[Huskaroo]

Been collecting suspension parts for years for my 2010 Fronty 4x4 V6 MT CC LB, FINALLY getting around to installing; bought Shrockworks front bumper, targeting highest suspension based lift possible out of adjustable 5100's anticipating significantly heavier bumper, trying to assemble front struts, being told by mechanic with fancy hydraulic spring compressor he's never seen a spring compressed so much in a strut setup, he claimed the coils were touching when compressed most (but not all) of the way. The lower spring seats are NOT install upside down.

Bought all new bushings top spring seat, spacer, upper isolator, and washers using correct parts, I'm suspecting the MOOG 81280 coil springs I received from RockAuto are wrong if anything??? It's like they have too many loops; I intend to count the number of helix's on my stock springs later today...

Does anyone have a picture of coil springs (appropriate for the suspension setup for my truck) compressed on a 5100 with the lower spring seat at highest lift position?

The only oddball part of this setup is I was frustrated by the impossible task of finding a lower coil spring isolator (go ahead and waste your time looking) I fabricated my own, I used pex tubing which has a ~1/8" wall thickness, even if worst case that extended the lower spring seat "height" another 1/2" I would not expect the spring to be so significantly compressed.

I'm wondering now if I should back off the adjustable lift height and also include a spacer?? I thought that is the BS way of achieving lift and I was doing this the proper way!!!

Thanks!!!

 

[MNCarl]

I am guessing the MOOG 81280 is a stock spring rate of about 500 lbs ?
With that (heavy in weight) shrockworks bumper it compressing the springs?

 

[Nissan4Life]

When I did my front suspension refresh the last time I used some heater hose as a replacement for the lower spring isolator. I found that it made it much more difficult to compress the spring. One it did not sit in the lower seat, and 2 it wore out in a couple of months and then it was jsut steel on steel. Let me find a pic.

 

[Nissan4Life]

http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f26/front-suspension-refreash-159137/

 

[Huskaroo]

Yeah I was going to try the fiberglass re-enforced radiator hose but figured it was going to wear away over time so went to a product I knew to be able to take a beating so I was going to try PEX...
Thanks for the pic, see my issue is it looks like you have a good inch or so gap between each helix unloaded (truck is on a lift right), how the hell can my spring be so compressed while just trying to attach the nut that some of the coil is in contact with itself.... It's like the shock itself isn't long enough? The exposed [piston rod?] is not long enough??

What is a pain is the parts are not in my possession anymore I can't easily snap a picture...

I am guessing the MOOG 81280 is a stock spring rate of about 500 lbs ?
With that (heavy in weight) shrockworks bumper it compressing the springs?

Not sure I understand the question... Also I'm just at the stage of assembling the front struts, they aren't even on the vehicle yet.

 

[RikRong]

Can you post some pics of what your struts look like?

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[Huskaroo]

Can you post some pics of what your struts look like?

I'll be getting them back tomorrow, I'm suspecting the "OEM Equivalent" MOOG springs are not what they say...

Just chatted with someone from 4x4 Parts - Nissan Auto Parts & Performance Accessories where I got the parts from and he was baffled that I was running into issues like this with the lower coil spring seat installed properly!!

 

[glamisdude]

Betting the guy assembling them has the lower spring perch upside down...

When assembled correctly even at max lift the coil should only be compressed about 2-2.5"

 

[Sabretooth]

Without seeing it can not see what mechanic had done so just shot this 4 you so you can see the spring perch orientation. I did mine a few months ago with with a similar setup just used OME 2608's on the 5100's set at 2nd notch I have a similar bumper its a calmini winch one so should be similar in weight. Compare it to yours hope it helps or if you need a different pics, let us know whats up

 

[Sabretooth]

Oh and the isolator I didn't have any in my old f150 idk if it makes a difference or not if it does should be included. I can see maybe if its sitting in salt water it corrode faster or in rust states but I never heard it make a sound when the spring was compressed on the perch with weight of pu sitting on it it never moved but I would make sure it is seated/bottomed or resting up against edge end of the perch cup

 

[mtyler11]

just confirm with the mechanic that the spring seat is hanging down from the C clip, covering the clip. if it's oriented so you can see the clip its upside-down

 

[2008 LE]

Mine are maxed. OE springs. This is with winch bumper and 8500lb winch wire cabled installed.

