So I've been searching for front springs for my 1984 AMC Eagle.
The only site I have found is AMCLIVES but when I price it out, it goes from $434 USD = $614 CAD (Im in Canada = ouch)
but when I put it in the cart it comes out to $2,434. I assume this has something to do with the shipping to Canada.
Anyway, I reached out to a local company Vancouver Axle and Springs, and they said they cannot make them unless I bring mine in so they can inspect and 'may' be able to make them.
Why is this so difficult?
I have a broken spring, and I'm replacing the entire suspension but trying to stay as stock as possible but I cannot for the life of me find someone who can get me a set of springs.
I seen the KennedyAmerican site but it looks shady. Has anyone had luck with them?
I'm expecting to pay a pretty penny for this, especially considering the import fees to bring them into Canada, but honestly at this point I just want a set, but $2400 is crazy
I hate to say it, but you won't find them anywhere. As far as I've been able to determine, no one ever reproduced Eagle coil springs en masse. Your best option is to find someone parting out an Eagle, or keep looking for a company to reproduce them.
I'll dig into this and see if I can find a vendor. I'd like to have them available at the store in the future anyways.
Let me also add that the picture you attached says they're being dropshipped, i.e. marked up for no reason; and the picture is wrong. Eagle springs don't look like that. The coil spacing is different.
I seem to recall reading Javelin springs will fit. Something about using A/C or V-8 springs for a lift?? My memory likes o lie to me - A LOT, so I'd double check that first.
I have read that springs for a 71 Javelin with a 401 work, but lift it about 2.5" from stock worn out springs. Espo Springs n Things also made Eagle springs, but I'm not sure if they still do. They were a direct reproduction.
Contact Espo Springs & Things and Eaton Detroit Springs. I think one of those will be able to help you out. Good luck!
Quote from: vangremlin on December 13, 2024, 12:59:23 PM
Contact Espo Springs & Things and Eaton Detroit Springs. I think one of those will be able to help you out. Good luck!
That's where I got my front and rear springs. It was about 14 years ago. Hopefully they still carry them. They included rear bushings.
Also, Kennedy American is a well known and respected AMC vendor. I have purchased from them several times.
Thanks everyone for the replies.
When I reached out to a local company, Vancouver Axle and Frame they said they need me to bring in a spring.
They mentioned they cannot find the information they require but they might be able to do it once they get one. Is this a decent idea? I was hoping to have them before I start doing any work.
Does anyone have the information/specs on the coils that a company who makes them would require?
Looking at their custom order form, the information they would be looking for is:
Outside diameter +/-
Inside diameter +/-
Maximum solid height
direction of helix
type of ends
Free Length +/-
Wire diameter?
Number of active coils
Total number of coils
type of material
finish
squareness (Free): within
End Use or Application
Other
Quantity Required
Also, thanks for the note on KennedyAmerica - I'll reach out and ask them.
I thought I reached out before but I am pretty sure Espo Springs told me a year back and they said they no longer supplied them. I' cant find that in my email though so maybe I'll ask again.
Eaton Springs mentioned this to me, when i asked about making both front coil springs and rear leafs. "Thank you for your inquiry. We can make the rear springs for you, but even with over 2,000 coil spring specs we do not have them for the ones on the front of your car."
Sigh -
I think it's a good idea. It's annoying to have to bring it in, but then they can make you an exact duplicate without guesswork.
Here's the measurements from one of mine. 1985 Wagon. Manual trans. 4.2. With A/C and CA emissions. I've rounded to fractional sizes when in doubt.
OD: 6 1/4"
ID: 5" General. Top narrows down to 3 1/2" for last coil, which is flat (coil is round, just wound in a flat plane)
Maximum solid height: Estimated 3 3/4" - 4". Not really applicable in this application.
Direction of helix: Righthand.
Type of ends: Top is closed. Bottom is open.
Free length: 15"
Wire diameter: Actual .64, probably spec'd at 5/8" - Edit: probably 41/64"
Number of active coils: 6, or possibly 7. Depends on what you consider "active".
Total number of coils: 7
Type of material: Spring steel. Alloy unknown.
Finish: Unknown. Paint or plain most likely.
Squareness (free): Top coil is square. Bottom coil is not.
End use or application: Automotive
Hope this helps. If in doubt have them make a longer spring and then chop the bottom end down to where you need it.
https://amceaglesden.com/guide/Shocks_%26_Springs
Trooper,
Great link. I've seen that table before, and it's a good starting point for replacements. But I don't think it's right.
Unless both of my coil springs were changed out at some point, which I highly doubt, the "Concord" dimensions aren't accurate. My wire diameter is .640" or 41/64" (with a coat of paint), not .687" or .656". Just measured both springs again in a dozen places. Also free height is actually slightly longer than 15". Hard to believe after nearly 40 years in use and 200,000 miles they didn't compress but instead elongated.
Probably perfectly fine to use those reference numbers to get replacements, but the MOOG catalogs I could dig up show those springs fitting everything except Eagles. Hornets, Gremlins, Concords, Matadors, Spirits...but not Eagles.
Trouble is that there are way too many different springs for an aftermarket company to list just one for a particular year and model of car. The factory parts manual lists 10 different front springs for the Eagle, depending on the particular car's options. Back at the AMC dealer, one had to get the code off of a tag on the spring in order to match up with a new one (was a 2-digit code; BA thru BK - no BI code). Good luck figuring it out.
AMC of Houston,
10!? That's worse than I thought.
You don't happen to have any more information for those B_ codes do you? There's reference to a "Suspension spring selector guide" in MR251 but I can't find any trace of it.
