C3 Dropped Spindles
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Sep 2005
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C3 Dropped Spindles
I am in the process of building a replicar on a C3 Vette chassis and need to lower the front end. Does anyone know if there are Dropped Spindles available for the C3? If so, what is the source if known. Thanks,
Ron
Ron
Melting Slicks
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From: pr, frederick md.
it is my belief that gm used BB springs in the later c-3's just to get rid of them. my 78 sat up so high in the front i could stick two clinched fists, one on top the other, between my tire and the fender lip. i have seen MANY later c-3's with this same problem. that being said, i have searched every cataloug and company i could get a web address or a phone # for, and have found no drop spindles for a c-3 anywhere. i installed 550 lb. springs which lowered the car 1" to 1 1/2", but still had to cut coils out of those to achieve the ride hieght i wanted
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
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Originally Posted by rtaylor1234
Thanks for the reply. What are the sources for 550# springs? It looks to me like about 1.5" drop should pretty much accomplish what I want.
Thanks,
Ron
Thanks,
Ron
You can get them from many different sources, I'd go to Van Steel, since their CS is top notch.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 7,562
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From: B'Ville NY
Cruise-In III Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05
Our very talented Norval made his own, many of the rest of us go with softer front coil springs or even the transverse fiberglass leafspring in the front.
Check out either of these suppliers for more info:
http://www.vansteel.com/
http://www.vbandp.com
BTW, what's the replicar you're building on a C3 chassis? For your info, the chassis is similar from 1963-1978 Corvette.
Check out either of these suppliers for more info:
http://www.vansteel.com/
http://www.vbandp.com
BTW, what's the replicar you're building on a C3 chassis? For your info, the chassis is similar from 1963-1978 Corvette.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 1,616
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From: Round Rock, Texas, USA Texas
I thought I read somewhere that the mono-leaf front spring conversions can be lowered. Kinda pricey just to get the front end down, but at least you won't have to be removing cutting replacing removing cutting replacing front coil springs.
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pics please
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Beverly Massachusetts
Originally Posted by rrent
I thought I read somewhere that the mono-leaf front spring conversions can be lowered. Kinda pricey just to get the front end down, but at least you won't have to be removing cutting replacing removing cutting replacing front coil springs.
Race Director
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Crockett's Daytona Spyder was actually a look-alike replica, built using a 1980 Corvette chassis with Ferrari-designed body panels and real Ferrari hardware inside. According to Popular Mechanics, the original replica was "spotted on a lot in Newport Beach by the show's producer."[7] Motor Trend magazine, however, claims the two show cars were bought at an auction. Al Mardikian, an auto importer had the two replicas built by Tom McBurnie, but he found himself in legal trouble and the two cars were confiscated by the Feds.[8] The producers in turn purchased the cars from the government.
Race Director
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From: Calif.
Originally Posted by rtaylor1234
I am in the process of building a replicar on a C3 Vette chassis and need to lower the front end. Does anyone know if there are Dropped Spindles available for the C3? If so, what is the source if known. Thanks,
Ron
Ron
This might be a kind of roundabout way to go, but here it is for consideration. Get the Hollander Interchange Manual for '65-'82 'Vettes and check out the suspension components. Some 'Vettes have interchangeable spindles with other Chevys from different years. I looked this up for you:
'65-'67
One-off, no interchange.
'68 Corvette
"Chevy Pass. '67 disc brake; Chevy Pass. '68 disc brake, power."
'69-'82 Corvette
"Chevy Pass. '68 disc brake, manual; Chevy Pass. '69-'70 disc brake."
Contact a vendor who makes dropped spindles for the Chevy that interchanges and see what's available.
It may help to visit a scrap yard and pull a set of spindles from a junked donor car and compare them side-by-side with your 'Vette units just to be absolutely sure.
Don't know whether it's practical, but that's an option for you, anyhow, if you want to do the leg work and research. If you DO find an interchange and convince yourself that it will, in fact, work, my suggestion would be to omit the word "Corvette" when you're talking spindles with vendors. Tell them instead you want them for your '69 Caprice or whatever. Otherwise I'm sure they'll swear up and down they won't fit Corvettes.
Last edited by The Dude; Sep 24, 2005 at 02:16 AM.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Sep 2005
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Dropped Spindles
Regarding request for pics -- Don't have any at the moment, but will take some and post shortly. Looks very much like the pics posted by Twin Turbo except in a dark blue with shale interior. Still a work in progress, however - witness the need to solve the front end problem.
Pics to follow.
Ron
Pics to follow.
Ron
Race Director
Joined: Mar 1999
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From: Calif.
Originally Posted by rtaylor1234
Hey, that is a great suggestion! Thanks for doing the research. I will follow up and see what I can find out there.
Thanks a bunch!
Ron
Thanks a bunch!
Ron
Let us all know whether it works out. I formulated that idea a couple of years ago but never followed up on it.
Race Director
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I'm pretty sure the impala spindles are either exactly the same or very close to ours. I talked to coleman racing a long time ago about the impala spindles and from what I remember there only was a bit of difference in the inner wheel bearing so you could probably have some machined for the proper sizes, there are aftermarket impala spindles available w/ altered snout heights.