Dana 44 coil springs

[Crude dude]

I recently installed a new set of coil springs in my 70 Bronco with a Dana 44. The coils that I took out were the same manufacturer but there were slight differences in the coil such as the bottom of the coil had no cuts on the end and the new ones do have the end edge cut off at an angle. The old coils fit real tight in the bottom spring cup and the new ones do not even fit down in the cup because thay are slightly too large in diameter. I figured that I would install them and let the weight of the Bronco push them in but they still didnt seat. I heard back from this reputable business that sells the spring that there are 2 different types of coil spring cups available for the Dana 44 and I need the other style. Anyone ever hear of this? I know there is another style that has a different bolt pattern for the 2 bolts that hold the cup to the radius arm but supposedly they are identical in diameter. I called around and one shop suggests that sometimes you have to grind the coil spring to make it fit, another place said to leave it and that it is fine that way. The coil spring doesnt seat in the cup but almost on top of the cup. Anybody have this same issue?

 

[Bully Bob]

I certainly wouldn't be happy with that. [-X

Never heard of two diff. cups.

You can say who the mfg./supplier is so as to prevent others having this issue.

I would send them back & get the proper ones. [-(

At the end of the day, they're not likely to move..., but that's just not right..!!

 

[Crude dude]

I will say that this company has been second to none in their customer service so please do not take this as a bashing of this company because even after this, they will still be the first business I shop with. Wild Horses. I have purchased a lot of equipment through them and if there has ever been an issue I do not even feel like I put them out and they will resolve the problem. Infact, these springs were a free replacement for some "display" springs I purchased from them on ebay. I bought the springs a few years ago and when I received them I opened the box, looked at them and threw them on my Bronco shelf. Finally got around to installing them a few weeks ago and noticed they were different height springs. Jim sent some new ones within a few days. Great company and I shop with them first. Now, since I dont feel comfortable leaving them the way they are I am going to fab some spring cups of my own and somehow make them adjustable so I can get the bow out of the front coils. Let me add that I know a dozen other people that have bought Wild Horse springs and did not have any issues and love them.

 

[bigbluebronc]

my duff 5.5 fit a little strange(they bow crazy) but have no issues thats

 

[Bully Bob]

I will say that this company has been second to none in their customer service so please do not take this as a bashing of this company because even after this, they will still be the first business I shop with. Wild Horses.... Great company and I shop with them first. Now, since I dont feel comfortable leaving them the way they are I am going to fab some spring cups of my own and somehow make them adjustable so I can get the bow out of the front coils. Let me add that I know a dozen other people that have bought Wild Horse springs and did not have any issues and love them.

YES SIR'EE..!

W.H. is one of the best... >-

However., sometimes the wrong springs get in the right box so to speak. (They don't make the springs)

The bow is another issue....& seems worse the higher the lift. I've often wondered why one of the EB suppliers hasn't come up with a tapered bottom cup.

 

[S_bolt19]

The last 2 times I bought coils (16 years ago and again 3 years ago), the diameter of the spring was always bigger than the original spring. Also the footprint of the spring was larger than original. Both times, the springs were about 1/4" larger footprint than the cup was and I had to turn the spring, like screwing it down, to get it into the spring cup. How much bigger is the footprint of the spring than the cup is? Are we talking 1" or are we talking 1/4"?

 

[Bully Bob]

That's a good question S bolt....

I assumed he was talk'n 'bout the thickness of the coil metal itself..., not the overall width of the spring...!!

Now I don't know..

Mine came fr. TOMS... they're progressive., It did take a slight push to get'm to "pop" into place & as I recall., there's a trough/indent of sorts that the start of the coil drops down into.

On one side, it's (trough) is in the front, the other side, it's in the back.

You don't want'm backwards.

Mine sit fully seated in the stock cups just like the stock ones did.... >-

 

[bigbluebronc]

Just measured side too side(axle too tire) and need too adjust the track bar too get the axle more driver side by 1/2 inch too center. That should help the strait tracking and the rubbing on the driver side shock. Still need a shorter spring.

What ever you do get good spring buckets, mine are bent down too the (? ) and touching, I dont dare pull and reenforce I dont want any more lift.

BBB

 

[Bully Bob]

Hmmmmm....,

I'd be interested to hear 'bout bottom spring cups that are any different than stock.

As far as I know., they're all the same on 66-77 & haven't heard of aft. market cups that vary from stock.

