Recently, I have rebuilt my entire front end. I also added the 1 1/4" front sway bar. The front end sits too high for my tastes and is too stiff. Since everything else on the car was factory and seemingly original except for the shocks, I am assuming the springs are factory too. I will also mention that since I rebuild everything the car seems to sit even higher and is stiffer than before. The only thing that really seemed shot when I rebuilt it was the front lower control arm front side bushings. I want a softer front spring that sits lower. Any suggestions?
A Moog 5230 definately soft and helps traction, but It may have your fenderwell height at about 25-25 1/2". However, these springs can be cut a little without rising springrate much. Try a band saw cut 1/2 coil or 1 coil. They will settle a little within a few months, so consider 1/4 to 1/2 inch for that. I tried to pull up the moog spring chart but could't. I'm still looking for another small wire spring about 1 inch shorter than the 5230.
It has been my experience that going with stock replacements, the cars always sit higher. I liked the stance on my car already and I didn't want to change it so I gambled that the original springs had settled through the years and I bought Hotchkis 1" drop springs. Actually, the fronts are 1" drop and the rears were advertised as 1"-2" drop. I couldn't be happier with my choice because the car sits within 1/4" of where it was before the new springs. It rides just as nice as it did before the swap and it handles better. What a relief to experience one of life's little victories
I bought a set of 65 impala ac springs, then cut 3/4's of a coil and am very happy with my results. :beer
Here's a Moog chart online::TU: http://pozziracing.com/Media/spring_chart.jpg I also have the old Moog catalog here. Only spring listed for the 65 Special and Skylark is a #5246, V6 and 300, without A/C, but it's shown as a HD spring. A 5230 is listed for a 64 Special V6. Other 64's use the heavier 5236 and 5246. A couple of choices there for you Gary, like the shorter 5232. Steven, best to measure the wire diameter of the springs you have now for a starting point. Then for a softer ride, go to a smaller dia. Just for comparison, a 66 Skylark GS uses a #6033 spring with a 0.660" wire....much heavier than you guys are using!
I'm definitely thinking of going with 1 or 2 inch drop coils on mine too. That seems to be a good solution because these cars did sit high from the factory and I think they look better lowered in the front. Wonder if over the years these coils with compress also and then give an even lower stance???
It seems likely that they will but mine have been in for 3 1/2 years now and so far have not settled lower yet.
Here's a larger picture of my avatar, and a shot from the rear. Perhaps it will show the stance a little better.
Your car has the perfect stance Bill. What size sway bar do you have on the front and how stiff is your front suspension? I can stand on my front bumper at it might drop about an inch.
The front suspension is really not stiff at all. It will drop about 3/4" if I stand on the bumper (185lbs). The front sway bar is a 1" that I pilfered off a `70 GS350 car. It's not a canyon carver but it does handle considerably better than it did with the original suspension and it rides nice. I also added stock rear boxed arms and factory sway bar and Monroe Sensa-Trac shocks.
Measuring from the floor straight up past the wheel center cap to the bottom of the wheel opening molding I get 24 1/4" on the front and 23" in the rear. And just for the sake of comparison because your tires may be a different diameter I get 12 3/8" from the floor to the center of the wheel on the front and 13 1/2" on the rear, which is not necessarily the tire diameters because of the bulge of the radial on the floor. Hope this helps.
Mine is 23 in the back too, but the front is a hair over 27". It was not this high in the front before I rebuilt all the suspension. I am wondering if I got the springs seated in the pockets right.
While that's certainly a possibility, my first thought is, does the car sit level in the front? It seems like you would have to get both sides in wrong for it to sit that high and level o No:
After thinking about it. I think I put them in upside down actually. I remember my spring coils being flattened on one end and not on the other end. Then I thought about the shape of the lower control arms to allow for the end of the non flattened end to fit into, I am thinking this may be the difference. I really have no other explanation for the front end being 2" higher after rebuilding it.
Mine sits a touch lower on one side, maybe i've put one in upside down like you are explaining here. It's bugging the hell out of me. Thanks, Gary
There are two big 'tabs' that protrude down from the frame that center the spring on the top side. Take a look up in the spring pocket before you install the spring and you'll see them. You absolutely have to have them on the inside on the spring, which is not always easy to do but it is a necessity in order for the spring to seat correctly. Then just make sure the bottom coil is seated in the lower control arm where it is indented for it.
Bill.....when seated incorrectly will that cause it to be higher or lower? Also would it produce a creeking sound? Sorry to jump in on this thread. Thank you, Gary
I will try to get it back in the pockets on Saturday. I am going to try to use a spring compressor to compress the spring and manipulate it back into place without dropping the lower control arm. Hopefully that will work and save me some time.
