So before cutting your car must have been sitting at 30 1/4? Wow, that's pretty high! What's going on, are you also running an LS1?

 

LOL! I really don't know what is going on....but I'm learning how to make it STOP "going on"!

Bubba put 18" long springs in the front suspension....I literally (at 5'8") had trouble seeing the road in front of me over the hood.....I couldn't see the first 30-40' of the road.

The engine is a 1970 block according to the stamp....with an assortment of heads/carb/etc bolted to it.

No A/C......no P/S.....no P/B....no Smog....etc....just optional spark plugs LOL!

The shocks were shot and EXTENDED all the way because of the coil springs!

I could slide under the car to drain the oil/change the filter/inspect things because it sat so high......

BUT NOT ANY MORE!

Modifying the passenger's side suspension:

Here's the front view of the.....................'68/'78..............project. It was nice of Bubba to leave the '68 turn signals tie-wrapped into the rectangular '78 grill openings......






The lower ball joint is separated and the wheel/spindle assembly is moved out of the way........the spring has been removed, cut to length, cleaned, painted and ready to be installed




The control arm bushings were falling apart so I removed them and cleaned up the bushing holes in the control arm......






I'll remove the upper control arm tomorrow and clean/repaint/rebush them.



ILLEGAL VETTE........I hope I am providing enough info and this is making sense as to what happens when the coils are cut.....the passenger's side should be completed early next week with pics to show before and after front suspension changes.



Before:

 

yes sir

 

Not sure on the cutting coils but some one mentioned the 550 springs. This first photo is with the VB&P 550 springs on it. The engine has aluminum heads intake water pump. Also there is no interior or glass or ever any of the front bumper parts. Also still have not installed any of the A/C parts. Currently I can fit 3 fingers between the tire and the finder. Completely together before I took the car apart but with the same springs but Iron heads and water pump and all the A/C and everything else to make a complete car the tire to finder gap was les than one finger.


This photo is with iron heads and the 550 springs. Also the 550 springs ride decent and handle very well.


With the stock springs I could fit about 6 fingers between the tire and fender. Not sure if this help but should give you an idea of what the 550 springs will do. I don't think there that much either, maybe $100.

 

You are indeed, thanks for documenting all this! I still haven't decided whether to cut at the top or the bottom, I just need to soak all of this in.

 

I changed my mind(s.............LOL).......and cut the 2nd wrap off of the same end (did I already say that------I think so....$#*@## PTSD)

I'll let you know whether the suspension gets firmer or softer (without shocks installed) in a day or so.......maybe that will help you decide which end of the spring to cut off.....(I paid closer attention....the passenger coil spring was factory "flat" on BOTH ends....but I'm not sure if they are the original coil springs?!?!?!

I made sure that the spring pocket with the "deepest depression" received the cut end of the spring so it would conform to the pocket better.....the lower control arm seems to have the deeper angled recess for the spring to fit in.

 

VBP 550 lb front spring with 3/4 coil trimmed . don't know if it shows well in this picture but it sat a tad over 29" at the front wheel well and now is 26 1/2 . which is exactly what i was looking for.

 

That's the look I want! The problem is--for now--the rear tires stick out 1" from the fenders...If I go any lower with them on the car, I'll see smoke come off the tires when the tread rubs the fender lip.

 

With the VBP springs, does it matter which side you cut?

 

I cut the top but vbp springs are symmetrical. Also the have the 550 springs on sale for $69.00 screaming deal

 

That might be too stiff for me, I want a soft ride in my old age.

 

Exactly! This is why I am doing the scientific suspension study

I'm not looking for a Caddy ride (well...maybe a CTS on steroids)

Seriously....I no longer can ignore every bump in the road....I can now do without 80% of them.

If things go well.....I will have the front suspension (less shocks) re-installed and DIY aligned by Monday/26th night (God's approval).

Then......narrow the shock choices down.

 

Also a softer ride should minimize frame flex, and squeaks and rattles.

 

truthfully mine rides as well or better than before i changed springs, the composite rear spring rides much better than the steel spring. remember the engine sits behind the front control arms . the springs ahead of the weight of the engine allows for many benefits one of which is a stiff front spring doesn't as negatively affect ride quality. the near to 50/50 weight distribution helps too.

 

Replacing all the suspension bushings eliminated all the left-side sqeeks/rattles....and the "ride" is improved greatly.....even with the right-side suspension bushings still rusted solid/rubber falling out.

I can't imagine what the car will ride like in another week when everything below is rebuilt and a quality set of front shocks is installed.

(My '34 street truck has the sqeeks/wind-noise/moans of an original '34 truck.....so a fiberglass sqeek in the Vette wouldn't even phase me....Now when I drive the SUV---all I expect to hear is the radio---I will hunt down a sqeek or rattle in that vehicle like a badger)

 

RATS!

OOOOPS! Forgot to order them!

The bushings won't arrive until tomorrow....but I did get everything ready...even managed to get some good fish-eye on the upper arm!

 

Mine is the same. I have had 4 different front springs and 3 different rear springs in my car over the last 16 years. The best ride has been with the 460 front spring and the duel mount composite rear spring. This set up even with the rear set stiff has a better ride than stock because the composite isolates so much of the road noise and vibrations. The 550 springs that I now have in the car is only very slightly stiffer. The sway bar size also makes a really big difference in how stiff the car feels. I have 1 1/4 front bar and have also the 7/8 bar. It handles well with the big bar but you feel everything. I think the big bar with stock coil spring is a harsher ride than the stiff springs with the small bar. My plan is to later go to the 1 1/8 bar.
The earlier comment about the soft spring making the car not squeaking as much because of the frame flex I believe is not correct. With soft springs the t tops would make noise from flex but it does not happen with the stiff springs. I think the car just stays more level so less flex.
I have never cut springs in a vette but have on a z28 and a C10 truck and I got the ride height where I wanted but the ride was choppy and I ended up buying new drop springs.

 

i think had i not lightened the front end aluminum heads etc the ride might be different.

 

You guys have some great looking cars! I'm leaning towards cutting 1 lower coil, some have said that's good for a 2 inch drop.

 

It is a pain, but making one cut.....then installing the springs and driving the car to settle the suspension and remeasuring is the best way to get it right (the second time....LOL).

That's better than cutting too much off!

Also...."The earlier comment about the soft spring making the car not squeaking as much because of the frame flex I believe is not correct. With soft springs the t tops would make noise from flex but it does not happen with the stiff springs". The sqeeky noise could be caused by this: that cutting a wrap off causes the cut/open end of the spring to "lift" off the depression in the pocket until the car is lowered to the ground....while driving, the end of the spring scrapes the depression causing the sqeek.....it's caused by not "flattening" the cut end of the spring....maybe radiusing the cut end will stop the after-cut sqeeks...I'll try to post a pic when I start to reassemble the control arms today.

I think the objective of our slipped discs is to get a "softer" ride without getting to the "mushy-ride" stage.

Like the members said....a small diameter sway bar and;or quality shocks will correct a too-soft suspension, if it does end up that way.


EDIT: The bushings should arrive in the next hour...then I start re-assembly with pics.