Rear ride height

[Brown_Muscle]

Looking for some help! I can't find the rear police springs, so looking for replacements. My ride height is different from civi models. Those who have installed wagon caro coils, can you please measure your rear ride height from the ground to a section of the frame? and those with standard springs can you give me a measurement as well? It would help me out a lot. Thanks!!

[Brown_Muscle]

for some added info, i measured my rear spring install height, they are about 12 to 12.25", right between the civi and wagon spring install height

[GM_Guy]

With wagon cargo coils my sedan sits at.... stock sedan ride height. =(
6" between bottom of frame and top of axle tube.

Alex.

[1987cp]

JMO, but get wagon springs, you won't be sorry. My old P72 always seemed wallowy with what I assumed to be its original rear springs. I put in the springs out of my Colony Park and it got 500% better! Great match with the original 700# front coils.

[gadget73]

If you gots the Ford shop manual, it actually has those measurements. I think its in the back with the body panel stuff, or maybe in the suspension diagnostic area to determine if the springs are dead but I know I've seen it in there.

[Brown_Muscle]

With wagon cargo coils my sedan sits at.... stock sedan ride height. =(
6" between bottom of frame and top of axle tube.

Alex.

hmm that's interesting as it usually gives a rake, but promising at least for my case

JMO, but get wagon springs, you won't be sorry. My old P72 always seemed wallowy with what I assumed to be its original rear springs. I put in the springs out of my Colony Park and it got 500% better! Great match with the original 700# front coils.

were they the cargo coils?? did you have a rake?

If you gots the Ford shop manual, it actually has those measurements. I think its in the back with the body panel stuff, or maybe in the suspension diagnostic area to determine if the springs are dead but I know I've seen it in there.

I'll have to see if I can find one, maybe John has it, that would be pretty useful.

[Mainemantom]

Just for conversation, what about spacers like what is sold on Ebay. Item 370855536467. I have never heard of anyone using these but the idea might work.

[1987cp]

were they the cargo coils?? did you have a rake?

I'm honestly not sure what "cargo coils" really are. In my particular case there was just a slight rake, didn't look at all weird. It definitely sat higher than with the original P72 rear springs, though those could have been sagging. I swapped over the wagon springs to increase cargo capacity, but I thought the handling and control unloaded were better than stock.

[sly]

Just for conversation, what about spacers like what is sold on Ebay. Item 370855536467. I have never heard of anyone using these but the idea might work.

The Hillbilly SUV (Good Samaritan's wagon) uses these. wrecks the rear control arm bushings... but it works.

[gadget73]

I'm honestly not sure what "cargo coils" really are.

Its a variable rate coil. If you look at them, you'll notice one end of the spring has the coils far apart and the other end they are close together. The idea is you get a low spring rate with no load for a soft ride, but once the close coils are compressed, you're into a higher spring rate for less sag with the same weight. My car went through 2 sets and neither lasted more than a couple of years before sagging. Not convinced they are really worth a hoot. Not sure whats in there now honestly, but its either used stock wagon coils or new stock Towncar coils.

[GM_Guy]

What year range town car?

Alex.

[gadget73]

86. The only one I own.

[1987cp]

Its a variable rate coil. If you look at them, you'll notice one end of the spring has the coils far apart and the other end they are close together. The idea is you get a low spring rate with no load for a soft ride, but once the close coils are compressed, you're into a higher spring rate for less sag with the same weight. My car went through 2 sets and neither lasted more than a couple of years before sagging. Not convinced they are really worth a hoot. Not sure whats in there now honestly, but its either used stock wagon coils or new stock Towncar coils.

Ah. Mine were straight-rate.

[GM_Guy]

Doing some spring spec digging, all data is based on units available in the aftermarket (ie: Moog/Rockwell) some of the data is in other threads here, but the town car spring got me wondering...

Wire Diameter - Install Height - Load - Spring Rate - Free Height

1986 Town Car.
Fixed rate rear spring #8805
.562 12.13 650 122 17.19
Variable rate rear spring #CC837
.625 12.13 650 153 16.38

fixed rate Station Wagon #8795
.625 12.69 790 182 17.04
variable rate station wagon #cc819
.656 12.69 780 200 16.73

fixed rate sedan #8649 (except 1990, 1990 shows same springs as the town car)
.531 11.63 630 107 17.27
variable rate sedan #cc817
.625 11.63 711 165 15.94

1992 + only have a variable rate spring listed.

1992-1997 #cc849
.625 13.00 341 161 15.20

1998+ #cc865
.593 11.50 620 163 15.25

For those new to springs, thicker wire diameter = stiffer spring. Rated load is what the manufacturer deems the weight of the vehicle in quesion, ride height is the height when the spring has the rated load on it. Free length is handy for figuring out what final height will be IF you know the actual weight the springs will support.

Of other interesting note is that the odd number for load in the 1992-1997 spring. This error(?) is mirrored in Moog, Rockwell and Napa spring catalogs. However, looking at the other numbers, something ain't right somewhere.

Alex.

[GM_Guy]

Stupid edit timer... you'd think if it would let you get to the edit screen the timer would stop...

Anyway, coil spring list attached, any other springs with the correct ends will be too wide. Hence the miserable lack of springs we've got to work with. Now, if cc615 had two or three more inches of free height, I'd have the perfect spring to go with the late model cop front springs.

Alex.