The driver side spring for Eagle Eyes has a tag wrapped around one of the spring coils.
Afraid I also have never actually laid eyes on that mystical Sprint Selector Guide either! I have tons of AMC manuals and parts books; but that's not one of them. I take it your springs are missing the tag?
My springs had a tag, but it was unreadable. Don't know about Evenprimes, but I doubt it would matter, I don't think those codes would mean anything to anyone nowadays.
It would be great if someone could find that mystical spring selector guide. Then we could at least assemble an accurate account of what Eagles got one code springs. And hey, maybe it actually contains the spring specs.
One thing that has come to mind in the past for missing, broken or weak front springs was air bags.
It's overkill since we aren't looking for performance in this application, but Eagles do technically have space in the engine bay for the compressor on rear air suspension.
I think air suspension would be an awesome upgrade for an Eagle. I'd love on-the-go ride height adjustment. I bet that if you added an auxiliary air tank the optional factory compressor would probably work just fine.
I've thought about adapting a modern strut, but trying to hunt one down that's the right length, has a compatible design, and is from a vehicle of similar weight proved too much for me. Most are way too long. Some of the aftermarket airbag coilovers though...those look promising.
Ultimately I think that if you have a broken or weak spring the most cost-effective option is to have new ones made.
So is it realistic to think that if I remove my springs and bring them to Vancouver Axle and Frame (They make springs) that they should be able to make me a new set of springs?
Pardon me being stupid, but I just want to make sure that there isnt anything specifically special about these springs that would make it difficult for a company to make another set?
And are both springs the same? Or are the helical opposite, or does anything else matter?
I'm just trying to plan this all out.
Thank you
I believe the OEM springs are different from side to side, to compensate for the fact that the engine is slightly off center. How much of a difference it makes it real life, I don't know.
Okay boys. I dug out and calibrated the micrometer. Here's the results.
Spring 1 measurements: 0.653-0.665 (Assumed 0.660 or 0.656 or 21/32" or 16.75MM) Weight 10.120lbs Height ~14 7/8"
Spring 2 measurements: 0.634-0.643 (Assumed 0.640 or 0.638 or 41/64" or 16.25MM) Weight 9.625lbs Height ~15"
Dimensions are hard to take due to wire distortion/helix so I've provided a range of measurements and assumed nominal dimensions.
There is a slight height disparity that I didn't catch before due to the surface the springs were resting on. It's may be due to sag, tolerance, or design.
I was wrong before. I made the mistake of using digital calipers and assuming the springs were the same. I apologize. Vangremlin is absolutely right, the springs are side-specific. There does not seem to be any difference in shape. Unfortunately I've had mine out for a while and I can't say for sure which spring goes to which side. I would assume the thicker spring is the passenger side due to the engine offset.
Evenprime there's no reason a good spring shop can't remake them. I'd take them in and at least see what they say
Edit 12/21/24: Added additional nominal sizing and corrected spring lengths. 0.656 and 0.638 match known wire diameters used by AMC and GM. Spring 1 appears to match #3140 Espo spring specs.
Quote from: Ludworks on December 20, 2024, 02:29:12 PM
Spring 1 appears to match #3140 Espo spring specs.
I tried to search online for Espo #3140 and couldn't find anything. Do you have a catalog? I dont even see a website unless its springsnthings now but even that site, I cannot search it.
Any idea if it would work on both?
The issue I have is I really do not want to take mine out and then send them in for a company to remake. Id much-much rather have a set ready to go
The car is near complete but the front suspension needs a rebuild, if I have the springs, Im thinking of just taking it all to a shop and say have at er!
Thank you
Evenprime, try searching for "Moog" 3140 springs, seems to be a few websites that have them.
I don't see any reason why you couldn't use those springs for both sides. The car might sit slightly lopsided, but I doubt you'd be able to tell. Seems like they're mostly sold in pairs anyways. If it does turn out uneven I'd shim the top of the low spring with a thick piece of rubber, 1/8" or whatever is needed. Also keep in mind that my Eagle is an '85 wagon 258 5-speed w/ AC, so your stock springs might be slightly different on both sides, or just one. Either way the 3140 is close enough it probably won't really matter.
Also check out the information Captspillane posted back in 2014 here, it's very helpful and confirms some of my measurements: https://forums.amceaglesden.com/index.php?topic=36839.105
Here's some part interchange numbers I found from a website supposedly for the 3140 springs:
ACDelco:45H0089
American Motors:3197429
American Motors:3197430
American Motors:3222476
American Motors:3222477
American Motors:J3197429
American Motors:J3197430
American Motors:J3222476
American Motors:J3222477
AutoZone:DG5851089
AutoZone:FCS3140S
Centric Parts:630.56002
Chrysler:3197429
Chrysler:3197430
Chrysler:3222476
Chrysler:3222477
Duralast:FCS3140S
Mcquay-Norris:FCS3140S
Mevotech:SMS3140
Monroe Shocks & Struts:U3140PNAPA
Chassis Parts:277-3023
NAPA Chassis Parts:277-3188
Perfect Circle:277-3023
Raybestos Brakes:585-1089
Roadmates:110454
Sealed Power:831-3140TRW
Steering and Suspension Parts:CS3140
Quote from: Evenprime on December 29, 2024, 06:08:12 PM
I tried to search online for Espo #3140 and couldn't find anything. Do you have a catalog? I dont even see a website unless its springsnthings now but even that site, I cannot search it.
I've had good luck emailing springsnthings. They are pretty responsive and knowledgeable, and will let you know if they don't have anything that fits. Good luck!