are they the special valved gr-2's or standards? Box should have said VBP218 if they were the shocks valved for the composite spring. If not the number is 343218.

 

Hello Mr. Grumpy, Yes I'm sure glad that you are back on here. I missed looking at all your beautiful paint work. I have an original 82 with the original Composite spring. When I added the after market sway bar, I created a real over steer problem. So if you feel like your car is darting from rut to rut, at high speeds, in other words going where it wanted to go, instead of where you want it to go. There are some people on this forum that can help you. Thank God for their help, at a 110 MPH, the first time out, I had to go home and clean up, LOL. Welcome back Grump, these cars are a lot of fun, in a lot of different ways. Gene

 

You are correct, they were the GR-2 shocks. My mistake.

 

Hey Gene. I ordered a complete kit so it came with sway bars shocks and springs which are supposed to be matched to each other? Will see what its like once the alignment is done.

 

Make sure your ride height is where you want it before you get it aligned.

 

Yeah i will, i will not be getting that done till i get the interior and exhaust on the car. Thanks for all the tips.

 

Here to help.

 

I have the 8" bolts in there now, and dont think i will need anything longer. Once the car settle, i an hoping it is not going to be too low? At least i am at the bottom of the thread, so i can go up a bit if need be.

 

Yep, its all preference in how low/high you want it to sit. From what I hear, the composite springs do not settle much like the old steel springs which could sag over time. I also find that both sides on many vettes are not the same height. So if you want them perfectly even, I think you have to adjust each bolt a little different.

 

Going to jump in here..I have been following this thread closely since my car is currently in my buddies shop and we just installed a 330lb Hypercoil Spring. I have pretty much the same rear ride height as Grumpy (30 1/2" up from 29") using the 8" bolts.



The nuts are threaded just in enough for one thread or so coming through, so the spring is extended virtually the entire length of the bolt? Is this correct to get the lowest ride height?



Something just ain't right with these springs and the constant ride height issues. It seems logical to me that the new spring should give a factory ride height with a factory bolt length (6 3/4") and the allow real lowering by using longer bolts. Look for a future thread on this topic.


I also have a side anomaly that my tight fitting exhuast system is touching the spring.. so now I have to get the exhaust modified to clear the spring, which means driving it across town to the pipe master uncapped. and have to pass right by the police dept to get there...good thing the cops in this town have a little sense of humor.

Note to Grumpy 427;..check your exhaust clearance..when I spoke to Van Steel today they reminded me about every other word to keep the exhaust well away from the spring.

Anyway this better be worth it. My gut told me to go with a 7 leaf performance steel spring which would have cost $125.00 and would bolt right in without all these issues. Every time my mind overrides my gut it turns out bad!

 

Just ask my ex wives, my lawyer,CPA,CFP and anyone else that knows me....

 

I might agree. And I'll point out that any spring that requires the bolts extend below the rim in order to get a correct ride height are inherantly dangerous in the event of a blown tire.

-W

 

Do you have a 427 in that car? 180 is so wimpy that I would worry about the trailing arms slamming into the rubber stops. I now have the 420 mono and it is wimpy compared to my rear racing steel

 

Yeah, that is sitting up way to high, that will give you the 4x4 look. The only springs I have really read about are the VBP springs, which from what I have read give the stock ride height and then you can lower from there. I have had heard a lot of unhappy customers with other aftermarket composite springs for the same reason. Yes, you have the bolts back all the way down which should get it a lot lower than that. That is where mine is adjusted to and I got about 2 fingers width. I bet I can fit my hand with all the fingers spread out on yours. Clams theory is correct about the blown tire and bolts to long. Probably means then you gotta get bigger rims. Cannot really tell from the other pic, but it looks like the exhaust was not run under the middle of the differential and spring. I have a heat shield that bolts under the strut rod bracket and then the pipes Y out from that location. Assuming you installed it correct, not sure what you can do. Nice car and wheels by the way . Looks like a 73.

 

I had the 9 leaf in my '81 and replaced it with the VBP 330# unit, with the Bilstein shocks I have I like the ride much better. At least the rear ride, gotta replace the front suspension next year.

Anyway, my spring has an equal amount of composite spacers both above and below the spring. They were taped to it that way and so I left 'em that way. I also have the steel heat shield that goes between the exhaust and spring perch, uses two 10mm coarse threaded screws to mount to the strut brace.

 

I don't know I have seen several similar complaints about the VBP piece as well...I have also seen threads and pics were the VBP unit had snapped...maybe installation errors? but who knows there have certainly been some of those.....well I must decide today whether to keep this spring or send it back and go to plan B...

 

Can you or anyone else locate a manufacturing date on your springs ?
My gut feeling tells me a large part of these "high sitting" springs were dug out of a dumpster on there way to the landfill many years ago and have found their way back into the market.
No manufacture in their right mind would continue to produce a spring that is returned to them as defective.

( Imagine if you worked at the plant producing these springs and you see a dumpster full of newly made springs on their way to the dump, your pickup truck could easily hold a hundred or so, sell them for 50 bucks a piece brings in an easy $5000. How many pickup trucks were in that lot ? )

 

Van Steel - what are your thoughts about swapping around those composite spacers to move the spring up with the VBP / TRW springs? As described above mine came taped together suggesting I shouldn't fiddle ( which naturally means I want to...) To me the spring would still be well supported and I can't see an obvious problem.
Thanks, Dave

 

What was the factory ride height? Are you sure most people just aren't seeing old school fender gaps and comparing them to modern cars?

I mean .. here's an ad from 1974 ... lots o gap



And from '69 ... gap abounds

 

Thanks for all the reply's Everyone, its been helpful to read what others have gone through.