adjustable front spring
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 13,956
Likes: 706
From: WI
Excellent, thank you! Do you happen to have any pictures of this mounted on the car? I'm curious how it looks close to the shock.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,181
Likes: 1
From: Manchester NH
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,181
Likes: 1
From: Manchester NH
Sorry, no pics of the front, just the rear suspension that I make & sell.
The bolt doesn't go through the perch but does ride on top of it. What I did was Gorilla glued a thin piece of Delrin (you could also use UHMW) to the perch web on the lower A-arm and then let the end of the bolt ride on that so it wouldn't tear up the aluminum.
If you took a cross section through the spring & bolt it would look something like this:
Hope this helps.
The bolt doesn't go through the perch but does ride on top of it. What I did was Gorilla glued a thin piece of Delrin (you could also use UHMW) to the perch web on the lower A-arm and then let the end of the bolt ride on that so it wouldn't tear up the aluminum.
If you took a cross section through the spring & bolt it would look something like this:
Hope this helps.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 190
Likes: 0
From: Tampa Florida
It spring time in vette land
You are correck sir. They dont make it for the old 86 hit the shock type adjuster and dont try to make it not hit the shock. you just have to buy the right weight spring and get lucky with cutting the thickness with the snap in shims . Beleave me they learned a lot from my stupidity. I go with a new week spring and put plastic shim at the tips to bring it up big zip lock holds it . If it wasnt for Gary more idiots would be parting out vets PS I have a 1986 spring for sale 80.$ + shipping
Last edited by Craig C.; Dec 12, 2008 at 10:07 PM. Reason: part
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,181
Likes: 1
From: Manchester NH
IIRC, it was about 1-1/2" but the hardware is relatively cheap so you could probably buy multiple lengths to have on hand when fitting. The longer the bolt the more adjustability you have.
I got about 1" just taking the shim stacks off the ends of the stock spring. I did not shave the middle mounting blocks, I figured I'd leave that in my back pocket if I needed it. I lowered the front of the car and got it corner weighted in just that 1".
No problem. The low friction surface seemed to help a lot. I'll be dis-assembling the front end in a couple weeks so I'll take pics then and post them back here.
Originally Posted by StealthLT4
Thanks for the liner description! I was considering modding my spring for this, but was concerned about what all that weight riding on a bolt on soft aluminum would do.
Last edited by astock165; Dec 12, 2008 at 11:52 PM.
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Race Director
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 13,956
Likes: 706
From: WI
Yes kind of, a hole is drilled then netsert pressed in. The bolt threads through that. For small adjustments without that you could jack up the spring end just a little and tap in thin shim to the end.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 14,133
Likes: 935
From: Fremont Ca
2022 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Sorry, no pics of the front, just the rear suspension that I make & sell.
The bolt doesn't go through the perch but does ride on top of it. What I did was Gorilla glued a thin piece of Delrin (you could also use UHMW) to the perch web on the lower A-arm and then let the end of the bolt ride on that so it wouldn't tear up the aluminum.
If you took a cross section through the spring & bolt it would look something like this:
Hope this helps.
The bolt doesn't go through the perch but does ride on top of it. What I did was Gorilla glued a thin piece of Delrin (you could also use UHMW) to the perch web on the lower A-arm and then let the end of the bolt ride on that so it wouldn't tear up the aluminum.
If you took a cross section through the spring & bolt it would look something like this:
Hope this helps.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 13,956
Likes: 706
From: WI
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,181
Likes: 1
From: Manchester NH
Here is a pic of the end of the spring with the threaded insert in place.
I've also fixed the link above to original F/S thread that has some additional pics.
And here is an updated sketch to show where the liner goes.
I've also fixed the link above to original F/S thread that has some additional pics.
And here is an updated sketch to show where the liner goes.
Last edited by astock165; Apr 2, 2009 at 08:24 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 14,133
Likes: 935
From: Fremont Ca
2022 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
I was going to post a picture now I cant find the thing,it looks like a mushrrom,the area that comes in contact with the spring is hard plastic type material.VB&P sells 3 adjusters of different heights..
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 30,847
Likes: 293
From: Boston, Dallas, Detroit, SoCal, back to Boston MA
I wonder if you could just use the C5/6 stuff
http://hardbarusa.com/hardbar/produc...products_id=48
http://hardbarusa.com/hardbar/produc...products_id=48
This kit is a replacement for the unavailable adjusters on the ends of your stock spring. It uses stainless steel threads so it will not “rust weld” itself in place like the stock pieces, and has CNC machined Delrin pads. Please specify front or rear for C6's.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,181
Likes: 1
From: Manchester NH
Gary & I actually tried it but the pucks for the C5/C6 are thicker than a C4 will tolerate. Thinning the puck led to failures as did some other ideas we tried. Because of the proximity of the spring end to the shock body this is a tough mod to get done well. I'm still working on a solution that I think is worthy of sharing with the forum.
