Triumph Repair: triumph 1500 front coil springs, triumph 1500, spring length

Question
I purchased new uprated front coil springs for my 1978 spitfire. The selling point was that they are 1" shorter than the standard springs. The new ones measure 9.5" but the ones I removed are 13.25" not what I expected. Is the 9.5" length correct? Also, when I extend the shock it easily extends beyond the length of the spring and can be reassembled without the spring compressor. This also seems off. I purchased the springs from PB northwest and assume they are correct. Any suggestions on assembly? does this sound correct?

Answer
Hi Dan,

Uninstalled spring length is only useful when comparing it with another of the same brand. In some cases a longer uninstalled length spring may or may not hold the car higher or not depending on the number of coils in the spring and the diameter of the wire. When a manufacture advertises that their springs are 1" shorter you need to ask them if they are talking about ride height or uninstalled length. By just comparing free length, you can't count on that relating to ride height.
The 78 to 80 Spitfire has a ground clearance of 4.4" so other then for racing I would think that is low enough for street use. A 1" shorter free length spring that has less coils and stronger wire could result in a higher ground clearance so you need to ask the supplier what they are talking about.

Howard