bruced267

Just finished installling 469 lb springs from zip and now the car seems way to high in the front end. I did tighten the control arm bushings with only spring pressure on them! I also used a spring compressor to install them so lined up the bottom of the spring. is the top out as i read? are aluminum heads and intake droping to much weight? Help me?

lars

A couple of things...

First, you need to loosen those control arm bushings and allow the car to sit with the full weight on the suspension before tightening them up - if you tightened them with the wheels off the ground it will hold the car artificially high. The car must st on the suspension when you tighten them.

Second, there are 2 way you can align the springs: Most people line them up with the sight hole in the lower control arm since this is easiest. But it's the hole and spring pocket in the upper bracket that you really need to align to: Aftermarket springs will often not allow alignment with both the upper and the lower alignment holes at the same time. The upper bracket has a "pocket" that the spring needs to be seated into. If the spring is not clocked correctly in this upper pocket, the car can end up sitting high. So check the clocking of the spring in the upper retainer and forget the clocking in the lower arm.

If it still sits too high after this, cut a 1/2 coil and tailor the height to your liking.

stingry

:iagree:

Seating at the top makes a huge difference. This is also discussed in this thread:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=791644

bruced267

I know the bottom of the spring is lined up with the hole, is there any way to check the top? it sounds like the top is not seated? if thats the case how do i fix it ? and get it where it need to be? thanks

Jughead

I think those springs will compress one inch for every 469lb of downward force. If the same hold true then you'd need to loose 469lb on the front end to allow it to raise one inch. Don't think you get that with just an aluminum intake and heads.

Tighten the CA bushing bolts with full weight of the car on the springs. (ie: on ramps)

mandm1200

Although this is slightly off topic, I am going to post anyway. I have seen so much about the ride height of the car. In looking at the 76 assembly manual, the only measurements I have seen are referenced to the frame. They show precise locations where to make these measurements. Are most owners measuring the height of fender lip because it is more convienent? Or does Chevy have another way of measuring for different year vettes.

Mike

OkieVett

I had the same problem when I rebuilt my front end. Take the pressure off the springs by lowering the lower A arm, align the spring in the upper pocket, just barely touching the inspection hole. Put back together, previous posts are correct, learned the hard way, do not tighten anything until weight of car is on suspension, if still to high, cut half a coil.

Ken74Conv

Is there an approximation as to how much removing 1/2 coil will lower a small block car with stock springs?
:confused:

Vesa

------------------

Is there an approximation as to how much removing 1/2 coil will lower a small block car with stock springs?
--------------------

Cut one coil and you should get 30mm lower thats slightly more than 1", assumption is that you bent the new end looking roughly as the original end was bent.

:smash:
So 1/2 coil is something like 1/2"
:seeya

Vesa

...and if you cut 1 coil you should get change in spring rate also. Assuming you have stock 290/lb/in you shouls put 11% on so new rate is about 320lb/in.

:hurray: Thanks for FinnShark on this math-exercise.

FinnShark

I made some theoretical calculations about this coil cutting. I came to conclusion that cutting one coil will lower front end just a bit more than 1 inch. So I suppose that cutting 1/2 coil will lower the car about 1/2 inch. I made these calculations from a stock -75 spring.

It's not exactly linear that if you cut 1 coil you end up lowerin 1 inch and if you cut 1/2 coil it's 1/2 inch, but I suppose that it's accurate enough in this case... :cheers:

FinnShark

Thanks Vesa! You told also the spring rate change! :cheers:


[Modified by FinnShark, 3:36 PM 4/6/2004]

mbeeman350

I recently read an article in the November 2002 "Chevy High Performance" magazine about cutting front springs. They claim a ratio of 1 to 1.5 when cutting springs. That is, for every 1" you remove off the spring height (assuming 1" on a unistalled spring) will yield 1.5" change in height of the vehicle when installed. :cheers:

LiveandLetDrive

That's right, if the spring was at the balljoint, one inch would equal one inch drop. But it is about half way inboard on the arm, so one inch cut is probably close to 1.5" ideally.

-Chris

Vesa

ChevyHighPerfiormances ratio assumes quite a bit: the ratio will be different depending on the original rate and original lengt of the spring if my common sence works right - ansd most of all important is that you should bent the new end. But not a bad questimate anyway :hurray: