Mono leaf rear question
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,317
Likes: 22
From: Marina CA
Mono leaf rear question
My 68 vert sits too high in the rear. It's 28" on the fronts from the floor to the center of the wheel well. The rears are 30" floor to the center of the wheel well. The car has 8" ralleys with 255/60/15 Dunlops. The front sits fine but I want to drop the rear to match. I got a set of 10" rear bolts but if I use them the end of the mono leaf will rub the tire sidewall. The car has 8" bolts in the rear now.
I cannot find anything on the rear spring to identify who made it and what the spring rate is. It measures 2-1/2" wide in the center and is 4-1/2" wide at the ends. Does that give any clues possibly to what brand of mono leaf I have in the car? It seems to me it has too high of an arch.
I hate to trash this spring because it looks fairly new and if need be I can buy the VB&P setup, but if what I have can be used would help.
Do these need to settle in? I took over a project car and it has probably been on the road for a total of 2 miles.
I cannot find anything on the rear spring to identify who made it and what the spring rate is. It measures 2-1/2" wide in the center and is 4-1/2" wide at the ends. Does that give any clues possibly to what brand of mono leaf I have in the car? It seems to me it has too high of an arch.
I hate to trash this spring because it looks fairly new and if need be I can buy the VB&P setup, but if what I have can be used would help.
Do these need to settle in? I took over a project car and it has probably been on the road for a total of 2 miles.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,353
Likes: 72
From: Graceland in a Not Correctly Restored Stingray
Heard this a time or two. There seem to be different arches available for similar spring rates, and with a good 3" above your rear tire to the lip of the fender well (
) apparently you've got one of the "tall" ones, as 8" bolts are usually sufficient even for lowered race-prep ride heights.
One option would be to have the spring shortened. Talk to VB&P or VanSteel to see if they'll handle that for your, then the 10" bolts should work out. If not, you're probably looking at a new leaf, unless you want to raise your diff in the chassis (a somewhat serious mod) to gain about an inch on the situation.
) apparently you've got one of the "tall" ones, as 8" bolts are usually sufficient even for lowered race-prep ride heights. One option would be to have the spring shortened. Talk to VB&P or VanSteel to see if they'll handle that for your, then the 10" bolts should work out. If not, you're probably looking at a new leaf, unless you want to raise your diff in the chassis (a somewhat serious mod) to gain about an inch on the situation.
Last edited by TheSkunkWorks; Jan 31, 2008 at 11:07 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
Sounds like you might have a TRW spring in there judging by the description. If you do a search on TRW you will probably find some pics that will help you identify your spring as well as a lot of complaints about high ride height. You have to be careful about bolt length because if the bolt extends past the edge of the wheel rim you could be in trouble if you get a flat tire.
Rick B.
Rick B.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Sounds like you might have a TRW spring in there judging by the description. If you do a search on TRW you will probably find some pics that will help you identify your spring as well as a lot of complaints about high ride height. You have to be careful about bolt length because if the bolt extends past the edge of the wheel rim you could be in trouble if you get a flat tire.
Rick B.
Rick B.
on all points.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 382
Likes: 24
From: Uxbridge Ontario
When I installed my mono spring on my 71 from Corvette Central 315lb, I had to use 10 inch bolts to lower the car down to the normal ride height. Many of the other C3's I know of that converted from the steel spring to the mono's had to go that route.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,317
Likes: 22
From: Marina CA
Sounds like you might have a TRW spring in there judging by the description. If you do a search on TRW you will probably find some pics that will help you identify your spring as well as a lot of complaints about high ride height. You have to be careful about bolt length because if the bolt extends past the edge of the wheel rim you could be in trouble if you get a flat tire.
Rick B.
Rick B.
You nailed it! I did a search on Muskegon Brake and in living color is exactly the spring I have. They gave 3 rates 315, 340 and 355 and no doubt mine's the 355. I need to rethink this one, whether to go back to the stock 9 leaf or get the VB&P mono leaf. More dscisions and $$$ to spend. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,695
Likes: 65
From: Kissimmee fl
Finalist 2021 C3 of the Year - Modified
2017 C3 of Year Finalist
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07
The TRW spring is real easy to shorten. 1in from each end and the longer bolts, cut off the excess after setting the ride hight. As stated above, make sure the blolts do not go lower than the rim.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 269
Likes: 0
From: WV
well I am in the same boat in my 75 I never heard that you could shorten the spring before. Could that possibly hurt the strength of the spring? And how would you go about it my spring has little metal brackets on the end
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,317
Likes: 22
From: Marina CA
I'm almost of the opinion it would be easier and less time consuming to buy a shorter lower rate spring from VB&P (they do give a 10% discount for being a forum member) and be done with it. What the heck, I have spent so much on the blue beast what's a few more $$$!
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,695
Likes: 65
From: Kissimmee fl
Finalist 2021 C3 of the Year - Modified
2017 C3 of Year Finalist
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07
[QUOTE=1Fordman;1563904206]Mine also has plates on each side where the bolt passes through. They are probably just reinforcements so the bolt and related hardware are not directly on the spring material. I would assume you would drill out the rivets that secure the plates, cut the spring end, use a hole saw to cut a new bolt hole in the spring for the bolt and redrill the plate mounting holes and re-rivet or bolt them in place.
My original plates were bolted on.
My original plates were bolted on.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,317
Likes: 22
From: Marina CA
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 3,689
Likes: 1
From: St Petersburg FL
St. Jude Donor '07,'13
All Vbp Springs On Sale
All of our springs and systems are on sale for the month of February. Show your Vette some love and put on one of our spring kits. The fixed rate rear springs for the C-2 and C-3's are on sale for $263.99 and come complete with our end mounting bolt kit for ride height adjustment and a fresh center mounting plate and bolt kit. Usually about $23 to $27.00 for UPS shipping too.
If you would like to order, please email me directly at pattie@vbandp.com so we can get you just the right rate and arch style to work for your application. You can also call 1-800-237-9991. If you order on our website, please mark "Attention Pattie" in the "Special Instructions" section on the order form. This way I will be sure to get your order, get the best spring for you at the best price, keep you posted on delivery and email you the tracking and shipping details.
Hope to hear from you.
Pattie
VBP
If you would like to order, please email me directly at pattie@vbandp.com so we can get you just the right rate and arch style to work for your application. You can also call 1-800-237-9991. If you order on our website, please mark "Attention Pattie" in the "Special Instructions" section on the order form. This way I will be sure to get your order, get the best spring for you at the best price, keep you posted on delivery and email you the tracking and shipping details.
Hope to hear from you.
Pattie
VBP
