550 lb front coils..
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 761
Likes: 0
From: san jose California
550 lb front coils..
anyone have any pics before and after installing vbp 550 lb front springs?? any pics at all would be good, i ordered mine and are coming next friday, i just wanna see if im gonna have to cut it down lower
thanx
thanx
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
From: Orlando Florida
I dont think my suspension has settled yet. I also have a big block. the rear sits a little high but if it doesnt settle in a few weeks i will be getting longer bolts... but i already think the car is long and low. i dont want to have to find other ways around speed bumps in parking lots. even though it would look a little better sitting lower
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,844
Likes: 99
From: Orrtanna Pa.
This is after the 550's. I lowered the rear with 8" bolts to get this stance. With the P295 50's it's perfect. When I ran P275 60's on the back I could get away with the stock bolts.
There's a lot of talk about "settling" over time.These 550's have been on the car for twelve years,and I to be honest can't say the ride height has changed one bit in twelve years.
There's a lot of talk about "settling" over time.These 550's have been on the car for twelve years,and I to be honest can't say the ride height has changed one bit in twelve years.
Last edited by The Money Pit; Mar 31, 2008 at 07:59 AM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 761
Likes: 0
From: san jose California
im gonna be running a forged internals, alumin head small block, i mainly want to lower the car as much as i can with out scraping the headers when the suspension compreses... will it still sit an inch lower or will i have to cut some of the coil off?
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Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 30,183
Likes: 313
From: Lake Norman NC
odds are, you will have to cut a full coil. The 550s don't really put you down, especially if your running an aluminum headed small block. I have 460s and cut 1.25 coils off.
Last edited by LFZ; Apr 1, 2008 at 10:27 AM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 761
Likes: 0
From: san jose California
got the coils in this morning along with new shocks, cut one coil off, and it sits low....maybe too low.. the front tires tuck into the fenders about a half inch.. looks bad ***, but steep driveways are gonna be a bitch!!.. most likely ill end up putting in a half inch spacer
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 30,183
Likes: 313
From: Lake Norman NC
got the coils in this morning along with new shocks, cut one coil off, and it sits low....maybe too low.. the front tires tuck into the fenders about a half inch.. looks bad ***, but steep driveways are gonna be a bitch!!.. most likely ill end up putting in a half inch spacer
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
From: Norton MA
That is what I am thinking we're going to have to do with our C3. We are swapping an aluminum LS1 into it, and I have a bad feeling that our 550lb VBP springs are going to hold the front end sky-high. I think we might need to sell the 550's, and buy a pair of 460's and cut a coil to get the ride height down. Cutting the coil also effectively increases spring rate... but by how much I am not sure.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 110
Likes: 1
From: Botkins Ohio
I am looking to do the same thing and have a set of the 460's and 550's and they both sit too high.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 30,183
Likes: 313
From: Lake Norman NC
Just cut from the bottom..NEVER heat up your springs!
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 16,100
Likes: 17
Most springs are refered to as progressive rated springs. These have a few tightly spaced coils at one end and more openly spaced coils over the rest of the spring.To lower the vette without changing the spring rate drastically,cut the coils from the tightly space end.
If you want to further increase the spring rate, cut one coil off the open end of the spring.This will give you an increaed rate of approx 20%.
Rich
If you want to further increase the spring rate, cut one coil off the open end of the spring.This will give you an increaed rate of approx 20%.
Rich
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,024
Likes: 1
From: AL
good point . . . the factory has, and some or perhaps all of the factory replacements (i don't know) have, the progressive spring rate. the vbp 460, 550, and some of the others i've seen are not progressive.
so, guess you have to look at them first
great catch! thanks . . .
so, guess you have to look at them first
great catch! thanks . . .
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 16,100
Likes: 17
good point . . . the factory has, and some or perhaps all of the factory replacements (i don't know) have, the progressive spring rate. the vbp 460, 550, and some of the others i've seen are not progressive.
so, guess you have to look at them first
great catch! thanks . . .
so, guess you have to look at them first
great catch! thanks . . .
A good source is VIP...John Greenwood "Vette Improvement Program"...use to have link,but no longer...
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,024
Likes: 1
From: AL