I don't think they can, Pete. They are under some huge friction loads. Once you place them, that's where they are going to live. They contact a rubber pad on the top and the friction is very high.

Did you measure the height immediatlt after lowering the jack...or did you move the car back and forth to let it settle...why? off the ground the track will be narrower than it will loaded..it will bee restricted from settleing by the tires inablilty to slide outwards to meet equi;librium....thats the nature of a independent rear suspension...or the front one too.....straight off the jack is not an accurate measurement.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Ok, that explains the increased height when it came off the jack. I did not move it back or forth, whatsoever, in the three days that it was sitting there.

So, the measurement off the jack, 27.25", is not relevant.

Thanks for the clarification.

Easy mistake to make when you are excited about something after doing the work.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

"Excited" was an understatement.

This vehicle looked fantastic after the new springs were installed. I was even thinking about 16" wheels because the wheel wells, in the rear, were so large at 27.25"

"unless there is a physical stop" -- Leathermang

"The lower spring perch has a slight shape to it. The very end of the last coil is designed to rest against a small stop in a bit of a depression." --Brian

Ok,,, sorry to ask this next question... the springs have a top and bottom I think... either paint marks or closer coils or ground different...So you are sure they were installed in the correct orientation ? I know this bothers you because there are so few parts which could cause this... old blacksmiths are less bothered by this sort of stuff than Trained Engineers ...
I suggest you get the micrometer out for the spring wire size... remember the pages of specs posted when someone wanted to lower their car ?

Yes, Greg, the springs have a top and a bottom. The top is ground so that the spring is flat on the top and can sit flat against the rubber pad. The bottom is unground and the coil simply stops at the last turn.

And, yes, I am sure that they were installed in the correct orientation. Old engineers don't make errors of this magnitude.

The wire size per the specification is 16.9 mm. I might be able to get a micrometer in there between the coils to check it. The height of the spring is 376.5 per the spec. I measured within 1 mm of this value, with very crude measuring equipment.

I agree with Pete also...unless there is a physical stop keeping the end of a spring from moving it is certainly possible for them to rotate.... they are just using the ramp model of trying to escape their load... and they will follow ' down hill' if they can... this is particularly true with the constant aggravation of movement which a suspension experiences.
But you need to measure the spring wire size...

"....straight off the jack is not an accurate measurement."

Thus the reason for having to move the car forward to measure and set the toe in accurately...tires can hold a lot of kenetic potential...from getting to the suspension...

Exactly ...Alignment racks have the pads the wheels set on able to move on bearings to eliminate this.......something your driveway doesn't.

Take a look how high your car sits in front when you take it off the jack, until you move it....the rear end does the same unless you don't have an IRS rear end.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

The lower spring perch has a slight shape to it. The very end of the last coil is designed to rest against a small stop in a bit of a depression. For the spring to rotate, it would have to rotate "uphill". This is not likely. If it did happen, the ride height would increase.

I'll probably put it up on a jack and take a look around, but, I'm not optimistic about it.

Oh, I know the friction is very high, but so is the vector seeking rotation, and I think that rubber is more resistant to compression than torsion. That's the only thing that comes to (small) mind here .

__________________
'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.