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The rear bushings on the leaf spring on my 1972 are all cracked and worn , will replacing the bushings also help with the ride ? I know they ride rough but should I look at replacing the spring also ?
You could get a fiberglass/composite spring which would give you the same stability but also soften up the ride and quieter. While your in the rear taking things apart you might want to check and or change out the shocks, strut bushings, spring bushings, possibly the rear diff bushings to the frame and snubber nose bushing. Has the rear diff oil been changed? Another job that can be done while working on the reared.
the camber will need to be checked after the strut bushings are replaced if you do change them. The adjustable struts are the way to go.
If you go the monospring route, pick your spring wisely. There are many poor quality monosprings out there. Also, if you go that route, you will likely need heavy-duty shocks on the rear to keep the 'bouncing' at bay.
Monospring is an improvement over the steel leaf springs...if chosen properly.
Those bushings if cracked and rotten should indeed be replaced.
However expecting any change in ride quality would be foolish.
A quality mono spring, (Van Steel). And appropriate shocks to match, (Bilstien). Will indeed improve ride quality.
You could just replace the worn rubber bushings. Before you replace a part like the rear spring, I you may want to consider asking what the car is not doing that you want it to do. Replacing just the rear without the front may lead to an unbalanced car.
Just throwing this out there. I had stock springs and went to the Daytona suspension from Chevrolet. It was a bit too stiff for the rubber I was running back then.
I called Dick Guldstrand Enterprises. To my surprised Dick Guldstrand answered the phone. We had a long conversation about rear spring. I was leaning toward a monospring. Dick talked me out of it. He mentioned he could run any spring he wanted to and could sell any spring he wanted to and felt a metal spring was the best choice. I remember asking him about the monospring minimal internal damping. He said the internal friction of the metal spring was an asset. I went with Dick Guldstrand’s recommendation.
Whatever spring you go with, remember to set the D height.
Last edited by cottoneg; May 26, 2025 at 08:40 AM.
Those bushings if cracked and rotten should indeed be replaced.
However expecting any change in ride quality would be foolish.
A quality mono spring, (Van Steel). And appropriate shocks to match, (Bilstien). Will indeed improve ride quality.
I simply took my steel spring out and sand blasted the corrosion, re-painted the individual leaves, greased it well and re-installed the new rubber pieces that go between the leaves. The end result was a good looking restored rear spring that works and will stays functional for another 60 years, plus.
If you have a BB equipped C3 then it is even more important to leave the heavier spring in the rear of the car. By replacing it with a fiberglass spring the weight loss will make the car even more front heavy and that is not desirable on a BB Corvette. On a BB Corvette we want to reduce the weight on the front axle and increase any weight on the rear to make the car as balanced as possible.
Any time you see a bushing that is cracking I would replace it. I rebuilt my C3 with Energy Suspension Polyurethane bushings and they are still holding up after 30 years of wear. The newer bushings are just a bit quieter than the older ones like mine as they put graphite into the mixture. I spray mine with a Dry Graphite spray to help them stay quiet, seems to work okay.
I would say that Dick knows what he is talking about, save your money and restore your spring!
I simply took my steel spring out and sand blasted the corrosion, re-painted the individual leaves, greased it well and re-installed the new rubber pieces that go between the leaves. The end result was a good looking restored rear spring that works and will stays functional for another 60 years, plus.
If you have a BB equipped C3 then it is even more important to leave the heavier spring in the rear of the car. By replacing it with a fiberglass spring the weight loss will make the car even more front heavy and that is not desirable on a BB Corvette. On a BB Corvette we want to reduce the weight on the front axle and increase any weight on the rear to make the car as balanced as possible.
Any time you see a bushing that is cracking I would replace it. I rebuilt my C3 with Energy Suspension Polyurethane bushings and they are still holding up after 30 years of wear. The newer bushings are just a bit quieter than the older ones like mine as they put graphite into the mixture. I spray mine with a Dry Graphite spray to help them stay quiet, seems to work okay.
I would say that Dick knows what he is talking about, save your money and restore your spring!
What did you use to grease the leaves of the spring?
I simply took my steel spring out and sand blasted the corrosion, re-painted the individual leaves, greased it well and re-installed the new rubber pieces that go between the leaves. The end result was a good looking restored rear spring that works and will stays functional for another 60 years, plus.
If you have a BB equipped C3 then it is even more important to leave the heavier spring in the rear of the car. By replacing it with a fiberglass spring the weight loss will make the car even more front heavy and that is not desirable on a BB Corvette. On a BB Corvette we want to reduce the weight on the front axle and increase any weight on the rear to make the car as balanced as possible.
Any time you see a bushing that is cracking I would replace it. I rebuilt my C3 with Energy Suspension Polyurethane bushings and they are still holding up after 30 years of wear. The newer bushings are just a bit quieter than the older ones like mine as they put graphite into the mixture. I spray mine with a Dry Graphite spray to help them stay quiet, seems to work okay.
I would say that Dick knows what he is talking about, save your money and restore your spring!
I just did this exact job a few weeks ago. Took spring (7 Leaf) apart, cleaned some dirt/corrosion, painted, new spring liners, Spray graphite during assembly. Works & Looks great.
I guess it depends on how crushed the old bushings are.
any pics? Was it optioned with anything? Gymkhana etc..If still tall i would drive it. I used energy suspension 🇺🇸 made soft poly and works great. Like mentioned i doubt it will substantially improve ride but they are there for a reason.
I guess Barry, I meant just because your stock multi leaf spring may look pretty all done up.
Doesn't mean it'll ride as smoothly or offer the handling advantages of the mono spring.
All of the Corvette's that follow, use the composite mono spring. Certainly the C4 and C5 Corvette's don't begin to hold a candle to a early C3 with a multi leaf spring, ...Right?
Thanks for clarifying. I've been driving on my F41 spring for about 55 years now, just got used to it. It's served me well over the years. I guess I'm not sure what a mono leaf spring would give me in "improvements". The weight difference for sure. My spirited driving doesn't happen much anymore.
A friend has a mono leaf spring in his C3. I've spent a lot of time in his C3, and it handles great. Takes a bit of getting used to the minor "jouncing" on a steady long drive. He has QA1 shocks. Maybe needing to go up a couple of settings.
I had a Corvette Only Shop remove my OEM Spring on my 73, they were doing other work. I purchased new rubber ( that goes between each leaf) they are very finicky and sent the spring to a shop that only restores vehicle springs. The cost was reasonable and looked very good. No one has mentioned that removing the spring from the car requires specific steps to ensure safety at all times. Good Luck on your repairs
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Replacing Rear Spring Bushings
