I have a crack in both of my transverse spring courtesy of PO. I bought a couple of springs off of CL hoping I could adapt them (they were cheap enough). They look like straight up track springs I don't know if they were made for an earlier c4 or what. Mine is an '89. The rear doesn't have the 'cup' that the bushing sits in, nor does it have the insulators/shim deal in the center that sits against the carrier, although it lines up and I can bolt it up. I was curious if it would be possible for me to transfer the insulators to this new spring but the old spring has rubber rivets (or something like that) holding the insulators in place. Has anybody encountered this before? Both front and rear aren't tapered like my car is. Maybe these are for an 84? The front spring came with cream colored spacers and is just an arced rectangular shape with absolutely nothing on it. Just a piece of fiberglass. The rear seems useable, but I have my doubts about the front. I don't see these as permanent, but it beats the hell out of fractured springs anyway.

 

No.....

you can;t just swap C4 springs around without knowing the EXACT yr,and the spring CODE and the suspension kit.

Look on the top right side of the spring....there is a small metal tag there that has a code..NYU..NRU, something like that. Thats code is CRITICAL in knowing what will or will NOT fit your car. The C4 suspension changed a couple times over the yrs so the springs changed too.
Rears are a bunch of choices but fronts usually only have 1 or 2 options.
You need to get YOUR code off your current spring. Find the suspension chart here or at corvette action center and look to see what options there are that work with your current code.

Your spring center mount does not necessarily need the shims, but IF it needs 1 to make the fit exact so there is no slop in the center mount, then it needs 1...some do NOT.
The rubber blocks that are made on the spring have to stay where they are and that is because it fits a different mount.
Cups as well. Different mounting bracket. Grommets too.

You have to use the springs designed to fit your chassis...they changed and cannot be intermingled unless you change the entire system...not practicle.
84-87 then 88 to 92? and then on to 96 were different IIRC.

These springs break because people spray degreaser on them that causes the epoxie resins to break chemically. There are GM service bulletins on this.

Find that suspension chart and a copy of the spring codes. If I can find mine I'll post it...but you want the NYR type code and need to know what others are the same generation.
BTW...the arc is going to determine just how hard or soft the ride might end up...a flat spring will hurt. Hard as a rock. A spring with a lot of arc will be a softer more comfortable ride for the street.
Good Luck..

remember, do your homework before you buy on CL or fleabay...once bought at a discount..its YOURS.

 

That sucks. Thanks for the detailed reply man I appreciate it. Like I said these springs have little arc they're track springs.

 

I understand...My current DD used to be a "sport-car" only, so I took the nice spring out and installed a flat stiff spring from an 84 (hardest yr of any) and now I have to live with a suspension that does not move unless I literally drive off a curb...more like a go-cart than a car. Painful on the streets of a city like Houston that has no interest in spending tax dollars on TAXPAYERS to give them decent roads...
anyway...

here is part of the spring chart. This at least shows you which yrs go on what and gives you the code that match your yr or not.

There is another part that tells you what the spring code means in lbs...how stiff or soft it is. I can tell you the sport or performance, Z51 or Z52 will be the hardest and the base is likely the softest....

Get the code off your car, top of the passenger side of the spring and compare...


Coupe, front

HMZ 84 w. Z51
BMB 84 base, 85-87 with w. Z51
HKX, HMP 85-87 base
FHA 88-91 base, 89-91 w. FX3&Z51
FHB 88-91 w. Z51
AA 90-91 w. ZR1
FSS 92-95 base, 92-93 w. FX3
FSK 92-95 w. Z07
FSM 92-95 w. ZR1
HA 94-95 w. FX3
22173028 96 base
17999032 96 w. Z51

Convertible, front

HMN 86-87
FHC 88-91 base, 89-91 w. FX3
FSR 92-95 base
JA 94-95 w. FX3
22173029 95 w. FX3
17999031 96

Coupe, rear

BMF 84 base
BMH 84 w. Z51
NYR 85 base(?) 86-93 base, 89-90 w. FX3&Z51, 90-91 w. ZR1
NYU 85-91 w. Z51, 92-95 w. Z07
RHY 92-95 w. ZR1, 96 w. Z51
RHZ 94-96 base

Convertible, rear

RCA 86-96
22112254 94-95 w. FX3

As you can see there are lots of options for the rear of the coupe, but also lots of specific yrs that ONLY fit certain yr models. if you shop around and know exactly which spring you can live with, you should be able to find a rear for $100 more or less and a front for maybe 150-200. Check the parts bin here, and do a general search on fleabay motors for that code that you need. Sometimes you can get lucky and find a decent used one. Small splinters are not reason to throw away, thats fairly common. There will be small defects but as long as there are no splits, cracks or deep gouges in the surface, the spring is usable. Its hard to find the cracks sometimes until the spring is flexed...otherwise the cracks closed up when the spring is relaxed and it can;t be seen...

 

I took a quick look at fleabay.....saw a couple for $100 and some others up to $350..

this was interesting...just over 1 day left to bid...right now at $17 ! ! !

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1985-87-CORV...sories&vxp=mtr

Most have the code in the ad so you know which you;re getting,. Can't go by the photos sometimes. I've bought from some of these guys and most are reliable and sell good stuff.

Thought I;d pass this along so maybe you can get headed in the right direction.

 

Spring/Suspension Chart

http://www.netmotive.net/articles/hib/c4/sustunch.pdf

 

Yeah I hear you man it's the same story here in California. What a joke it is. But anyways guys thanks for the top notch information. I'm about 15 miles away from where that spring is located. I was doing my axle hub assemblies and figured I was gonna throw a spring in there. The code is NYR 4 I believe. I'll have to take another look around and try to dump these springs back on CL if possible. Or give them away

 

Rears interchange 84-96.

Fronts interchange 88-96.

Spring rate code has no relevance to interchange.