nuolitie

Hi guys, what are your experiences on 550lbs front springs does the ride get too hard on the streets compared to stock springs.
Of cource it also depends on if you have changed other components at the same time. :steering:
http://www.geocities.com/vesariihimaki/mypage

nuolitie

I have all iron BB, but do really appreciate all BB and SB guys input/comments!!! :nopity

LiveandLetDrive

I have them, and I like the ride. It's not very harsh at all, I believe the rear spring is supposed to make the biggest difference in ride quality actually. Assuming you don't want a very very soft ride, I'd go with either the 460s or 550s. With the 460s you have more room to cut them to your ride height.

-Chris

Ganey

Have them stock w/ FE-7. Would add FE-7 to a BB immediately. The all iron BB will be at a disadvantage compared to a SB in handling. Definite firm performance, not too hard. Great for performance.

:cool:

nuolitie

Hi Ganey, FE-7 is news to me (novice), what does that mean - what company sells that - is there website where I could get more info on that?

:smash:

Ganey

FE-7 is the high performance suspension, also called gymkhana. Start w/ my website, some info. on 77 Facts.

verskel

BB here too....... :nopity ....the ride is a little on the stiff side but according to Zora (in the sixties) you can't have a great handling sportscar without the harsh ride. :yesnod:

So what exactly comes with the F41 suspension ?!? :confused:

LiveandLetDrive

Norval would say otherwise ;) but getting a great handling car with soft springs is harder (more modification) but ultimately better, and comfortable too.

Ganey's website probably says this, but F41 included stiffer swaybars (or addition of a rear swaybar) and stiffer springs. (550lb/7leaf f/r) I think swaybars differed by year.

aharte

I see people say that on this forum a lot, but its not true unless you have a very restrictive view of what "handling" is. Soft springs are good for skidpad numbers and a car that is easy to control at the limit, but it won't be possible to make any sudden direction changes. A stiff spring will settle down to a steady-state more quickly than a soft one. Put another way, you can easily set the car into a resonance (bad) by turning the wheel too quickly or going through a slalom. A stiffly sprung car will have higher limits to these types of things. If you try to go autocross with soft springs, you'll see what I mean. The car would get hopelessly out of shape in a slalom for instance. Everything is a compromise.

verskel

Can anyone explain why in 1968 there are only 1,758 cars listed with the F41 suspension and over 13,000 Big blocks produced ???

I've always thought that all Big Block cars had the 7-leaf rear spring and the rear swaybar. :confused:

LiveandLetDrive

Last fall, I did my first 180 because of this :D I always thought that was true, you get alot of dive and squat with soft springs, and of course stiff swaybars are needed to control roll. Also, the way I drive, my rear end currently bottoms out often with soft springs. Norval is going for a different sort of handling than that, he likes highspeed cruising, and is willing to neglect the corners a bit (or at least that's how I understood him)

-Chris

Wrencher

I have the F-41 setup stock on mine. It's a bit much on the crummy city streets and freeways we have, but on a good two lane it's da bomb! I like it a lot.

Hans

flynhi

I wouldn't go above the VB 460s for street use. You might also be happy with OE spring rate and a bit alrger anti sway bar.

Solid LT1

I have the F-41 package on my 72 LT-1 350, the shocks will have more influence on ride quality than the spring rates (I don't mind the ride but I am performance orieneted.) Bilstein make about the best shocks for the Vette. The early F-41 springs will give you around a 27.5" ride height to the front wheel well opening while the later FE-7 springs are the same rate, they are taller than the early springs. Check my profile for a picture of the LT-1 and ride height.

Barry's70LT1

I have F-41 (front & rear), and agree that it's the shocks, not the springs that give the harsh ride.

nuolitie

So do you see any problems for me if I choose stiff sway bars (front 1 1/8 rear 3/4), front 550lbs springs, but keep the existing softer shocks and original 9 leaf soft rear spring :auto:

aharte

The soft shocks will probably cause your car to bounce all over the road with that much spring. Having completely unmatched front and rear springs is also a bad thing. Do everything together if you want it to handle properly.

Barry's70LT1

With todays advances in shock technology, you can select a shock that will control the bounce and give a good ride. In the late '60s and early '70s, you could only get soft or firm shocks.
Not much room to tune your suspension.

I originally had the F-41 shocks on and it would nearly shake out your teeth.

Shocks like the Monroe® Sensa-Trac®, or others like them will give a good ride, and control the bounce.

I'm no suspension expert, however, the combination of the 550 lb fronts with the 9 leaf rear could cause problems. However, the rear sway bar may be enough.

I prefer the 7 leaf F-41 rear spring for one reason, and that is the elimination of severe "squat" under heavy accelleration. If you are making good horsepower and can stick the tires, then the 9 leaf will go down.
This causes a severe camber change, and most of the time will cause the tires to break loose.
Not so bad with radial tires.
Prior to radials, it was a real problem.
I would be carefull in selecting what sway bars to use.

Stiff springs and large sway bars are not always the answer.
Barry

nuolitie

quote:
-----
Can anyone explain why in 1968 there are only 1,758 cars listed with the F41 suspension and over 13,000 Big blocks produced ???

I've always thought that all Big Block cars had the 7-leaf rear spring and the rear swaybar.
-----
My knowledge is that big block cars did also have 9 leaf as stock, you had to order F41 or dwas it called HD suspension package to get 7leaf and F41/Gymkhana included much more. Maybe some like L-88/ZL-1 had no option to leave out F41 :hat


[Modified by nuolitie, 7:50 AM 3/12/2004]

nuolitie

OK thanks for input so far! I decided to stay on stock front and rear (9leaf) springs and stock shocks, but replace the existing 3/4" front bar with 1 1/8 bar and put a 3/4 rear bar in (currently none).

Efter having experince on the ride and handling I might consider next steps: 460/9-leaf or 550/7-lear or 550/composite spring + matching shocks.

By the way does anyboby understand why all stores (Ecklers, MidAmerican, ZIP, Van Steel...) suggest a package where you get 1 1/8 + 3/4 bars, better shocks and 550lbs front springs with 360lbs composite rear spring ? Reason to ask is that GM original HD/F41/Gymkhana package means 550lbs front springs but 7-leaf rear spring which at least to my knowledge is rated at 300 lbs not 360??? :cheers: