I'm starting the rear spring install tonight, how high do I need the raise the rear of the car/

Please list anything to watch for?


Thanks in advance. :)





[Modified by 74 vert, 6:21 PM 12/5/2003]

 

Setting the jack stand looks to be a PITA, I'm trying a 2x4 piece on the frame, or would it be better to set the jack stand up against the rear cross member? 50-50 car weight distribution looks to be my enemy :bb

I'm going to drop the spare to lighten up the rear.




[Modified by 74 vert, 7:06 PM 12/5/2003]

 

It would be interesting to hear how everyone did theirs. Mine was a piece of cake going from one monospring to another one with P225 tires that allowed me to just sink the tires while under compression into the wheel well when the old spring was removed. My vette is up 6" all the way around on platforms, so I just made the change then.

 

if you have jack stands I'de use them. Also get a set of vice grips out. Clamp them on the end of your old spring and jack the spring up on the vice grip one side at a time. By jacking it up you taking tension off the spring and by using vice grips it's won't damage the spring and the jack won't slide. Than take the cotter pin out and back the nut off. Slowly release the spring after the nut is off and do the other side. Now your ready for the center bolts. Remove them and the spring. Put the new spring in place and bolt it in. Be easy w/those center bolt when putting them in. There will be 4. Tight them up a little at a time, kind of like lug nuts. The ears on those rear end cover break all the time. Than you ready to do your spring bolts. Again clamp the spring with the vice grips on the ends where there is a metal bracket is. Jack it up, slip the bolt through w/washers and cushoins. Tighten nut and repeat on the other side. Don't put you cotter pins in the new bolt until you get the ride height where you want it. Take if for a ride around the block and let the car settle. If you need it lower than tighten up the nuts on both sides. Try to take the nut up evenly on both sides. I usually use the head of a flat head screw driver and lay it flat along the bolt to the bottom of the nut and count the threads. Once you have it where you want it put the cotter pins back in. Hope this helps. There are a lot of previous threads in the archives if you get stuck on something. :thumbs: :smash: :smash:

 

definately drop the spare it's a lot easier

 

I believe Van Steel is recommending taking the whole tire carrier out and not just taking the tire out of that carrier. Could be wrong too.

 

Ok, vise grips, clamp them on the end of the spring, but what am I clamping against or together?

I'm heading to the garage to remove the spare tire and carrier, be back soon.

Keep it coming :)


[Modified by 74 vert, 7:12 PM 12/5/2003]

 

You clamp near the end of the spring so the jack doesn't slide toward the center of the car, just as a support, not actually clamping anything together.

 

:iagree: thats what I was trying to get at. Sometime typing things out is harder than explaining it verbally. Clamp the spring, yeah thats it. :lol:

70LS5
That correct

 

Its been about 3 years since I did mine, and I'm no expert, but I would recommend putting the car up on 4 jackstands, with the back tires just barely off the ground.
I seem to remember that once you jack up the spring and remove the bolt, the trailing arm is unsupported (except for the driveaxle) and wants to drop to the ground- hence, the reason for keeping close to the ground.
Removing the spare tire carrier simplifies the whole operation, but it can be a pain with those funky bolts.
I had problems with exhaust clearance (custom true duals) during both the removal and install, and had to loosen up some clamps and drop the exhaust a little out of the way.
Good Luck

 

Ok, the carrier and tire are out. I'm lucky, I don't have to worry about exhaust pipes, mine are outside the doors :D

Thanks for the explanation about the vise grips are the be used to restrict sliding of the jack when lifting the spring. The instructions say to use them, but don't list a reason as reason as to why, but now that I look at the figure, on the instructions, it an be inferred that the vise grips would prevent sliding.

Right now my passenger tire is about 3-4 inches off of the floor. The drivers rear side is on the floor. Should I lift both rear tires off of the ground before I start removing the spring? Can it be done one side at a time?

It looks like 78-79 covers require a replacement per the instructions. Does anyone know if my distributor cover is a 63-77? The car is a 74.


[Modified by 74 vert, 8:12 PM 12/5/2003]

 

i would put them both up in the air. Your diff cover should be a 63-77 cover. You can only tell by the size of the holes in the diff cover. You should be alright.


[Modified by Van Steel, 8:18 PM 12/5/2003]

 

74 vert....

I'd let Ed get the pic up. You want to do this all in one shot with both sides up. When you release that spring on one side you will be letting go all the tension on that side that keeps body at a level ride. If you pull the jack stands out on that side and lower the vette odds are you won't be able to get the jack out as the rear end is going to sink on that side. And then if you attempt to raise the other side you will be sinking the other side into the wheel well and if you have too wide of tires maybe damaging the body. I'm just going by what I saw when I dropped my spring. I'd say the body dropped 2".

