You calling me fat?

 

Also about the cheap out comment, it wasn't meant with distain. I have been there, done that and paid the price. I did mind twice and don't want others to do the same. It was also NOT a shot at your character although you may certainly be one, I can't tell for here. I used Lesjofors (where's that umlaut?) and am happy with the result and it rides level. The whole comment was meant somewhat with tongue in cheek, apologies if misunderstood. This is the friendliest and most helpful forum EVER!
TM

 

Hey TM,
Sorry - I missed the tongue in cheek - the written word not always conveying intention
I found a couple of umlauts for you in my spares box. Here you go:

öö

There's even a Lesjöfors museum. Nothing to do with springs, mind...

 

Yup, no worries.
I wouldn't get very far with the work I'm doing now, and planning to do in the future, on this car without this forum for sure!

Did you have OEM springs before you put the Lesjofors ones in? If so, do you happen to recall the color coding on them?
Thanks!

 

A few years ago I was in the warehouse/storage area at work. Came across this crate after I had bought my springs. We don't deal in springs like these for anything. Huh!? I should have asked the boss if i could keep at lease part of that crate.
To the recent questions: My OEM springs had yellow markings, had to search in my pics, I've long scrapped them. They had 85,000 miles and were quite sacked out. The rear is fine and the car leveled out. I would have taken MUCH longer (see the inflection there, lol) without the knowledge I gleaned from this forum.
The typed word is even more difficult to understand, no inflection of the words used. TM

 

Perfect, thanks!
So the data point is that replacing yellow-striped front springs with the ones supplied by Lesjofors while keeping the rear OEM springs results in a level ride (I assume you also replaced the front shock mounts at the same time?). Since mine are red-striped both front and rear I am now convinced that I should not put in Lesjofors unless I also replace the rear and can accept an overall increase in ride height. And presumably also a somewhat "softer" handling.

BTW, I have no problem typing or pronouncing Lesjöfors correctly. Then again, I did grow up in Sweden

 

I have not done anything with the rear on my car. I don't think any PO has either. The front was completely rebuilt by me, all bushes, ball joints, shocks, top mounts etc. THEN I put the springs in. All level and rides nice. I had terrible nose dive at first purchase of my car. Much better now. TM

 

I finally found time to torque everything and get the wheels back on. Ride height is right now (not yet driven) at 395mm, same on both sides. A bit lower than the standard spec of 401mm, but possibly right in line with what you should expect with the lowered, red-striped springs prior to settlement (still haven't been able to figure out what the as-delivered ride height was with these springs).

BTW, does anybody have a good procedure for a rough DIY alignment? I will get a "real" one done at a local mechanic, but I'd like to try to get it close on my own first.
Something like this seems convenient, but I see old threads mentioning pre-loading with a spreader bar, which I don't think you can do with the tires off?

 

395mm is fine. Depending on your actual specs that may be the exact ride height specified. Handling pack for instance has a ride height of around 10mm lower than stock. Your car, if XKR, is likely not fitted with spring packer by design.
As far as alignment goes l would eyeball it with the aid of a string line for short term.

 

Ah dang, the springs won't leave me alone. I'm cleaning up the rear wheel wells in prep for a brake fluid change and realized that, after wiping down the spring coils, what had looked like red paint marks are in fact yellow.
So, to set the record straight for any future reference, I have red springs in the front and yellow in the rear.

 

Last spring/early summer 2024 I did a front end update to my 97 xk8. New Bilstien shocks, phobmans upper mount bushings, all new upper and lower control arm bushings, tie rod ends and sway bar end links as well as new hub bearings, and pressed in new upper and lower ball joints. I reused my springs which had what looked to me like orange stripe(maybe it’s red, but definitely not yellow) I never measured their length but all worked out well and front end noises are gone. Car sat a little bit higher after refresh but all my bushings and mounts were shot so I’m assuming it’s closer to where it should be. Point being reusing springs is ok, as it took a 20 ton press and some shotty rigging just to get everything apart and back together, with springs showing no physical damage.