I replaced my my spring with a composite one 330 Lb. put it back together with the 8in. bolts I had on there and now it sits about two in. higher and im at the bottom or the lowering bolts, does changing the spring raise the car up? very weird. so do they make a 10in. bolt or what is wrong?
THX

 

Go to the 10 inch, but run it for a few hundred miles first just to see if she settles. I eventually ended up installing the 10's; but had to use a cutoff wheel and take about an inch off to get the front and rear equal.

 

where did you get 10 in. bolts at?

 

Any of the vendors sell them in their C4 section online. Also, any good mechanical fastener store should be able to get them if they don't already have them in stock. Just remember to get Grade 8 bolts. You can forget the cotter pins and go with Nylock nuts instead. These bolts need to be 9/16" not 1/2". Hope that helps.

 

thx it does

 

What brand of spring is it? Common problem with a lot of them leaving the car way high. VB&P's leave a correct ride height and should have enough with an 8in bolt.

 

I was unable to find any 'standard' available bolts greater than 8" long. Anything longer was VERY expensive and had to be special ordered. Some of the Corvette parts vendors don't even sell the 8" bolts anymore.

Some spring mfgrs don't even modify the curve in the stronger springs. That's why the rears sit up so high; the stronger spring should have had more curve in it to adjust for the lower deflection with same weight in the rear.

 

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb....Z5Z5Z50000050F

If you need them.......one stop shop.

 

Cool! Corvette Central is probably the one place I did not check. Glad they have them available.

You likely won't need full 10" of bolt shank. The ratio of height change to bolt length change is not 1:1...more like 2:1. So, just keep running the nut up the shank until you get the height you want. You may need to roll the car up and down your driveway and bounce the rear a bit to get the car to "settle" after you make any height adjustment. When you get it where you want it, just cut off any excess bolt length hanging down below the nut. If you cut off the cotter-pin hole, you may go to a [thin] jamb-nut on top of the primary nut to keep that nut locked in position.

 

I bought VB&P stuff. 330 lb monospring and 460 lb coil springs. I have the same problem as the poster. My mechanic said to wait to see if it would "settle" but I don't see it. So now, would you suggest cutting the springs a bit and going to the 10" bolts? It just looks 4X4 and needs to come down.

 

I put the f-41 front coils on mine and I have about a inch from tire to fender and has never rubbed

 

It looks to me like the F-41 spring is a 550# spring and is indeed 1" shorter that the 460#. So you have a better ride height and I would like to duplicate that but without the heavier rated spring. So should I cut it or are there other options???

Apologies if I'm butting in on the thread. I think the solution to the rear being too high is the 10" bolt. Just wondering about the springs and front. Thanks.

 

oh no apologies we are all here to find things out, because if you cut the wrong amount off your new coils then they are junk, mine dosent ride rough with those springs

 

Cutting springs can become a real hit-and-miss affair. Getting them exactly where you want them from a ride height standpoint can be very labour intensive. I've read many postings of guys taking too much off on the first cut, only to find the front now sitting too low. Just a thought, but maybe posting up yours for sale here on the forum to offset the cost of the 550's might be the better solution. You're probably going to be ordering the bolts anyways, and in the big picture the cost of replacing the springs isn't that steep. Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

thank you briankeery for the info on the bolts.

 

For the rear, be sure to set the D height. I installed a new spring and like you the rear was raised and I had ordered longer rear spring bolts to get the back down and get the proper D height.

 

Briankeery,
Since the coils would have to be taken out anyway to cut them, I like the idea you had about just getting the shorter springs and putting them in without fooling around with the first set. Then as you said, put the old ones on the Forum sale side and see what happens.

Just to rehash, I have Bilstein Sports on all corners so if I go to the 550# coils in front will I have a ride that won't be too harsh? I don't want it to ride like a hay wagon. Thanks in advance.

 

I have KYB's on mine and it rides nice for a C3

 

A lot of threads on the pros/cons of ride quality using Bilstein shocks. Some people consider them overkill on a car that will primarily see street use, many (as stated above) are quite happy with the KYB's, some prefer to stay close to stock with replacement AC Delco units. I personally have stock front springs, the 330 lb mono spring rear, heim-jointed strut rods and Bilstein HD's at all four corners and find the ride to be far superior to the stock setup that was in the car when I bought it. Is this setup better than stock? Well, I never got to drive the car with brand new stock suspension..........but, the upgrades I made have resulted in a far smoother ride over bumps, and the car seems a lot more happier in corners. Do I feel the need to go to the front spring upgrade? Personally no, I'm happy with what I have..........so it would be unfair of me to make a judgement call on how the 550's with Bilstein sports would respond in your particular situation. I have however read posts from guys on here who have made the exact change you are proposing and recall all were pleased with the improved ride and cornering response..........don't remember too much whining about a harsh ride though. I'm sure some people who have done this exact mod will offer their real world opinions for you hopefully.

 

Gas shocks provide a MUCH better...and more stable...ride that the original factory C3 shocks. Ride in the cars when new was good...for a passenger car; but was not that good for a 'sports' car.