Anyone have experience with a 5leaf spring?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,000
Likes: 22
From: Boulder Creek California
Anyone have experience with a 5leaf spring?
I rebuilt my front end (with 550lb springs) and very much like the behavior of the front end, but now the rear feels horribly soft in comparison. I hate having to go 20 over dips in the road, but as it is now the front end follows the road, and my rear end just smacks itself into it! I can stand some teeth jarring, but I hate hearing that scrape.
This is my daily driver, but my views of a good ride are a bit more "liberal" than most. It will also be used in autocross, drag, and eventually road racing. I think the 7leaf would not be enough, as it is under 300lb/in. I was looking at the 360lb monospring, but decided a steel spring would be better in the short term, until I can afford the dual mount rear, and mono-front.
Let me know what you've experience, heard, or heck, just make something up! :jester
Thanks,
Chris
This is my daily driver, but my views of a good ride are a bit more "liberal" than most. It will also be used in autocross, drag, and eventually road racing. I think the 7leaf would not be enough, as it is under 300lb/in. I was looking at the 360lb monospring, but decided a steel spring would be better in the short term, until I can afford the dual mount rear, and mono-front.
Let me know what you've experience, heard, or heck, just make something up! :jester
Thanks,
Chris
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Re: Anyone have experience with a 5leaf spring? (RUXperienced)
, but as it is now the front end follows the road
With 550 pound front springs the tires can't follow the road, they bounce over the rough spots.
Why not just buy a few leaves from any spring shop and add them to the rear spring. The spring is easily rebuilt, a large C clamp and a new center bolt is all that is needed to diassemle the spring, add a few leaves and put it back together.
I went the other way and started with a harsh stock spring and lightened it up by remove leaves.
And that is not made up :lol: :lol:
With 550 pound front springs the tires can't follow the road, they bounce over the rough spots.
Why not just buy a few leaves from any spring shop and add them to the rear spring. The spring is easily rebuilt, a large C clamp and a new center bolt is all that is needed to diassemle the spring, add a few leaves and put it back together.
I went the other way and started with a harsh stock spring and lightened it up by remove leaves.
And that is not made up :lol: :lol:
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,000
Likes: 22
From: Boulder Creek California
Re: Anyone have experience with a 5leaf spring? (norvalwilhelm)
true, I knew I was wording that wrong. I meant the body is "following the road", as opposed to slamming into the ground like the rear does now. I know milder springs are the ideal solution, but for a temporary fix, until I get all those other factors sorted out, I'd like to go this route. So I can, as you've called it, mask the problem for now.
I take it this isn't the most common rear spring, anybody? I know gkull has a custom made 420 one. Anyone with just the VBP 5leaf?
Thanks,
Chris
I take it this isn't the most common rear spring, anybody? I know gkull has a custom made 420 one. Anyone with just the VBP 5leaf?
Thanks,
Chris
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,053
Likes: 4
St. Jude Donor '03,'11
Re: Anyone have experience with a 5leaf spring? (RUXperienced)
I have the 550s and 5 leaf. The 5 leaf is a harsh ride, but it matches well with the 550s. Your car probably pushes like a pig right now with stiff front springs and soft rear. Do it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,727
Likes: 38
From: Fremont CA
Re: Anyone have experience with a 5leaf spring? (turtlevette)
The F41 HD suspension option includes 550 in/lb front coil springs and a SEVEN leaf 330 in/lb rear spring. I think you have a spring missing some leafs in it as the only spring with a lower leaf count is the "Daytona" spring with 4 FAT leafs in it (460 in/lb rate.) The front coils of the "Daytona" package are around 860 in/lbs and trully unstreetable! I would look to a quality spring company like Eaton Spring in Michigan to order the correct rear spring. "Glass" rear leaf springs have funny characteristics and you should probably go to Vette Brakes and get the galss spring and special digressivley valved shocks that they sell because they had so many customer complaints of the ride quality of the glass rear springs (look at their web site, you will see the special shocks for this spring.) I would ditch the KYB shocks for Bilstein or Koni shocks either have lower pressure gas charges on them that do not pre-load the springs like the KYB shocks and the Bilsteins are reasonabbly priced.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,000
Likes: 22
From: Boulder Creek California
Re: Anyone have experience with a 5leaf spring? (Solid LT1)
I don't have anything yet actually. Look here to see the 5-leaf among their lineup. http://www.vbandp.com/detail.aspx?ID=362 The online description isn't worth much, but in the catalog they say "5 leaf - for racing - equivalent to Daytona suspension systems" 396 lbs/in. If 4 leaf is the other original option, I guess they just used 5 leaves for their own reasons!
I won't be going glass right now (as I mentioned earlier, I'd like to go dualmount and monofront eventually) for monetary reasons, and the height issues so many run into. I also don't want to have to replace my shocks right now. I would like to go with QA1 adjustables when I do switch, I hear good things :D. Those springs and adjustable shocks will make for alot of adjustment, plus working out bump steer, making my own adjustable smart struts and 6 link. This thing is gonna be a pain to get sorted out!!
Thanks alot Turtlevette for the recommendation. :yesnod: And it does push like crazy, but mostly because of the slicks I'm running on front (started out as street tires :eek:) New tires and alignment coming soon, only had the front rebuilt for a month or so.
-Chris
[Modified by RUXperienced, 10:26 PM 2/20/2004]
I won't be going glass right now (as I mentioned earlier, I'd like to go dualmount and monofront eventually) for monetary reasons, and the height issues so many run into. I also don't want to have to replace my shocks right now. I would like to go with QA1 adjustables when I do switch, I hear good things :D. Those springs and adjustable shocks will make for alot of adjustment, plus working out bump steer, making my own adjustable smart struts and 6 link. This thing is gonna be a pain to get sorted out!!
Thanks alot Turtlevette for the recommendation. :yesnod: And it does push like crazy, but mostly because of the slicks I'm running on front (started out as street tires :eek:) New tires and alignment coming soon, only had the front rebuilt for a month or so.
-Chris
[Modified by RUXperienced, 10:26 PM 2/20/2004]
