Rear sits to high with new spring
#1
Pro
Thread Starter
Rear sits to high with new spring
I just installed a TRW composite spring. The rear now sits around 31" to wheel well lip. My '75 is around 28". The bolts are at the lowest adjustment. Any ideas?
#3
Drifting
I am not sure why this topic has come up so much. My only guess is that we are not getting our springs from Chevrolet and specifications vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
As to what to do about your rear of your car being to high and how to lower it, set you “D height”. I purchased 10 inch bolts, set my D height and then cut the excess bolt with a dremel.
Here are a couple of links to help:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...de-height.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...-car-look.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...-back-end.html
Hope this helps.
As to what to do about your rear of your car being to high and how to lower it, set you “D height”. I purchased 10 inch bolts, set my D height and then cut the excess bolt with a dremel.
Here are a couple of links to help:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...de-height.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...-car-look.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...-back-end.html
Hope this helps.
#4
Instructor
The car will settle some. I rolled mine back and forth a few times and it settled almost an inch. Took it for a 25 mile ride and it settled almost another inch - ow withing a 1/4 inch or its original height. Might give that a try before purchasing longer bolts.
#5
Team Owner
I installed 1" longer bolts and the rear dropped almost 2".
#6
Melting Slicks
1. Roll your car back and forth, push down on the rear of the car.
2. Did you tighten the 4 bolts on spring retainer while the car was up in the air?
3. Install 8 inch bolts.
2. Did you tighten the 4 bolts on spring retainer while the car was up in the air?
3. Install 8 inch bolts.
#8
Race Director
Member Since: Apr 2011
Location: North of Toronto - Ontario
Posts: 10,858
Received 3,139 Likes
on
2,070 Posts
#10
Race Director
Member Since: Apr 2011
Location: North of Toronto - Ontario
Posts: 10,858
Received 3,139 Likes
on
2,070 Posts
I believe the problem of tightening them unloaded is the torque on the bolts is being used to pull the spring flat to the diff rather as opposed to when it's loaded the weight of the car is pushing it flat and the bolt torque is fully applied to tightening the spring
Exaggerated heavily, if the spring is unloaded and the bolt torqued down and it didn't quite pull the spring flat, when the car weight went on and flattened the spring the rest of the way, the bolts would actually be loose.
In theory this could affect the ride height, but I wouldn't think it would be much if anything.
Mooser
Exaggerated heavily, if the spring is unloaded and the bolt torqued down and it didn't quite pull the spring flat, when the car weight went on and flattened the spring the rest of the way, the bolts would actually be loose.
In theory this could affect the ride height, but I wouldn't think it would be much if anything.
Mooser
#13
Safety Car
other then weight reduction, all these threads of guys having to wrestle their rear end back down to previous levels, these springs just don't seem to be worth the hassle?
#14
Safety Car
I wouldn't buy one along time ago because of this.
No one needs a car to sit that high so why does the company keep making them that way?
You shouldn't have to add longer bolts to drop it down, instead they should be used to raise the rear end up like other cars and their air shocks do.
No one needs a car to sit that high so why does the company keep making them that way?
You shouldn't have to add longer bolts to drop it down, instead they should be used to raise the rear end up like other cars and their air shocks do.
#16
Team Owner
The springs with higher spring rates should be formed a little flatter, since they won't compress as much under the same vehicle weight. I'm not sure all manufacturers take that into account. Most folks, using their C3 for normal street use, should not select the high spring rate monosprings.
Last edited by 7T1vette; 11-18-2012 at 04:46 PM.
#18
Safety Car
i can understand there being problems if you've removed a lot of the steel from rear bumper and thus lightened the original intended load, and/or gas tank mods to lighten as well. but that wasn't the case here. problem is too, cuzz mine went up quite a bit when I lightened the rear(much of rear bumper steel, 5mph shocks and entire spare tire assembly), is it throws the handling way off. when I got mine back down, it handled more like a sports car again, didn't feel like rear end wanted to fly out from behind me on hard turns
Last edited by Doug1; 11-18-2012 at 05:27 PM.
#20
Instructor