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front spring numbers - left & right?

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billd View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/27/2018 at 9:12am
It sort of bothers me that Dennis found the opposite for the other cars.......... is one a mistake and the other correct? Or was there some other reason? 
The AC compressor was always on the "right" side for US cars, is that not correct?
I am trying but can't recall any of the cars I've ever had with AC on the left side be it a 6 or an 8.
PS pump would be on the side with the steering sector.
Thinking further, ok, car will always have a driver but not always have a right-side passenger, so that should offset the AC on the right.
Of three accessories, PS, AC, ALT, the PS pump is the lightest, but the steering sector should offset the AC and ALT combined weight and add to the driver.
So that leaves driver - I would expect that over 50% of the time the most weight would be on the left due to people like me driving it. Add 200 pounds to driver side.
Steering box offsets AC and ALT on the opposite side (US cars)
The differential is unspring weight so the carrier being closer to one side than the other doesn't count a gnat's knee.
I'd go by his book as far as those numbers...... and was fine until he said "but on these cars switch that around" and now I'm not so sure I trust those numbers!!!!
Maybe someone has a different book? Some books were kept up well at the dealership and others, like mine, are missing things, updates were not applied, tabs are missing or in the WRONG places (in one of my books the electric stuff was spread across two DIFFERENT tabs! Idiots sometimes kept the books and often did a ratty job. I have a book that is 67 through 69 only and find the numbers in some places are different than the book I have that goes through 72 so it's hard to know for sure if a book is missing an update or CORRECTION page.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lyle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/27/2018 at 1:33pm
OK, I found my old parts books but had to cross reference to get some numbers and models - this is not easily followed but:
3197448 states 1970 Series 10 Heavy I6, Series 30 (light WAC), 1971 Series 10, 80 Right (LHD-Six-Heavy)

3197449 states 1970 up Series 70 (V8 heavy), 1972 Series 10, 80 Right (Six-Heavy), 1971 Series 10 (LHD-Six-Heavy)

There may be more but there is 10 pages and scattered years, applications. 1971 seems particularly confusing on how this parts book works for front springs.
Should note this only goes to 1973 but 1972 and 1973 are the same per this book as far as I can determine. It's a 1967 to 1973 Dealer Parts Catalog used with a Mitchel parts catalog to cross reference and get the Series numbers.


Edited by Lyle - Feb/27/2018 at 1:54pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/27/2018 at 2:38pm
The problem with cross-reference books is that they won't follow factory exactly if there's a left and a right they often show the same for both sides. This is clearly not the case.
There is a left and a right for 73. Dennis showed that with his book - however the confusion comes in when another series car does the opposite, swaps left sand right.
So the cross reference books are doing some of what the factory did at times - if you replace a part, use the same for both sides. 
These are original and there's a difference.....a left and a right. It's not a matter of having a pair of each. My pair is factory and one of each. 
I am hoping to totally avoid cross-reference mentions from other sources since they change things and I have several examples of that with other parts.
I have some other books I'll try to look into shortly - since Dennis showed a left and a right, and I have a pair made of of the two different numbers, the factory obviously used two different springs in the same car for a reason in 1973.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lyle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/27/2018 at 3:40pm
The Mitchel was just to determine the Series number and nothing else.

1973 Font Springs Catalog Section 11-072 Series 70

Six Left Light LAC 3197427

Six Right Light LAC 3197428

Six Left Heavy WAC 3197448

Six Right Heavy WAC 3197445

304 Light LAC 2x 3197430

304 Light WAC 2x 3197431

360 & 401 Light LAC 2x 3197431

360 & 401 Light WAC 2x 3197432


V8 Heavy 2x 3197449

I didn't think they put a six into a Javelin in 73 but they did for the VAM.


Edited by Lyle - Feb/27/2018 at 3:44pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lyle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/27/2018 at 4:26pm
My technical take on this is the following:
- The air conditioning compressor and condenser add significant weight to the right side on the lighter six.
- The air conditioning is overhung from the front suspension so has much more suspension effect.
- The engine is right 1.5" and with the battery this may be why the driver sitting between front and rear has little suspension effect.
- The added weight of the air conditioning has very little effect on balance with the heavier V8.
- AMC in previous years in this parts catalog put Heavy Six springs in V8 cars, so if they needed to use up parts they would likely put a Heavy Six in were they could. Not like they never did that before. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/27/2018 at 5:36pm
My book for 73 up shows the 48 number, doesn't get real specific and doesn't say what side, and simply says use the 49 number.
Prior to that, my books show only the 48 number and don't really specify anything that makes sense other than is says the 48 is the HD for the six. It doesn't list anything that makes real sense. My TRW spring book shows the same number for almost all AMCs save for pacer, matador, etc. and it is different than what AMC books say. 

The AC condenser is centered in the front - the receiver/dryer is on the left (at least my cars with a six) so the condenser and lines should make no difference - aluminum. Compressor, yes, heavy on the right side. But the steering box is heavier and it's on the left about the same distance forward as the AC compressor. 

Now what I can't find is - which spring is the heavier spring? AMC books I have don't really give a clue and for everything that lists the 48 it later shows in the 73 book to use the 49 spring but Dennis shows a difference on the side used. 

Starters and batteries changed sides with the later cars........ so that confuses things a bit too. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lyle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/28/2018 at 6:39am
My book doesn't have spring loads either so cannot help there.
It does have many different springs for example Hornets, that's why the Mitchel book. The reference was to 2, 4 and 5 door body styles and then light and heavy on top of that.
I don't have another book that has all the body styles.
All the 2, 4 door, I6 , V8 models seem to list different springs or springs shared between models.
Also the V8 Heavy 3197449 has an * that states "Not for Police".
There is a Police listing for 71 but it does not state "71 and up".
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