Broke Rear Spring
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
From: New Albany IN
Broke Rear Spring
The rear spring on my '70 vert broke. I was just wanting to get some input from you guys on what to replace it with. It's a 350/350 that's been rebuilt. Boared .030 over, a stronger cam, preformer manifold and holley carb. Still running the 11:1 compression. M20 trany with 355's in the rear. I basicly just take the car on cruises with the vette club. I do like to push it every now and then though. I welcome any input on what to replace it with and not do an over kill.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,608
Likes: 3
From: Canberra AUSTRALIA
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
Originally Posted by Raydon 3000
The rear spring on my '70 vert broke. I was just wanting to get some input from you guys on what to replace it with. It's a 350/350 that's been rebuilt. Boared .030 over, a stronger cam, preformer manifold and holley carb. Still running the 11:1 compression. M20 trany with 355's in the rear. I basicly just take the car on cruises with the vette club. I do like to push it every now and then though. I welcome any input on what to replace it with and not do an over kill.
Good luck.
Pete
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,275
Likes: 786
From: Redondo Beach, California
What happened when the spring broke? Were you driving the car? Any particular reason why the spring broke? Was it salt corrosion, driviing over potholes? just curious.
I'm replacing my spring with a 360 lbs/inch fiberglass spring. My present spring seems to OK, its a '68 spring. I'd just like to know what kind of failures people have with springsl.
Thanks
I'm replacing my spring with a 360 lbs/inch fiberglass spring. My present spring seems to OK, its a '68 spring. I'd just like to know what kind of failures people have with springsl.
Thanks
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
From: New Albany IN
I was just driving down a city street in traffic. Took off from a red light. The road had a few patched places but it really wasn't rough. Didn't even get to second gear. Heard a loud bang and then metal draging. Thought it was an exhaust pipe mounting bracket that had broke. Pulled over to the curve. Got out and seen what it was. No corrosion, no rust, no sign of wear, just a clean break.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 223
Likes: 0
From: South MS
Originally Posted by Raydon 3000
I was just driving down a city street in traffic. Took off from a red light. The road had a few patched places but it really wasn't rough. Didn't even get to second gear. Heard a loud bang and then metal draging. Thought it was an exhaust pipe mounting bracket that had broke. Pulled over to the curve. Got out and seen what it was. No corrosion, no rust, no sign of wear, just a clean break.
Stop it already.
The back of my mind can't fit another worry in there while driving the vette.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,429
Likes: 14
From: CA
Originally Posted by Raydon 3000
I was just driving down a city street in traffic. Took off from a red light. The road had a few patched places but it really wasn't rough. Didn't even get to second gear. Heard a loud bang and then metal draging. Thought it was an exhaust pipe mounting bracket that had broke. Pulled over to the curve. Got out and seen what it was. No corrosion, no rust, no sign of wear, just a clean break.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,437
Likes: 1,463
From: Little Rock AR
I have the TRW 355 LB rate spring that was installed about 10 years ago. It has the AOS trademark on it. I had it replaced by a Vette shop so I can not say how they got the ride height so perfect but it is. Probably used longer bolts as most people use. The 355# rate is not realy bad at all with the Bilstein shocks but it was pretty bouncy with the GM shocks on there. Other than the need for better shocks I have no complaints. The 355# spring seems to be a good match to the stock base front springs on my 1980. I have also backdated the L-82 engine to L-46 specs but otherwise the car is stock.
Hope this helps.
-Mark.
Hope this helps.
-Mark.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2003
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Likes: 241
From: Niles, MI
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 4,135
Likes: 1
i have the trw mono leaf and am glad i changed from leafs- i bought 2 sets- the 1st time the shop that installed it broke the cover so i put in a beefed up cover and the 2nd shop put in some cheezie 7 leaf & i didnt like the ride ,,,so when doing the body off i went with the mono leaf and couldnt be happier----also i have the composite springs on my astro van and after 300,000 miles the ride height is still like new..do that with a leaf!!!---
Last edited by carl a; Nov 13, 2004 at 08:11 PM.
Cruising
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Oryou could just have the broken leaf replaced. Any good spring shop could build one and re-arch the stosk ones back to original height. It's no big deal. Metal fatigue is probably the culprit so IMO I'd slap a fresh one in.