Spring Preload
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 878
Likes: 2
From: BC
Spring Preload
Hopefully just a quick one here - I'm got an 85 that had base springs and I've just swapped in some 84 Z51 springs.
Now on the rear I had longer bolts for lowering. My question is do I set the nut at the same place it used to be? Doing so would mean that when jacked up the spring would have no preload on it at all (The nut would be a couple of inches off of the spring!)
Right now I've done the nut up so the spring has just started to preload. Its about 2" higher than it would normally be.
Now on the rear I had longer bolts for lowering. My question is do I set the nut at the same place it used to be? Doing so would mean that when jacked up the spring would have no preload on it at all (The nut would be a couple of inches off of the spring!)
Right now I've done the nut up so the spring has just started to preload. Its about 2" higher than it would normally be.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 372
Likes: 1
From: Corunna Mi
If the front is now a Z51 spring and the rear is also a Z51 spring I would NOT use the longer bolts. You want to keep the rear higher than the longer bolts will allow.
Are you going to autocross or road race the car? If you want to just use it for a DD then you can "soften" the rear by using the longer bolts but without "corner weighting" you will not get maximum handling. What shocks and bars do you have? What are your plans for the car?
Are you going to autocross or road race the car? If you want to just use it for a DD then you can "soften" the rear by using the longer bolts but without "corner weighting" you will not get maximum handling. What shocks and bars do you have? What are your plans for the car?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 878
Likes: 2
From: BC
The more I think about this - the orginal bolts were to be set at a fixed position. I've never seen different length bolts offered for different years/springs so they must all mount in the same place.
Seems to make sense...
Seems to make sense...
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 878
Likes: 2
From: BC
If the front is now a Z51 spring and the rear is also a Z51 spring I would NOT use the longer bolts. You want to keep the rear higher than the longer bolts will allow.
Are you going to autocross or road race the car? If you want to just use it for a DD then you can "soften" the rear by using the longer bolts but without "corner weighting" you will not get maximum handling. What shocks and bars do you have? What are your plans for the car?
Are you going to autocross or road race the car? If you want to just use it for a DD then you can "soften" the rear by using the longer bolts but without "corner weighting" you will not get maximum handling. What shocks and bars do you have? What are your plans for the car?
I failed an inspection on front lower ball joints - I've had the springs sitting around so changed them while the front end was apart. Not ideal but its done now.
Its not a DD and gets driven hard. I want to do some AutoX and Road Course stuff this year if I can. Shocks and rear bar are already on the wish list
Racer
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 372
Likes: 1
From: Corunna Mi
Then you are about 90% to where you want to be for autocross or road race. If you want to play in NCCC group 1 or 1S you need the stock bolts but other sanctioning bodies are probably not a problem. The longer bolts can be a "tuning" option. Get some good tires and have a blast! 
A new alignment will really help.
A new alignment will really help.
