the stock arm is way too thin to take the load on the 2 screws that are for the standard shock cross bar.
For all the coilover guys...
Thread Starter
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 98
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From: Michigan
For all the coilover guys...
I've heard some things about Vansteel etc. but I want to do this myself. If you have done this, what set of coilovers did you use? Did they match manufacturers front to rear? Where can I get a set.
P.S. don't worry about fabrication and all that
THANKS!
P.S. don't worry about fabrication and all that
THANKS!
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
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From: Waterloo ontario Canada
I run Pro shocks front and rear. They have 5 inches of travel, do not go with 7 inch shocks. You need them as short as possible. The 5 inch shocks give 7 inch wheel travel or full travel, stop to stop.
For the front i ended up with 400 pound springs 12 inches long and for the back since I am ahead of the axle I went with 450 pound springs.
I did start by buying 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 in both 10 inch and 12 inch.
I used the 10 inch 450's on the back.
I bought everything from Grisdale, a outlet for coleman racing and other manuafactures.
For the front i ended up with 400 pound springs 12 inches long and for the back since I am ahead of the axle I went with 450 pound springs.
I did start by buying 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 in both 10 inch and 12 inch.
I used the 10 inch 450's on the back.
I bought everything from Grisdale, a outlet for coleman racing and other manuafactures.
Last edited by norvalwilhelm; Mar 18, 2006 at 01:24 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Originally Posted by stingraymaniac
norval do you have any pics of the rear coilovers?
would like to se how its done,im thinking of doing this to my car
would like to se how its done,im thinking of doing this to my car
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c3/str...lovers_008.jpg
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
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From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Originally Posted by stingraymaniac
How is that lower mount made? did you bolt it to the trailingarm ore is it welded?
You can not just bolt something to the trailing arm. It must be welded. Trailing arms are not that strong, material is fairly thin so spread the load out over area.
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Race Director
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Originally Posted by CarQz17
P.S. don't worry about fabrication and all that
Do you mean you can do and are willing to do mods & fabrication or do you mean it has to be an olmost bolt in setup?
Here's my setup, uses 7 & 9" carrera shocks & hypercoil springs.
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Joined: May 2004
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From: Michigan
Originally Posted by Twin_Turbo
Do you mean you can do and are willing to do mods & fabrication or do you mean it has to be an olmost bolt in setup?
Here's my setup, uses 7 & 9" carrera shocks & hypercoil springs.
Here's my setup, uses 7 & 9" carrera shocks & hypercoil springs.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
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From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Originally Posted by flynhi
Norval,
Are you running 5" shocks due to your car being lowered or ?
Are you running 5" shocks due to your car being lowered or ?
5 inch long travel shocks is all the shock you can fit in stock locations, not stock mounts but stock locations. If you get 7 inch long travel shocks the lower end will hand way down under the suspension.
Marck can get away with it because he raise the inner mount, you can not.
You car only has 7 inches of total travel per wheel running bump stop to bump stop and that only requires 5 inches of shock travel.
Save yourself grief and look only at the shortest 5 inch travel shocks.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,273
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From: Austin TX
So, Norval, if I am running standard length shocks and my front end is lowered 1.5", are my shocks at full compression before the control arm hits the rubber bumper?
Inquiring minds need to know.....
Inquiring minds need to know.....
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No, ride height won't affect the shock compressed height, it only affects the piston position/shopck compression at ride heigth. If you are using correct compressed height shocks then there's no way your shock will bottom out before the bump stop on the lower control arm. some shocks (like the konis) come with shaft moutned bumpstops to eliminate the possibility of bottoming out (and ruining/bending the rod) the shock. If you removed or trimmed down the bump stops then it's a good idea to check the suspension movement through full motion (without springs in place) to see if the shock bottoms out.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,273
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From: Austin TX
Twin Turbo and Norval,
My 71 SBC vert has Vette Brakes front transverse spring. I have adjusted Z height per John Greenwood's Vette Improvement Program for what he thought was optimum contact patch through wheel travel. Since this left me with about 1" of travel before hitting the rubber bumper, I cut down the bumper into the same profile only 1.5" shorter.
I'm running the spring on the softest setting and using KYB GR2 shocks.
The ride problem I'm trying to fix is rough riding over city streets. I cannot determine if the probelm is hitting the rubber bumper, the shock becoming fully compressed or the shock being too stiff in compression.
Ride quality at speed on the freeway is very good.
Your Thoughts?
My 71 SBC vert has Vette Brakes front transverse spring. I have adjusted Z height per John Greenwood's Vette Improvement Program for what he thought was optimum contact patch through wheel travel. Since this left me with about 1" of travel before hitting the rubber bumper, I cut down the bumper into the same profile only 1.5" shorter.
I'm running the spring on the softest setting and using KYB GR2 shocks.
The ride problem I'm trying to fix is rough riding over city streets. I cannot determine if the probelm is hitting the rubber bumper, the shock becoming fully compressed or the shock being too stiff in compression.
Ride quality at speed on the freeway is very good.
Your Thoughts?
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put some kind of marking on the bump stop, use something like that white tire lettering pen stuff and go for a ride, check if the white has smudged and is transferred onto the frame, that'll answer if you are hitting the bump stops, in which case you may want to trim them down some more.
As for the shock, are you concerned about the fronts or the rears? The fronts are easily checked by putting a tie wrap around the stem near the shock body, going for a ride and looking where the tie wrap ended up.
As for the shock, are you concerned about the fronts or the rears? The fronts are easily checked by putting a tie wrap around the stem near the shock body, going for a ride and looking where the tie wrap ended up.
