I decided to leave the shims out. Just like instructions said. We'll see how it looks and works tomorrow.
Once I put the pieces below the brackets it tightend right up to the frame with a littl ehelp from the jack on each side. I don't know how to tell if the spring is hitting or not. You can't really tell until the weight of the car is on the wheels. Guess I'll have to put it on the ramps a have a look.

 

One more question. The shims you are talking about. Mine only had one thick shim on top of the wedge, and that was already in the car. Are their other shims associated with the factory set up or the kit. My car was lowered by someone 11 years ago, so I have no idea if there were any other aluminum/steel shims in this set up.
All I had was the 3/8 inch thick spacer that goes above the wedge.

 

No other ones. Just that one each side that has the bolt holes in it. Did you read those instructions I sent a link to? "Discard any shims that may have been between the rubber bumpers and the frame. They will not be used". Mine were about a 1/4" thick.

No problems with questions....hope it helps and s#!t, I hope all of this works!

In my case I have to take the lower left Control Arm off next week to replace that lower ball joint. Those things are $100.00 and change! a piece! I might have torn the rubber but it had seen better days anyway. Grease was all in the arm.

 

The ball joints are cheaper at Rock Auto or Vette Brake and Products. Get MOOG (first choice) DANA or AC DELCO, as they fit, and most are too big.
Sorry, the instructions keep saying shims, but allot of years had the one, so I was trying to figure out where all these shims you and others have talked of.

 

Damn Steve, you don't sleep any better than I do!

I ordered Moog. I've heard all those stories about those things not fitting very well. Thanks for the heads up though!

Opps, I just saw where you are located.....

 

I start my VBP front suspension installation today. How the heck do I take off the upper shim, it is glued to the factory rubber mount. I tried screwdriver, pry bar and even got a chunk off my knee trying. This is a must so if any of you can give me a special trick for this, reply or send me a PM.

 

PM sent

 

Thanks to Wev's Vet

I was able to remove the shims and now I feel confident for tomorrows installation. VBP really does not provides a detailed installation procedure.

 

PLRX , post everything you do including whether you used the shim above the urethane wedge, and how much of your retainer you cut off. The retainer should touch the shim or frame (if you dont use shim) before torqueing , I believe.

 

[quote=PLRX;1565126221]Thanks to Wev's Vet

I was able to remove the shims and now I feel confident for tomorrows installation. VBP really does not provides a detailed installation procedure.

WOW! What a difference in springs!
PLRX, looks like you're going low/low......Can't wait to see the finished result!
The MAM kit has a detailed PDF file of their installation instructions online. Although I think it leaves a lot to be desired because of the years covered. Might be of some help to you. The frame has indentions in it that those spacers or aluminum shimns Steve40th is talking about in the next post. Leaving them out makes the spring really close to the frame If not touching it slightly. The instructions say to discard them, they will not be needed. Also, the MAM kit says to glue the wedges onto the frame. This is opposite of all the pictures I have seen of this procedure. Even on your VBP they are on the spring itself. You can't really tell how close the spring/frame is until the weight of the car is on the spring. Because of the flex or arch in the VPB spring, it looks like this isn't going to be an issue for you.

Great Pics! Good job! Glad to be of some help.
-Mike

 

You are correct, there are indentations there and I was not feeling right about installing the monospring without them. I install them (hand tight) last week and I noticed the monospring touches the frame, I called VBP and they stated that once you put the "tons of pounds of pressure" on it the monospring will come off the frame.

This is happening today, I will take pictures and post them tonight if I get a Wi-Fi signal from the neighbor .

The VBP package I got is the C4 Sports Kit. I have the rear monospring with the strut rods and all poly bushings. Looks like the rear will be an easier installation.

 

I can see the spring coming away from the frame when loaded down. Makes sense, and many people have done it, its just no one has asked or said anything about it.

 

Well that makes me feel a lot better! I had actually said something to Steve along those lines in some post we had together. That when the weight of the car was on the wheels it would flex off the frame. If that spring you are using will come off the frame I know the OE will. No comparison in the two. Thanks for the heads up!!

 

There seem to be a lot of little details that are among the missing....but that's ok. Some of them are out there now!

 

Also, whenever we talked of "shims" I only had one shim. My Vette was lowered by someone else, and my FSM only showed one. In this thread here, you can see he had two shims. Now I know that with the spring flexing, and me only having one shim I can take it out as others have.
http://www.nswcorvettes.com.au/forum...d.php?tid=4992

 

cool, another Corvette Forum...CF, CAC, DC and now NSW

 

Sorry to bring this back from the grave, but I'm lost.

Is the top of the wedge supposed to hit the frame with the aluminum retainers in all the way?

Even with my retainers in all the way, the wedge does not touch the frame--with the nuts all the way up on the bolt threads.

Thanks much for your help guys

 

You have to compress the spring before you tighten the retainers down. Otherwise the center of the arch will hit the frame and nothing else. The early cars also have aluminum plates underneath, you can use these to limit spring down travel while on jack stands. (Or hook the lca's back up and use the shocks).

It is tricky to keep the spring centered while compressing it, if you don't it will pop out of either control arm or slide around so the wedges aren't lined up with the aluminum shims.

Better yet, stay away from these junk lowering wedges. Unless you've found some magic glue, they will come off. I've tried everything.