I just pulled the original front springs on my 82 trans am and now im ready to replace them with the new hotchkis springs. Only thing I don't get is how the new springs are suppose to seat... The original springs are larger in diameter than the hotchkis springs. I bought the springs off of ebay so I didn't get any instructions or anything. Am I missing some mounts or something?

 

Springs should be the same outer diameter. If not, you probably got the wrong ones. How much different in diameter are they?

 

As lo-tec said, you may have the wrong ones because I am using the hotchkis springs that were made specifically for thirdgens and it was a 100% drop it in the a-arm process. You might have gotten one for like a musclecar or something because hotchkis makes a lot of chevy applications.

 

They are at least an in smaller in diameter. They look like they were made to fit over a shock like a coil over setup. The strange thing is tho that the part number on the springs is 1903F which according to hotckis' website is for 1982-1992 Firebirds/Camaros... I will call hotchkis and find out whats up.

 

Do you have a pic?

 

Hotchkis springs have #s printed on the coils. Post them so we can tell which springs you got. The fronts and rears should have diff numbers (or they used to). Are the rears the right size?

 

The number on the side of the front springs are 1903F.

 

I thought would reply to this thread just cause I recently ran into this problem and want people to avoid this. Hotchkis sells their coil spring set as 1903. However, although they are packaged as 1903 set, their rear springs are 1903R and front springs are 1902F, not 1903F. Slightly confusing, I know.

1903F's are for fourthgen's. I know, cause I ordered them and had the same issue.