Rear spring spacers...What do they do???
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,516
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From: Lockport NY
Rear spring spacers...What do they do???
Been reading about lowering the rear; lots of talk about bolt length...But no one has mentioned the rear spring spacers...
My '86 vert has 3 x 3/16" alum plates between the spring rubber and the carrier (that would be on the top of the spring), each side...
Why are these there? What are they supposed to do? Who really shot Kennedy? :confused:
My '86 vert has 3 x 3/16" alum plates between the spring rubber and the carrier (that would be on the top of the spring), each side...
Why are these there? What are they supposed to do? Who really shot Kennedy? :confused:
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 130
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From: Torrance CA
Re: Rear spring spacers...What do they do??? (Rich B.)
They must serve to trim ride height. My coupe has one on top and two on the bottom. If I put all three on the bottom that should drop it 3/16ths, so I still need the long bolts to level the rear with my front (which I have lowered just over 1")
The vert has greater ride height to make extra clearance for the X brace, I wonder if they did the same thing to the front spring?
The vert has greater ride height to make extra clearance for the X brace, I wonder if they did the same thing to the front spring?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,516
Likes: 0
From: Lockport NY
Re: Rear spring spacers...What do they do??? (Kevin 88)
...???...
That doesn't sound right...To get them in or out you have to relieve spring pressure on them...Which means undoing the long bolts...
So why not just adjust height with the nut position on the bolt??? Why bother with shims???
I was thinking maybe it had something to do with a steel multi-leaf spring, like a normal car has...maybe GM was hedging their bets on whether the fiberglas spring would work or not...So they made the perch to accept either spring type...maybe... :crazy:
That doesn't sound right...To get them in or out you have to relieve spring pressure on them...Which means undoing the long bolts...
So why not just adjust height with the nut position on the bolt??? Why bother with shims???
I was thinking maybe it had something to do with a steel multi-leaf spring, like a normal car has...maybe GM was hedging their bets on whether the fiberglas spring would work or not...So they made the perch to accept either spring type...maybe... :crazy:
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 4,623
Likes: 2
From: Ohio
Re: Rear spring spacers...What do they do??? (Rich B.)
They are there to adjust ride height. You can lower the rear for about $4. If you want minimal reduction, you can flip the the shims from on top of the spring to under the spring. This will get you about a 1/2". If you want to go lower, just go to a Lowe's and get some longer grade 8 bolts and locknuts. Do your ride height measurements *under* the car by parking on a level surface and measuring the distance from the ground to the pinch welds. Don't set the ride height from side to side by measuring to the wheel arch. C4's are notoriously asymmetrical cosmetically.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 3,581
Likes: 1
From: Springfield VA
Re: Rear spring spacers...What do they do??? (Rich B.)
as h rocks said they are for height adjustment but the number and position of the spacers are dependent upon the spring weight. My 86 with FE1 has one up and two down, the 96 w/ FE1 has 3 up and one down. The 96 is about .5 to .75 inches higher than the 86. The Helms manual indicates that modifying the spacers may impact spring strength and ride performance.
I would tend to believe that it is pretty similiar to lengthening the shackles like the "shade tree" hot rodders back in the late 60's and early 70's did. They thought they would get better weight transfer by raising the rear-end. Instead it weaked the leafs.
I would tend to believe that it is pretty similiar to lengthening the shackles like the "shade tree" hot rodders back in the late 60's and early 70's did. They thought they would get better weight transfer by raising the rear-end. Instead it weaked the leafs.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 4,623
Likes: 2
From: Ohio
Re: Rear spring spacers...What do they do??? (96LT1)
I've been running mine for five years with them flipped to the under side of the spring, along with the long bolts. I can't tell you how popular that has been over the years. (especially with guys that run in "stock" classes that do not permit the use of the longer bolts.)
[Modified by h rocks, 10:34 AM 1/21/2002]
[Modified by h rocks, 10:34 AM 1/21/2002]