 

Ok, thanks guys, I have her up in the air. :)

ED-T, cool pics and car too.:thumbs:

71-LS5, body dropped 2 inches, do you mean the spring or something else? :confused:


[Modified by 74 vert, 9:12 PM 12/5/2003]

 

74 vert....

Now you have the idea. I changed my spring completely different as the car was sitting on the tires on platforms. Again.... I have skinny 225 tires, so they sank neatly into the wheel wells when I let loose each side of the spring and the body dropped because the tension was no longer there to support the ride height.

If you have a couple of extra boards put them under the tires to give you some thoughts that if the jacks give out there will not be a big drop. I think safety first.

Put the C-clamp on one side and raise the spring on that side with a jack to take the tension off the nut. Remove the cotter pin.... remove the nut.... and then lower the jack. Repeat on the other side.


[Modified by 71-LS5, 9:27 PM 12/5/2003]

 

Since I'm doing this by myself, I used a jack to support the spring while removing the bolts to remove the spring. :p:




Here is a shot of the rear with the spring out.:hurray:




How about this spring, it's missing a cup on one end. For some reason one side has a bunch off shims. :rolleyes: Wonder why.

Thanks for the help. I got everything out in a few hours while making several trips to the computer for tips. Again, thanks.

I hope everything goes back together as easy as everything came out. Well, I will be going back to the garage in the morning for the assembly.

Assembly tips are welcome, I'll check the thread in the morning. :seeya


[Modified by 74 vert, 11:22 PM 12/5/2003]


[Modified by 74 vert, 11:33 PM 12/5/2003]

 

Assembly Tips:

1) I'm assuming your new spring came with the top insert taped to it. Leave the tape on.
2) There's a center raised round section on that insert that fits into a hole that the old spring came out of. I did my mono-spring myself too, so take your time and make sure it is aligned correctly with that hole before tightening up to much. Torque it to specs when you are satisfied.
3)It's too late now.... sorry.... but, I measured my ride height before I started so that I had a reference point for the new spring. The more you tighten the nuts on the outer bolts the higher it should raise the rear ride height. I liked my old height and I'm a good 1/2" lower on the bolt with the new spring. Both were VBP springs. The first one had major heat sitting right next to it from the exhaust pipes and probably ruined it. I will be wrapping mine(the monospring) tomorrow with a fiberglass exhaust wrapping while finishing the chambered exhaust. Obviously, you don't have to worry about that with sidepipes.
4)The reverse process is the same as the start... C-clamp.... jack up each side one at a time aligning the bolt.... and screw the nut on.
5)Ride height depends on your tires. I have 225/P70's all around and have it at 28 1/4" in the rear . And as a basis the front ride height is 27 1/4" with a 454 under the hood. Maybe someone can pipe in what the ratio from front to back should be, but I know my '74 was way higher when I went to the monospring with a small block in it. I guess what I am getting to is that I would bet that the ride height(1:1) between a small block vette and a big block vette is a big difference and don't use the numbers I gave above.


[Modified by 71-LS5, 12:13 AM 12/6/2003]

 

71-LS5, thanks for the tips. I measured my heigth last week,

Front driver, 27 1/8
Front pass, 27 1/2
Rear driver, 27 3/8
Rear pass, 28 3/8

I'm running 235 60R 15's. The tires measure about 25 1/2 inches in diameter with the car on the ground, I didn't check tire pressure.

I have 10 inch bolts for the rear and hope to get the rear about 27 1/2.

I installed my front Bilsteins last week and had to use the jack to compress them up to bolt them on. Should I install the Bilstein rear shocks before the spring with the car in the air or install the shocks after the spring is installed? I'm thinking before the spring install. :confused:




[Modified by 74 vert, 12:50 AM 12/6/2003]

 

74 vert....

I snoozed in this morning. Ive still got to change my back shocks to bilsteins today also. I need to get the rear wheels off to do that, so it will have to wait until later today after I get the vette back on the ground. Here's where mine sits right now. As soon as I get off my lazy butt I need to finish the brackets in the rear for the new exhaust and put the car on the ground. Right now? It's 38 degrees outside... I need coffee.... & :yawn:

 

I finally motivated myself to get back into the garage to start the installation of the spring.

Why does TRW instruction say that the exhaust shields need to be installed even for cars with side exhaust systems? :confused:

One more, does the sring have a left and right side? It looks symmetrical, meaning there is no concern which way it's installed.




[Modified by 74 vert, 3:03 PM 12/6/2003]