rickcarson8500

If someone were to replace the stock nine leaf transverse rear spring with a replacement seven leaf spring, would a 64 vette sit high, low or "even" in the rear?

Why would anyone replace want to replace a nine leaf spring that is correct to the car with an incorrect seven leaf spring? Please omit financial or ignorance based reasons. Is there any legitimate reason for such action?

A-Snake

The ride height between 'original' 7 leaf and 9 leaf springs should be the same. The 7 leaf is just stiffer. Changing to longer bolts on the ends of the springs will change the ride height. Longer bolts, lower ride height.

magicv8

I did it to mine and the car sat even.

I did it so I could stop using air shocks for cross country trips to go mountain hiking with my wife, 2 suitcases, 2 hiking packs, camera gear, a cooler, and a full compliment of tools.

Without the air shocks jacked up to 90 pounds, I would have to realign the headlamps so I could see the highway at night, then reset them when the load was removed. With the 7 leaf, the lights were fine, loaded or not.

Bill Lacy

The car should set the same with eather spring.

rickcarson8500

Hey Guys;

Greatly appreciate the input!!

Would there ever be a valid/mechanical reason to replace original 9 leafs with 7's?

427Hotrod

Because you want the rear end to be stiffer for handling, drag strip launches, carrying a load, keeping tires from rubbing etc etc.

I installed a 5 leaf Daytona spring with an additional main leaf to get mine to launch and handle the power without bouncing around like crazy. Works perfectly and still rides Ok to me.


"Correct" just means someone ordered the base suspension when it was new and not the heavier duty package (front and rear). Has no bearing on whether it is *correct* for what the car is actually being used for today unless it's to just restore it back to whatever it came with. The 9 leaf might well be the perfect spring depending on intended usage...or not.

JIM

rickcarson8500

Thanks Jim;

I did think about installing an "after-market" yet FAR superior leaf but I am trying to keep it "factory correct". Greatly appreciate the input!

Rick

JohnZ

Every '64 came with the standard 9-leaf spring, unless F41 suspension was ordered, and it was only available on L84 fuelies.

rickcarson8500

Mine is an L84 Fuelie. however, the F41 suspension option was apparently not ordered. In your opinion, should it have been ordered? Further, if it was an ordered option, would it have been manufactured with a 7 leaf spring?

THX for the input--valuable information!!

JohnZ

Unless the car was road-raced, all F41 did was to make the car ride harder. If ordered with F41, they came with a 7-leaf spring.

rickcarson8500

Thanks John!

Would the F41 option cause the "ride height" to be any different than a non F41--that is one having the nine leaf spring. Or, same height?

JohnZ

Same ride height - just stiffer spring rate.

A-Snake

See reply #2

toddalin

Typically, the rear end (and even front springs) would sit higher with most any aftermarket spring. This is because the midyears are light and the springs tend to be made "generic" for the heavier C3s.

Both my '64 (and '70) looked like giraffes after changing the springs. Longer spring bolts and cutting a coil in front are/were the answer.

rickcarson8500

Thanks Todd;

In your opinion, would a weak t-spring result in the rear tires "bowing" or "cambering" inward at the top. Or the converse, with your replacement, overly-hyped rear spring, did you rear tires seem to dip outwards at the top?

magicv8

Since the rear wheel spindle assembly has to pivot about the differential with any change in vertical position, the camber changes when the ride height is changed- for any reason.

JohnZ

As I explained in your other thread, rear camber is adjustable via the cam bolts at the inboard ends of the strut rods, once correct ride height is established - it's not a fixed system.

Mike Ward

Even the heaviest of the later C3s don't sit properly with some of the aftermarket springs. never understood why the manufacturers couldn't get it right.

Procrastination Racing

Rick, I don't know why you bothered to open this thread, since he had the information, and would have gotten what he needed in it. As John explains above, here is the rear suspension.



Under the differential in front of the spring is a bracket that the two strut rods go to. The bolts holding them are in cam washers that when loosened, allow you to move the rods in and out to adjust the camber.

As you can see the spring really does nothing to move the tire in or out at top or bottom other than letting it go to the limits of its geometry which may let it tilt in or out depending on what else is out of adjustment.

Ideally, when sitting normal, the half shafts should be parallel to the ground. If at an extreme like this, the wheels could tilt the wrong way.