steel leaf spring
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 280
Likes: 1
From: cleveland Ohio
steel leaf spring
i did the search,found that steel leaf springs are getting hard to find.its sunday so i couldnt call the venders. i will on monday.i have a 68 327 4 speed,300 hp.,havent actualy counted the leaves yet,7 or 9,really dont want to go with composite,price and orriganility is where im at.anyone recently buy a steel spring,and like the ride heighth.reason for this,owned the car for 5 months,noticed it sat a bit low in rear,with a full tank i can see about an inch between top of tire and outer wheel well,or the body,plus it really jumps or is unstable over mild bumps in the road.vbp or van steel,or willcox,speed direct,etc. availability,,is it an issue. thank you all,,ill be back,,,,,tom...ps,it might take awhile.
what,,i need shocks too?
what,,i need shocks too?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,123
Likes: 433
From: Gladstone MO
C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
Depending on where you live, there is very possibly a spring rebuilder. If you're looking to stay with a steel spring, the vendors have them too. There used to be 3 or 4 spring shops in Kansas City, but they're down to 1 I know of now. It's like finding a good old-time mechanic- they're either retiring or dying off. And in the world of spring shops, nobody wants to (a) work that hard, or (b) learn enough about metallurgy to be able to heat treat them properly to get the right spring rate. I think (a) is really the correct answer. It's some really heavy work- most of the business is big truck springs.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 227
Likes: 6
From: Northern Ohio
Almost all new steel leaf springs are being manufactured in Malaysia or India. I personally wouldn't trust them to be durable over the years. I believe Duntov Motors was selling American made reproductions with the curled leaves. I was able to find a old stock Canadian made spring last year at Carlisle for $150 and it seems to be working great. You should change your shocks at the same time too. Its cheap, easy, and will extend the life of your new spring.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,727
Likes: 38
From: Fremont CA
Eaton spring in Detroit can fix you right up with the best steel springs out there. You 327 SB 68 had a 9leaf spring stock but, the 7leaf F-41 spring is what I use on my LT-1 cars, you would need to balance it with 480 in/lb or 550 in/lb front springs for proper handling. Mike Eaton could help you out with proper front/rear spings for your Vette.
Link: http://eatonsprings.com/
Link: http://eatonsprings.com/
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 280
Likes: 1
From: cleveland Ohio
well i just got off the phone with eaton,225.oo,9 leaf plus 33.oo shipping,,,duntov had a message,,,didnt leave one. also eaton has front springs for 159.95,,,,ill go with eaton,,again this forum is beautiful,thank you all
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 280
Likes: 1
From: cleveland Ohio
a hair shorter to keep the rear wheels in check? sounds reasonable. but after doing more searches im starting to wonder if my bouncing buggy rear end is only in need of some desent shocks,,,how do i know if my leaf spring is worn out,,,,,put on shocks first? and see.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,112
Likes: 28
From: Florida
a hair shorter to keep the rear wheels in check? sounds reasonable. but after doing more searches im starting to wonder if my bouncing buggy rear end is only in need of some desent shocks,,,how do i know if my leaf spring is worn out,,,,,put on shocks first? and see.
Bouncing is a sign of bad shocks.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 280
Likes: 1
From: cleveland Ohio
i ordered a nine leaf from eaton spring a few days ago,i probably wont get the bilsteins,too pricy.are monroe sencatrac gas any good 30.00 each or kyb 30.00 each or gabrial gas 26.00 each or sachs 27.00 each,,,thank you all very much,,,tom
