my spring broke

[Damkid]

for a little while i've noticed my car sagging on the drivers side back corner, at first i thought the spring boosters i put in just fell out, then the other day i was working on it and noticed my spring is actually broke (i pulled a full ring out of it) anyway, i went to price out new springs and found out that they don't make them anymore

Anybody know if they are still available in the U.S. ?

The other thing i was thinking was the FMS lowering springs, but how stiff are they and much lower will the car sit? because i already have an issue with the tires rubbing the fenders (but that's with the stock worn out springs plus all the weight from my stereo)

[PaulLehr]

I have a set of stock rear springs from my parts car. If ya want them send me an offer plus shipping and there yours

[Damkid]

what kind of shape are they in? because i'm looking for either stock springs that are like new, or i may just fork out the money for the lowering springs.
I'm just thinking if i'm going to put new ones in, i might just as well do it right the first time

[PaulLehr]

Yeah there not new there just your average used springs the car has around 100K on it but it still sits right. You may just want to order new springs. They are very easy to replace

[Damkid]

any idea how much suspension travel the lowering springs have, if it's not too much i'll just get those

[bobstad]

FMS rear springs, etc.

I can say with some confidence that the FMS rear springs don't seem to lower the rear of the car significantly and are much better in terms of handling and ride than the stock springs.

I installed a set and drove around a month or two before putting in the front FMS springs also and I think I may prefer the set-up with the FMS springs on just the back since the front FMS springs are much stiffer feeling than the rear ones and so much so that on rough road this can be a real problem unless one is willing to drive really slow.(gravel or dirt, lots of potholes or where there are storm damages or the "infrastructure" is simpley going to hell, etc.)

I think the handling would suffer a little if I took off the front FMS springs, but not so much that I'd fear rolling the car in an emergency manuever like I did with the stock springs all around. With the FMS springs on the rear the wallowing and lack of directional stability I experienced with all stock springs seemed eliminated. A much improved car to drive.(I have 13" '87 Mazda 323 wheels and 155 80R-13 tires and that helps too and they fit the stock Festiva bolt pattern-the wheels cost ten dollars each)

It might be interesting to try rear FMS springs in the front too, if they'd fit reasonabley well?(if I had the time, budget and that sort of persistence, etc.)

p. s. Just a guess, but I'll bet using stock front springs on the rear might be real genius. Fronts all the way around in other words.(?) Could've saved myself lots of money and some significant work if I'd of known that.

I just looked at the old springs and struts in my garage and the front springs have a slightly larger radius from the center of the strut, but the spring seat on the bottom of the rear strut looks like it could be hammered or bent a little so they'd fit on that end though I don't know they'd fit on the top? The height of the front and the back springs are about the same.(a person might try FMS's supplier <http://www.hrsprings.com> and see if they could just give you something fitting the dimensions you give them)

[25Horseplay]

FMS springs lower the car 35mm. If you want new stock springs check with FMS, they have alot of stuff not listed on the web site.

[Damkid]

thanks, i'll have to give them a call, i've heard that they can be hard to get a hold, any idea what time of the day would be best to try calling?

[25Horseplay]

Best time to get ahold of them I have found is 3-5 pm EST.