American Clipper Owners Club

General Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Horst on April 08, 2010, 11:31:40 AM

Title: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: Horst on April 08, 2010, 11:31:40 AM
I have a favor to ask of any 440 Clipper owners.

Could you please tell me what the GVW rating is of your rig? It is on the VIN plate located by the driver's side entry (gotta open the door to read it)

My 75, 360 clipper is GVW is 9000lbs, and the diameter of my front coil springs is 1 inch?

What is the diameter of the coil springs on your 440s?
(It will either be 1 inch, or  1 and 1/4 inch)

I'm getting ready to order those coil spring stabilizers, and need to clarify a few bits with Raybestos and JC Whitney before I do.
Thanks
H.

Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: Hank Jourdin on April 08, 2010, 05:40:01 PM
Hello Horst, I have a 78  clipper the gvw is 9000 , the spring diameter is .890 which is 57/64 > What ya building? Hank out
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: Horst on April 08, 2010, 06:23:59 PM
OK - so I'll take that as 1 inch.
I'm going to be ordering these

http://www.jcwhitney.com/professional-grade-coil-spring-stabilizer/p2023252.jcwx?skuId=824932

Spent 20 minutes chatting (online) to a JC Whitney tech who said they sell these quite often - and that for the money - they do a great job in helping stiffen up and support tired springs - so I'm going to give them a shot. No special tools required - just snap them in there.

I'll report the results later in the summer when I've logged some miles with these puppies.
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: Hank Jourdin on April 09, 2010, 09:35:00 AM
Hey Horst, We use to use these  back when I was a kid to raise the front end up , The only thing is that some times when you would hit a good bump one might pop out. Didn't happen very often ,but it happened. Good luck with it, oh and mine is a 44o motor. Hank out!
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: Horst on April 09, 2010, 01:05:30 PM
Hank
You used the ones I linked to above?
Did they help in stiffening up the spring a bit?

One of my customers (hardcore rv guy) said I'm wasting my time - he says they won't help one bit....so now I'm sort of bummed out - but I'm going to get them anyway - it's not like I'm spending a lot.

It seems like they will help in preventing the spring from "bottoming out" - we'll see.
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: Hank Jourdin on April 09, 2010, 07:35:34 PM
Hi Horst, All those spring spacers do is spread the spring apart and lengthens the spring making them stiffer. Those type look like they should stay in the spring. The old type just rolled in as you twisted them to get them in the spring, and they could pop out if you hit a good bump. They will stiffin up the ride a little bit though. Like you said were not talkin breakin the bank, go for it    Hank Out!
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: prophetdaniel2 on April 09, 2010, 10:40:30 PM
Horst,
     how many do you/ are you buying? they look interesting to me, might have to try them meself.
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: Horst on April 10, 2010, 06:41:26 AM
Daniel
I haven't yet decided how many to buy - they come four pieces to a set -  (2 per coil I suppose is the thinking there.)
Now the JC Whitney tech said one can put more than two on per coil - I'm not sure what I'm going to do - but I think I'm going to order two sets (8 pieces) - I might put three or four on my left one and two on my right - I'm going to experiment.
Also - I'll be reading the instructions, etc.
However, I looked at my coils - there aren't many "spots" to insert these suckers - so I may in fact end up just be able to put in 2 on each coil.

Hank - they (Raybestos) still make that old type - the round disc shaped one - but it seems like the ones above might work better for my needs.

By the way - the Raybestos web site STINKS. They make you pay $1.75 PER MINUTE!!!!! to talk to a Technical support Rep - they can kiss my a$$!! (I didn't talk to a Raybestos rep of course - spent my time with the JC Whitney rep -  still - Raybestos needs to offer some free advice for their product...........almost made me mad enough not to buy their stuff  - and if there was a similar product out there - believe me - I'd not give Raybestos my money!)
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: Horst on April 10, 2010, 10:44:52 AM
Well I just ordered those stabilizers - 2 sets (8 pieces) - under $19 delivered - should be here by the end of the month.
If they don't work - not the end of the world.
If they help even a little bit - woohoo! - hopefully I'll have them installed for our Big Sur trip - then I can give a report on how they did.
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: John Eversoll on April 11, 2010, 01:45:44 AM


        Hi there Horst, MY bIggest problem is Breaking Springs...

        and it is only on the drivers side front. Thanks, John
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: John Eversoll on April 12, 2010, 11:44:14 PM
Hey there ro, I just got in from checking the weight

Check this one out   "10200 gvw"

John
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: Horst on April 13, 2010, 12:07:46 PM
that's what I thought  - that the "later" model 440s were `10,000+ lbs GVW
I'll bet your spring diameter is 1.25 inches too...............
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: John Eversoll on April 14, 2010, 03:01:31 AM

OK, now I have a situation....

Here goes New coil, New dist cap,New ballast resister,

Here is the problem-----  NO spark"  Cranks like crazy but will not fire.

Got any ideas

Thanks for your help,  John
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: cpcarroll on April 14, 2010, 04:51:48 AM
John
How about the ECU have had them just stop working or a bad plug to the ECU.

Good Luck
Chuck
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: Horst on April 14, 2010, 07:34:32 PM
Man, what a bummer - electrical dunce here (as you know) - but could be a lot of things.
You have no spark going to the dist. cap?
Or no spark coming out of the cap?
Check all grounds - and re-check your new ballast resistor (I have seen cracked new ones)

As noted ECU could be a problem (always good to carry a spare one of those puppies anyways)

I forgot - do our Clippers have a crank sensor?? Anyone know? That's a long shot - but has caused problems for a friend of mine's Dodge  before.
Maybe some sort of "relay"? switch.
might not hurt to do little googling - you might get lucky
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: John Eversoll on April 14, 2010, 10:26:54 PM
Hi bro, yea, I am searching for bad grounds and bad connections..

I did install a new modual,plus  a new ballast resistor.even a new coil.

I am going to check and see if the the new wires to the coil are the fault.

Well, thanks for the help..  John
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: John Eversoll on April 15, 2010, 10:56:23 PM
Well, I have narrowed it down to a bad distributor...Or a bad pick up on the distributor....
Everything else has been replaced.....Sigh
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: prophetdaniel2 on April 16, 2010, 10:31:12 PM
ug :( been there, keep yer chin up John. youll work it out.
Title: Re: 360 versus 440 GVW......front coil spring diameters?
Post by: John Eversoll on April 16, 2010, 10:41:28 PM

O M G , that is alllllll I can do..  Hell I have recharged my batt three times just trying to start the old girl.

But now tht I have eliminated everything else..... I will just replace the distributor.

That has got to be the culpret...  I went as far as to tuch the coil wire to my right arm

while cranking the motor...Expecting the worse"  and was releived when the zapper never happened.!!!!!!
I will find something else to play with till my check comes in.

Take care!!!!  John