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Hello,
This forum was instrumental in getting my car running again. Thank you!
Now that it runs right it's time to get it riding right. I have noticed a few things. When the car goes over a bump and bounces the rear end bounces side to side. You can feel it kick out a little to one side. I have also noticed there is some camber in the back tires when sitting still. I am not sure if this is a normal amount, see pic.
I also noticed the rear spring has a small strip of fiberglass glass hanging off of it on the underside, almost like a small split on the passenger side. The car also has more clearance over the passenger tire than the drivers side by several inches. The drivers side does not have a split in the spring. Not sure how to figure out why it sits like that. How would you suggest I go about finding the issue?
Things I know I need to do.
1. Shocks - suggestions besides Bilstein are welcome.
2. Bushings
Should I change out the leaf spring? I see new ones run about $550 at Ecklers. I saw Ebay ones for around $175 - but I don't think I want to go with a used suspension part??
Last edited by Furias15x; Nov 7, 2020 at 02:19 AM.
Don't go with a used spring unless you're damn sure it wasn't in an accident. Else you could end up with a spring just as bad as the one you already have. And from what you've described, yours is pretty bad. Be thankful it's the rear--the front springs don't appear to be in production right now. Vansteel sells new springs for both FE1 and Z51 spring rates, so check them out as well. Heck Ecklers is probably selling their springs, if I had to wager a guess.
For shocks it depends on how crazy you want to go. If you just need the car to sit properly and drive properly, Gabriel makes cheap shocks that do work properly. I have them on my car and I've raced it--they do the job. They're not amazing by any means, but they do what a shock is expected to do.
That is not a normal amount of camber unless you just lifted the car. If you lift the car, because of how our suspension works, it plays wonky with the camber. But the moment the car is allowed to roll and settle, it should even out again. If it doesn't, something's wrong. Probably that leaf spring.
That's (not) funny. My '96 has an area of delamination on the LH side rear spring. I have marked the area boundaries to see if it will grow. Here is a photo of it.
Negative camber for the rear tires are normal; if they had positive, they were abnormal.
Did you buy the car from an owner in Cleveland OH ?
My 85 had delamination on the rear spring when I bought it in March. I replaced it with a 94 spring from AES Corvette parts in Detroit. $140. It rides very nicely and I'm satisfied with it. The only problem I had was the long bolts that hold the spring into the center carrier snapped when I removed them. It was an easy drill and re-tap to make it work, but go heavy with the WD-40 on the bolts as you remove them. It will save you a bunch of time and PITA. DO NOT drive with this as is. If it snaps, the wheels go into the wheelwells and that's the end of driving it. It's not nice to see. Apparently it used to happen all the time with Cadillacs of the same period and was a real problem after it snapped. Replace it NOW.
Sorry I just saw this thread, so I'm late to the party. I agree, you should replace that spring. But I doubt that's the source of your sideway hopping and uneven clearance from side to side. You should carefully check the four U-joints in the halfshafts for play. On a C4, the halfshafts also serve as the upper lateral link, so if a U-joint starts going bad you get slop in the suspension. It will also tend to make the car change steering from on-throttle to off. Finally, you should carefully check your wheel bearings in the back. When I see lots of camber (that wasn't intentionally set that way) in the rear of a C4, I tend to think about wheel bearings first.
Here are my monosprings. I did purchase a used set from sleezyrider, I hope they're in good shape (and not been in an accident )
The 1st picture is the front and the car is lower, there is a dip in my(long) driveway and unless I slow down, the front will hit
Last edited by vette196; Nov 11, 2020 at 12:23 PM.
Here are my monosprings. I did purchase a used set from sleezyrider, I hope they're in good shape (and not been in an accident )
The 1st picture is the front and the car is lower, there is a dip in my(long) driveway and unless I slow down, the front will hit
i do hope those pictures are of your old springs. i do not recall the springs i sold to you looking like that.
Mine dont look that bad. Yikes. But my car bounces so bad in the back its terrible.
I ordered a new spring, new shocks, new bushings. That was a nice hit to the wallet. I have totally destroyed the budget on this "free" car. I keep seeing posts where C4 are the best bang for the buck..... Oh what webs they weave.... I do look forward to do the work. I like working on this car.
I will check the wheel bearings for play in all directions when the car is on the jack stands. It has that camber on both sides so that leads me to believe spring is not helping.
With the rear end jacked up off the ground and the car in gear/park but no parking brake on, try rotating each rear tire while keeping a close eye on both u-joints in that side's halfshaft. If the halfshaft moves at all, in any direction, it's probably failing. The good news is these parts are cheap. If you do the replacement yourself (see youtube), it won't hurt your budget.
With the rear end jacked up off the ground and the car in gear/park but no parking brake on, try rotating each rear tire while keeping a close eye on both u-joints in that side's halfshaft. If the halfshaft moves at all, in any direction, it's probably failing. The good news is these parts are cheap. If you do the replacement yourself (see youtube), it won't hurt your budget.
I am seeing 17 a piece. Thats not bad at all. May as well order those too and do it while I am in there. I am the king of "while I am in there..." hahahaha
I am seeing 17 a piece. Thats not bad at all. May as well order those too and do it while I am in there. I am the king of "while I am in there..." hahahaha
Ideally, the news is good but not quite that good: you want non-greasable, coated Spicer u-joints 5-3615x. Still, $26 is not a big outlay. The Moog equivalent is probably second best. There are arguments out there that the coating isn't needed - it's there to protect from corrosion between the steep cap and the aluminum yoke - but you definitely don't want greasable u-joints because they are significantly weaker due to being hollow inside the "X."
Ideally, the news is good but not quite that good: you want non-greasable, coated Spicer u-joints 5-3615x. Still, $26 is not a big outlay. The Moog equivalent is probably second best. There are arguments out there that the coating isn't needed - it's there to protect from corrosion between the steep cap and the aluminum yoke - but you definitely don't want greasable u-joints because they are significantly weaker due to being hollow inside the "X."
Thank you
Got them ordered. Is it weird that I think I like working on the car as much or more than I like driving it?
I am seeing 17 a piece. Thats not bad at all. May as well order those too and do it while I am in there. I am the king of "while I am in there..." hahahaha
I think I have you beat on the "while I'm in there". I started with getting new tires on the 91 I just bought and have everything but the diff out of the car.................
I think I have you beat on the "while I'm in there". I started with getting new tires on the 91 I just bought and have everything but the diff out of the car.................
I am right behind you. I have the shocks now, U-joints on the way, spring on the way, and just got all the bushings. Looks I will have to take the diff out too to do the bushings. But that way I can get it real clean to match the trans and the motor.
1996 suspension
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