Ride height question
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 80
Likes: 1
Ride height question
Hello guys and thanks for taking the time to read my post. I’m trying to put my c6 wheels on my c4 Iv seen someone do this on a post I found here and I have the spacer/adapter specs for them to go on good. My only problem is, the previous owner before me lowered the car and I’m not sure how they did it and I’m not sure how far I need to raise it, but my front tires will rub on top. My rear is at stock height but my front is about two inches low. Is there something I can buy that can move and adjust my ride height up 1 to 2 maybe 3 inches. I literally can not fit a closed fist under the front of my car and I don’t even have big fists. Maybe adjustable coil overs or just maybe tell me how to adjust it without buying anything. It’s an 87 C4. Thanks again for your time. All replies are appreciated
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 80
Likes: 1
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 80
Likes: 1
I looked under car and seen that I have cracks running down the center of my leaf spring and I did notice some two pads on each end of the crossmember on top of the leaf spring that are about a half inch thick
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 80
Likes: 1
you think buying a new leaf spring with stock spacers on it and maybe some new shocks will put me back at stock height ?
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 80
Likes: 1
I’m having a hard time finding a new front mono spring. My code is HMP and most springs I find are for an 88 and up but they look identical to mine. If I get one of those will it be a direct fit? I know different years had a different loads and mine is like a 57.2 but my car rides ruff as hell rn anyway so I figured anything would be better than what I’m at.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
5 Best & 5 Worst Corvette Daily Drivers
Joe Kucinski
The Headlights of Every Corvette Generation Explained
Joe Kucinski
5 Best & 5 Most Overrated Corvette Track Packages of All Time!
Joe Kucinski
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 6,192
Likes: 750
From: near the thumb in the mitten
Cracks aren't good but not really common. Chevrolet softened ride in 85. The GEN 1 cars are all firm. The GEN 2 aren't much better. The LT1 cars the ride got softer every year until the end. A base FE1 85-87 spring canbe found on eBay or the many specialized used Corvette part sites. Post a WTB Thread in parts sub forum someone will ping you.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 80
Likes: 1
I found a set of bolt in coilovers but they are pricey. About 1300 dollars. My question is can I add coil overs without taking the mono spring out. Can I just leave it in for added support or am I being crazy?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 6,192
Likes: 750
From: near the thumb in the mitten
Spending a few minutes used springs running under 200. To install coil overs the old spring should be removed. IMO If you're not tracking or auto x they are not worth the expense. You would want to check with sanctioning body how they will effect classification.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 80
Likes: 1
the reason I’m getting coil overs because I want to adjust my ride height to put c6 wheels on. Someone before me lowered my car and I have the car jacked up now on cinder blocks 3 tall and I don’t wanna go any higher and it’s still not high enough to pull the mono spring out so I think I’m going to leave it in so I can put regular shocks on it in the future if I ever decide to buy another one, just a stick. I’ll buy the bolt in coil overs so I can get my ride height tall enough to put my wheels on, which should be somewhere around stock hight, and get the right spacers for the wheels and I should be good to go right?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,125
Likes: 2,001
From: St. Charles MO
Okay, I'm glad you started a separate thread for this. A few thoughts:
- If your current spring has the pads still on the ends, it wasn't lowered intentionally. It sounds like it's broken and your car is riding on the bump stops. Even heavily lowered C4s can run reasonable tires without rubbing, as long as tire diameter doesn't go past 26.1". So I think you need to replace that spring!
- 88-96 front leaf springs don't interchange with earlier ones. You need a spring from an 84-87 C4.
- As per the other thread where you asked, you should not add coilovers to an existing leaf spring. Choose one or the other. But I agree with Kevova that you really don't need coilovers if you just want to get to stock or near-stock ride height.
- Beware of $1300 coilover kits. It's extremely likely that they have really crappy dampers and/or aren't made very well. Also, most kits aren't made for 84-87 C4s because the front shock towers are so narrow. You're in for a lot more hassle with coilovers than you are by just replacing your spring with one that isn't broken.
- Buy a really good and jack stands and get the car up in the air so you can replace the spring. With due respect, if you don't have the tools to do that job, you really don't want to mess with coilovers.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 80
Likes: 1
Okay, I'm glad you started a separate thread for this. A few thoughts:
- If your current spring has the pads still on the ends, it wasn't lowered intentionally. It sounds like it's broken and your car is riding on the bump stops. Even heavily lowered C4s can run reasonable tires without rubbing, as long as tire diameter doesn't go past 26.1". So I think you need to replace that spring!
- 88-96 front leaf springs don't interchange with earlier ones. You need a spring from an 84-87 C4.
- As per the other thread where you asked, you should not add coilovers to an existing leaf spring. Choose one or the other. But I agree with Kevova that you really don't need coilovers if you just want to get to stock or near-stock ride height.
- Beware of $1300 coilover kits. It's extremely likely that they have really crappy dampers and/or aren't made very well. Also, most kits aren't made for 84-87 C4s because the front shock towers are so narrow. You're in for a lot more hassle with coilovers than you are by just replacing your spring with one that isn't broken.
- Buy a really good and jack stands and get the car up in the air so you can replace the spring. With due respect, if you don't have the tools to do that job, you really don't want to mess with coilovers.
These coilovers should bolt right in with no hassle
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 80
Likes: 1
The pads at the ends of my mono spring are only about a 1/4 inch thick but I agree with you that it’s broke or even weak at that. I’m pretty set on coil overs. I think they are really cool and I can perfect my ride height to the T.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,125
Likes: 2,001
From: St. Charles MO
Don't bet on it. Someone else here installed those same units and the rears hit the halfshafts. At issue is the fact that the lower rear mounts are too close to the halfshafts and, if you don't brace them well, they are too weak to handle cantilevering the shock mount further forward off of them. Also at issue: where are you going to get different front springs in that oddball narrow diameter if you decide you want other rates? I wouldn't buy this kit. Maybe if they'll let you buy just the fronts, it might be okay...maybe.