Why do some C3's looked jacked up?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 402
Likes: 1
From: Medford NJ
Why do some C3's looked jacked up?
What causes the rear of some C3's to appear jacked up like they're on air shocks? Some have the fronts and rears raised, but I notice it mostly in the rear end. Could this be caused by the rear leaf spring? How can this be adjusted so that the body appears to sit with the right wheel well clearance over the tires? I'm looking to buy a '72 that has this problem.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,986
Likes: 21
From: Columbus MN
What causes the rear of some C3's to appear jacked up like they're on air shocks? Some have the fronts and rears raised, but I notice it mostly in the rear end. Could this be caused by the rear leaf spring? How can this be adjusted so that the body appears to sit with the right wheel well clearance over the tires? I'm looking to buy a '72 that has this problem.
Check with "us" on the C3 Forum if you have any other questions before you buy. You're off to a good start by asking this question.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,000
Likes: 1
From: Minneapolis, Mn USA
Most likely they have bought a TRW style composite rear spring that has their rear end all jacked up. They may not fully understand what it takes to get it lower, such as get rid of the spring, or buy super long 10 inch bolts to get it in the neighborhood of a "normal" ride height.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 402
Likes: 1
From: Medford NJ
It's a stock spring. I was under there when I checked all numbers on the car. The rear is date coded correctly and matches the tranny also. I'm wondering if maybe the bolts were changed, if the rear was removed to be serviced at some point. I thought about putting a couple of 50 lb. bags of sand inside the rear storage area to bring it down. 
Or raise the front up too and make it a 4x4.
Or raise the front up too and make it a 4x4.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 18,755
Likes: 2,589
the original 72 spring was discontinued a long time ago and was superceded by Chevy using the part numbers of later years that weighed more. If the spring was changed this would account for the higher ride height and you would not be able to tell the difference by just looking at it. Try using the 8" bolts to bring it back down so the half shafts are parallel to the ground when the car is sitting with a full tank of gas.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 115
Likes: 2
Check out the trouble I had with a TRW spring.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...-too-high.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...-too-high.html
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 11,520
Likes: 13
From: CORVETTE 77 385 C.I. TEXAS
Some guys raise the rear by adj. the spring bolts which allows wider tires that stick out. Besides throwing off the weight distribution & traction, w/ enough power they can easily be spun at 70 mph for ex., not to mention destroying the paint.
I drove one w/ a BB when looking.
I drove one w/ a BB when looking.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,420
Likes: 792
From: Redondo Beach, California
The AIM (Assembly Instruction Manual) has body dimensions and drawings in the front of the book. They show that the bottom of the frame is about 8.1 to 8.2 inches above the ground. That
's a good starting point to investigate body height. Also you want the rear axle half shafts to be pretty close to parallel to the ground.
The early C3's had relatively thin aluminum washers between the frame and the body. If the aluminum washers were replaced with the rubber bushings used in later year C3's, the body will ride higher. The aluminum washers are replaced by owners who want to get rid of body flexing noise.
Almost all C3's still are being driven with 15 inch wheels. If someone has installed modern low profile tires, the overall wheel diameter is noticeably smaller than the wheel well opening, making it look like the body has been jacked up.
Check out the frame to ground dimesions. Also measure the top of the wheel well openings to ground and report back. You can compare your dimensions with other cars.
's a good starting point to investigate body height. Also you want the rear axle half shafts to be pretty close to parallel to the ground.
The early C3's had relatively thin aluminum washers between the frame and the body. If the aluminum washers were replaced with the rubber bushings used in later year C3's, the body will ride higher. The aluminum washers are replaced by owners who want to get rid of body flexing noise.
Almost all C3's still are being driven with 15 inch wheels. If someone has installed modern low profile tires, the overall wheel diameter is noticeably smaller than the wheel well opening, making it look like the body has been jacked up.
Check out the frame to ground dimesions. Also measure the top of the wheel well openings to ground and report back. You can compare your dimensions with other cars.
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