 

[Crude dude]

Here are 2 pictures I took of the coils in the cups. The coil gauge looks the same as my last coils but the footprint looks a tad larger. I am waiting to hear back if they checked another set of their coils in a new set of their coil cups to see if they fit. If they did fit I guess I buy new cups, if not,....?? I went to go look for materials to make my own cups and I found that 5 1/2" steel pipe is rare and expensive, 6" is too big and 5" is too small. I heard you can have steel rolled to custom sizes, will have to check the cost on that too. Ive never attached pics on this forum, hope this works.

 

[Bully Bob]

Ouch..!

I certainly wouldn't be happy with that...however I don't know what type of hit it would take to dislodge them..? .. if any.

IMHO & guessing., the problem may be in the common practice of American companies (in this case, the spring mfg. co.) outsourcing to offshore (prob. China) factories.

Many offshore factories don't understand our standard measurements. (I've had the same problem with plumbing parts, & tools, etc.)

Building cups would be a big task., & grinding the springs....might want to pack a lunch.. :-"

Let's hope the EB stores can solve this B/4 it gets too far out there..! (

UPDATE.!

Something looks horribly wrong....(after spotting your other pics at the top of this homepage).., the spring-tips are supposed to end up in the recess in the cup as I stated earlier.

---I just took a closer look at mine., the very end of the coil doesn't go clear to the end & bottom of the "indent" .... but far enough down in so as to allow the spring to set level in the cup.

 

[bigbluebronc]

might they have sent you springs for 1978 rig? here are my eb spring pics

 

[Crude dude]

Still nothing yet. Does anybody know if the 78-79 Bronco has a bigger footprint spring? BigBlueBronc has my gears turning. I had a 78 but I sold it about a year ago and it seemed like they were the same size. These springs are about 1/4" too big (or bigger) but there is no way they will thread into the cups.

 

[Crude dude]

Went to a local Bronco boneyard today and learned that there is a different coil spring cup. Its supposably from earlier years (Dana 30?)and the only difference is the notch out of the full circle lip that goes around the spring. Other than that they are the same size and still do not fit. Bought them anyways to show more pictures if I have to. Havent heard anything still about the new coils fitting in their new cups....frustrating.

 

[Bully Bob]

Hmmmm.,

Now curious., I went & looked at mine (stock '66 cups Dana 30)...there is no "notch" however the "lip" follows the indent for the coil end for about 1 inch, and the lip is there 360deg.

Looking in the catalogs.... it appears the "new" (aft. mkt) cups have a "notch".

This could be some sort of improvement for the bottom spring retainer.

However they're all '66-'77 D-30 or D-44 >-

 

[Crude dude]

Alright, I heard back and apparently W.H. said I should grind the spring in order to get them to fit. Since I WONT be doing that I decided to look into the 78-79 cups. A friend of mine happened to have both at his shop and when he measured both he came up with the 78-79 are definitely larger in diameter than the early Bronco cups. Also, the 2 bolts that hold the cup to the radius arm and cap are 1/2" farther apart then the EB. EB is 1" and 78-79 is 1 1/2" apart. Going tomorrow back to the boneyard to pick up a set of the larger cups, will update when I have the results.

 

[Bully Bob]

Well..,

That's what I surmised in my 1st. & 2nd. post.... >

My concern now would be the gage of those coils. If they're heavier/thicker....you may get a harsh ride.

IMHO.., I think I would opt for the correct coils & cups. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Good luck... /

 

[bigbluebronc]

send those springs back and let W H grind all they want and buy from someone else, it should not be that hard too get some lift, shoot some people design and build four links in less time then this thread has been alive!

BBB

 

[Crude dude]

DONE! I picked up some 78 Bronco cups. I ground the top of the radius arm and caps to match each other and then set the new cups on them to see how they sit. They fit very good but the holes were a half inch too far apart. I cut (2) 4"x4" squares out of 1/4" steel and then drilled (2) 7/16" holes in them and mounted them to the radius arms, heated them with a torch and smacked them around with a hammer till they had the same profile as the radius arms. Then I cut them into circles to fit the bottom of the cups and welded them on. Welded in the old hole that was in the wrong location and drilled a new one. Painted them satin black yesterday and mounted the springs today. I feel 100% better about this setup than if I would have left it or ground the spring. I will post pics of the cups when I get the chance, Im at work at the moment with no way to upload the pics. Kept my early Bronco cups just in case!