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when I started the restoration on the '79, I was not aware of all the great advise available here on this site. Anyway, as a result I made some bad choices. Anyway, now it time to try and sort a few things out. Once I set the body on the car I realized that the ride height was higher than I had hoped for. Right now in the front I have a set of Street and Slalom front springs, 550 lb/inch springs and in the back I have a TRW Style Heavy duty fiberglass spring with a 355 lb/inch rating.
What are your opinions on the height?
Are these springs to heavy for street use?
Drive the car about 3-4,000 miles to give the suspension time to settle down.....by then you will definitely know if the ride is too harsh....
and you will know how much to lower the car.
For example: I lowered my project car in the front/6 months later it is too low.....same with the rear suspension/now a full tank of gas and a new spare tire lowers it too much. I can easily put shorter spring bolts on the rear (with a full tank) to get it where I want it/on the front I can put a 1" urethane spacer under each spring to get the height back.
Looks too high in the front to me. I have same springs up front and mine is lower. Are your springs set all the way in the top spring pockets? I have 255/60/15 tires all around, so you're tire size may very.
In this pic I have slighly taller tires in front, but still looks lower than yours. I have 360# VBP rear spring and the rear tires in this pic are 255/60/15s. Sorry, but I don't have a better pic with the new tires all around and car is on stands getting new 200-4R tranny right now.
When I re-did my wife's '79, back in the mid '90s, I used VB&P's 550 lb/in springs in front, with 1/2 coil removed, and their 330 lb/in spring in the rear, with the ride height set to match the front.
Drive the car about 3-4,000 miles to give the suspension time to settle down.....by then you will definitely know if the ride is too harsh....
and you will know how much to lower the car.
For example: I lowered my project car in the front/6 months later it is too low.....same with the rear suspension/now a full tank of gas and a new spare tire lowers it too much. I can easily put shorter spring bolts on the rear (with a full tank) to get it where I want it/on the front I can put a 1" urethane spacer under each spring to get the height back.
thanks doorgunner: We just got it on the road last spring, maybe only got 1000 km on the suspension yet. No spare tire either.
C
Looks too high in the front to me. I have same springs up front and mine is lower. Are your springs set all the way in the top spring pockets? I have 255/60/15 tires all around, so you're tire size may very.
In this pic I have slighly taller tires in front, but still looks lower than yours. I have 360# VBP rear spring and the rear tires in this pic are 255/60/15s. Sorry, but I don't have a better pic with the new tires all around and car is on stands getting new 200-4R tranny right now.
Beautiful car redman76. I can see from the pic, your back spring is pretty close to level, mine still has quite a bow on it still. I have 255/60/15 on mine as well. I installed the 2004r during the resto. I love it, Beautiful looking car.
Remember that you shouldn't tighten the front control arms or the rear suspension until the car is on the ground at the proper weight. Then bounce it up and down a few times. If you didn't do that, the car will be high regardless of the rating on the springs.
When I re-did my wife's '79, back in the mid '90s, I used VB&P's 550 lb/in springs in front, with 1/2 coil removed, and their 330 lb/in spring in the rear, with the ride height set to match the front.
I'll probably wait and see how she sits after a get some miles on it but
if I decide on going that route, removing 1/2 a coil, do I remove it from the top or bottom. I hope the back end settles some too, if not I'll have to install longer bolts back there as well, the half shalf are still on a slight angle up towards the diff. Must be harder on everything than if they were straight. Anyone else here ever cut coils to lower ride height.
C
Beautiful car redman76. I can see from the pic, your back spring is pretty close to level, mine still has quite a bow on it still. I have 255/60/15 on mine as well. I installed the 2004r during the resto. I love it, Beautiful looking car.
Thanks. Can't wait to have the OD plus high stall converter. Car sounds awesome cruising 3000 rpm on the Interstate, but can't afford the gas to go too far. here is better shot of front w/ old tires. Double check everything . . . Pockets and bushings. If I had cut mine, I would have been sorry . . . Low enough as it is for me.
Last edited by redman76; Jan 28, 2015 at 08:55 PM.
Remember that you shouldn't tighten the front control arms or the rear suspension until the car is on the ground at the proper weight. Then bounce it up and down a few times. If you didn't do that, the car will be high regardless of the rating on the springs.
Good advise, guess i have to try loosening everything up and re tighten it under weight.
Thanks. Can't wait to have the OD plus high stall converter. Car sounds awesome cruising 3000 rpm on the Interstate, but can't afford the gas to go too far. here is better shot of front w/ old tires. Double check everything . . . Pockets and bushings. If I had cut mine, I would have been sorry . . . Low enough as it is for me.
redman, u have the stance I want. I cruise at about 2300 before I installed the lock-up kit. hoping that will drop another 2 to 300 when I get back out this spring with the lock-up working.
Loosen all the upper and lower control arm bolts 2turns.....then bounce the front suspension with. Your body weight....the car will lower in the front if there was a preload on the bushings.....then re torque ALL the bushing bolts.
The coil spring is wound tighter on one end....cut 1/2 "wrap" off the tightly wound end on both coils.....reinstall them, make sure the bottom ends of the coils sit against the formed stops in the lower control arms.....also make sure that the tightly wound ends are in the TOP control arm pockets.
Drive the car about 10 miles on all types of roads to get the suspension to settle down.
Then decide if another 1/2 wrap needs to be removed.
i have the 550 pound front springs with 3/4 of a coil or 2.5" cut off the total length . and i have the 360 pound rear spring, with QA1 shocks and it rides better than stock. i have 275-60-15 tires in the rear and 255-60-15 tires in front.i am most pleased with how it handles. I'm thinking of going to Mickey Thompson S/R tires as the radial T/A ands cooper cobra tires have NO grip and i don't want to go 17 or 18" on wheels. was thinking about Avon Tires but at about $450.00 each its nuts.
I'll probably wait and see how she sits after a get some miles on it but if I decide on going that route, removing 1/2 a coil, do I remove it from the top or bottom. I hope the back end settles some too, if not I'll have to install longer bolts back there as well, the half shalf are still on a slight angle up towards the diff. Must be harder on everything than if they were straight. Anyone else here ever cut coils to lower ride height.
C
It's been quite a while since I did that job, but as I remember, the Corvette has "pockets" for each end of the coil spring to locate in. The frame has one, and the lower control arm has one. In order to have the spring locate in these "pockets" correctly, you take an equal amount off each end of the spring.
I measured around the OD of the spring to get a number. For some reason, I seem to recall it was 10". So I measured back 5" from each end of the spring, and that's where I made my cut. I used a cut-off wheel in an angle grinder.
Looking at the picture that "redman" posted in post #13, the front view of his car, that's about the same height as my wife's car was, after I finished the spring swap.
Ride height advise.
