limiter on suspension droop when unloaded. Obviously the shocks you have installed are too long at full extension, which is allowing the springs to come loose.

 

X2 ^^^^