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[Huskaroo]

Sorry for the delay, I finally got my parts back and crawled under the truck to snap a pic of my front suspension, the springs I got from MOOG are indeed different, the helix has 7 layers on the truck vs 10 on the springs I received.

Interesting in that I cant piece in my head a comparison of ride dynamics vs travel vs spring rate etc... i.e. my engineering background can't equate a predictable outcome of the difference of a spring with 10 loops versus 2 (over simplification of concept) if their spring rate is identical (and I do NOT know how the spring rate compares between my OEM vs MOOG).

I'm guessing MOOG decided if the spring rate is equal, and the travel requirements wouldn't overly compress the spring with the additional 3 loops, than it was deemed equivalent. I guess that's fine and dandy for OEM suspension but doesn't work when you're using OEM in different application.

The original intent here was to leave the stock struts entirely intact and sell them complete used on this forum just for someone who wants parts, this is quickly shifting towards disassembling the OEM's swap over the coil spring, toss the shocks and part out the rest........... Original path of get all brand new stuff has rapidly turned into the more aggravating approach!!

Also interesting that in this well known thread: http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f26/beware-bilstein-5100-owners-65258/ the 10-loop springs were used as well but does not look like the Bilstein's were set for highest lift.

 

[Huskaroo]

Mine are maxed. OE springs. This is with winch bumper and 8500lb winch wire cabled installed.

This was exactly the validation I was originally looking for thank you.

 

[whistler]

If everything is the same, that is wire diameter, free length, coil dia, then the more coils makes for a lower spring rate I believe.

 

[2008 LE]

This was exactly the validation I was originally looking for thank you.

No problem. I am sure you read others reviews at max height the ride is harsh, I was going to put a spacer on top and go with less preload but my studs were not long enough. Personally I am leaving it this way until I get the time to go all out and titan swap instead of going for a better "stock" setup with extended travel UCA etc. It costs too much to get parts to me here in Canada so I don't want to do it 3 times hah.

 

[avenger72286]

If everything is the same, that is wire diameter, free length, coil dia, then the more coils makes for a lower spring rate I believe.

I called Moog today, they told me the spring rate for their 81280 springs are 450#s

 

[Pistonbrink]

Bringing this one back from the dead.
Was there any final answer on these springs?
I have the 5100's and ordered the Moog 81280's
They look way longer than my stock springs, and on the 1.5" perch, looks like they will need to compress about 3" to get the top plate to the nut.
i talked to Moog's technical support and they confirmed the resting dimensions of the 81280's which match what i received.
They are telling me that they are 14" uncompressed and 7" end to end when on the truck! 50% compression seems crazy but what do I know.
Any one know if I should go with these?
backup plan is to just reuse my stock ones.

 

[Pistonbrink]

pics

 

[Frontier510]

Bringing this one back from the dead.
Was there any final answer on these springs?
I have the 5100's and ordered the Moog 81280's
They look way longer than my stock springs, and on the 1.5" perch, looks like they will need to compress about 3" to get the top plate to the nut.
i talked to Moog's technical support and they confirmed the resting dimensions of the 81280's which match what i received.
They are telling me that they are 14" uncompressed and 7" end to end when on the truck! 50% compression seems crazy but what do I know.
Any one know if I should go with these?
backup plan is to just reuse my stock ones.

Without going out to the garage and measuring mine. Yeah that sounds right. 3” preload sounds right. But I didn’t measure mine last week when I had them off. Every spring on a road vehicle has spring preload. Now if that 7” length is with the truck on the ground. Ok I could see that too. Your old springs have collapsed over time and will not ever again be the free length it was when it was new.