Hi everyone! I did a bumper swap on my 74 comet recently, and although all the parts installed pretty well and it looks good, i noticed that the front end sits up a lot higher now. I got to thinking that the springs were different on the 74 vs the 72 the bumper came off due to the added weight of the bumper assembly. I looked up the parts and it does show two different part numbers for the springs. My question is, can i just order the springs for the 72 (moog 8088) and install them in place of the current ones or is there anything else different i need to adjust for?
I'd bet it's just a illusion, even a 50lb change isn't going to be noticeable... No doubt(at least in my mind) the bottom of bumper is higher from ground so looks higher... To check for sure toss a 50lb bag of whatever on the hood and see how much height changes...
I bet NEW springs would make it set up high as well. I would recommend cutting your existing springs down some. How much you want it to drop will determine how much to cut.
There is no way this is an illusion, it sits up quite high. I noticed that 70-73 and 74-up have different springs, and that the 74 up are 1.5" taller then the 70-73. I considered just cutting my springs, but figured they were 50 years old and for $75 i might as well replace them if they were coming out.
It is quite common with the big bumper cars that when swapping for smaller bumpers, the front raises up. Cutting a coil is pretty much the only way to remedy the situation. You may want to go conservative and cut 3/4 of a coil.
I think even after buying new springs, you will still need to cut them, as others have had to do.....and I have had to do as well.
I just put 8088s in my car. It is a 74 with small bumpers, 302 with iron heads, and has had a 1" shelby drop. I wanted to see how it looked before cutting the springs, so they are un-cut. I will get it on the road this weekend and take a pic.....it is currently on uneven ground, so a pic now might be lying. I think I am going to like it the way it is....we shall soon see.
That would be great if you could post the pics! I had read all the write ups on bumper swaps and i never saw it mentioned that the springs would need to be cut/changed. It seems obvious now due to the extra weight of the bumper assembly vs the small bumper. I appreciate all the advice!
Hi Redfive: I have a 74 Comet also .. and I performed a bumper swap and afterwards I ' Weighed" the bumpers and their metal Inserts and was surprised that the weight was 88 pounds. That made a difference in my front end height also .. I trimmed my coil springs and everything is great ! Just my 2 cents .. Cometized ( Chip )
Yes, rust is iron oxide. The rusted material will weigh more because of the weight of the the oxygen in the FeO2 molecule. However, in real life the rust is weaker than the steel and will eventually flake off and reduce the weight of the item. Now to get a life. MD
Just keep in mind that my car has had a shelby drop (lowers car by 3/8?), iron heads, and the battery is still in the front. If I put in aluminum heads, at that time I might have wished I cut a little off, but at the moment I like it.
Thanks for the pics. It helps. I think i am going to see what it looks like with the new springs installed (no cutting) and go from there. I agree that if i kept the stock springs to cut them would be the way to go, and easier.
