PDA

View Full Version : New springs higher than stock



bergsvette
12-07-2009, 08:37 AM
Just looking for some anwers to what may be going on here... I just installed a Hotchkis TVS Extreme kit on my 67 Chevelle and it now is sitting like a top fuel drag car. From the top of the rear fender opening to the ground measures 29 inches. I was told that it should be more like 27 inches. What could be the cause of this????? The front is right where it should be for my pref. The problem is the back.

Thanks for the info.
Nick

jknight16
12-07-2009, 08:54 AM
They will settle a bit, all springs do. I'd say drive it a few hundred miles and remeasure.

cheapthrillz
12-07-2009, 09:00 AM
They will settle a bit, all springs do. I'd say drive it a few hundred miles and remeasure.

Yep... they will settle.

If it is still bad, it could be binding. Explain how you installed the springs please....

2ndgenhunter
12-07-2009, 09:10 AM
Can you post pics please? I want to see a 67 with just a tvs kit.

bergsvette
12-07-2009, 10:03 AM
You all say they will settle, that is fine I am expecting that but 2 inches? I have been told it is only half an inch to an inch that they settle. And the suspention travells I pushed on the bumper to see if it was binding. I have Frank from Prodigy Customs looking into it from a manufacturing point of view.


And I appologize for the horrible pic but it is from my cell phone. I am about 50% in my resto, so I can't pull the car out and take decent photo's.

silver69camaro
12-07-2009, 10:58 AM
I am about 50% in my resto,

Is the car at the final weight yet?

cheapthrillz
12-07-2009, 11:05 AM
Yea, something doesn't look right..... I would hope that Hotchkis doesn't design any of their kits to look like that...

mpozzi
12-07-2009, 11:17 AM
On the Camaro, the front coils must be seated and "clocked." While I've never gotten hands-on familiar with the A-bodies, I'm guessing this is the same for the Chevelle fronts and rears. If the end of the spring isn't in the pocket, the car will sit higher as a result. With the TVS Extreme, there also may be components that have a final torque when the vehicle wheels are on the ground (or on blocks). If this torque is done unloaded, that will definitely cause a higher ride height.

Did you compare the old and new springs side-by-side?

My friend also has a '67 Chevelle with the TVS and it sits perfect. Handles great, too.

Good luck,
Mary Pozzi

bergsvette
12-07-2009, 11:29 AM
On the Camaro, the front coils must be seated and "clocked." While I've never gotten hands-on familiar with the A-bodies, I'm guessing this is the same for the Chevelle fronts and rears. If the end of the spring isn't in the pocket, the car will sit higher as a result. With the TVS Extreme, there also may be components that have a final torque when the vehicle wheels are on the ground (or on blocks). If this torque is done unloaded, that will definitely cause a higher ride height.

Did you compare the old and new springs side-by-side?

My friend also has a '67 Chevelle with the TVS and it sits perfect. Handles great, too.

Good luck,
Mary Pozzi
Both sides on the rear are pig tailed and flat. So even I can't screw that up.

cwylie
12-07-2009, 11:34 AM
Looks like there is no interior.....

bergsvette
12-07-2009, 12:06 PM
Correct... No interior and no glass. But that alone won't make up the two inches either.

John Wright
12-07-2009, 12:42 PM
With the TVS Extreme, there also may be components that have a final torque when the vehicle wheels are on the ground (or on blocks). If this torque is done unloaded, that will definitely cause a higher ride height.

That would have been my suggestion too...make sure none of the rear control arm bushings were torqued while the suspension was hanging. I'd loosen them up and bounce the car by hand a few times without the shocks hooked up.

jknight16
12-07-2009, 12:58 PM
Correct... No interior and no glass. But that alone won't make up the two inches either.

Right, that alone will not make up two inches. But that combined with some spring settling, fuel load, etc. might get you more than you think.

bergsvette
12-07-2009, 01:10 PM
Right, that alone will not make up two inches. But that combined with some spring settling, fuel load, etc. might get you more than you think.
Ehhhh, good point!

cheapthrillz
12-07-2009, 01:18 PM
Did you tighten down the rear springs when the car was up in the air?

Hotchkis
12-07-2009, 02:54 PM
Just looking for some anwers to what may be going on here... I just installed a Hotchkis TVS Extreme kit on my 67 Chevelle and it now is sitting like a top fuel drag car. From the top of the rear fender opening to the ground measures 29 inches. I was told that it should be more like 27 inches. What could be the cause of this????? The front is right where it should be for my pref. The problem is the back.

Thanks for the info.
Nick

Nick, I see some other posters have asked you this, but most often when someone calls us with a car sitting like this, it's because they tightened everything up with the car in the air and the wheels hanging, causing bind when they drop it back down.

Another thing to think about is that the combined weight of glass, interior, fuel, etc will make a difference, as will the settling of the springs during initial use.

If you check the bind and weight and you are still having a problem, please call us and we'll help you figure out what's going on.

bergsvette
12-07-2009, 07:02 PM
Nick, I see some other posters have asked you this, but most often when someone calls us with a car sitting like this, it's because they tightened everything up with the car in the air and the wheels hanging, causing bind when they drop it back down.

Another thing to think about is that the combined weight of glass, interior, fuel, etc will make a difference, as will the settling of the springs during initial use.

If you check the bind and weight and you are still having a problem, please call us and we'll help you figure out what's going on.


I tightedned the entire kit with the jackstands under the rearend and under the lower control arms. So i could loosen and re tighten everything but I am not entirly sure that is it.

And I did call you guys today. I told the tech. that I just installed your system and it was setting about 2 to 3 inches too high. I then asked about cutting the springs and he turned me away from that. He then informed me I would need to buy new springs and that you guys didn't carry anything like that. He told me to try OPG and that is where the conversation ended.

My hang up is, I can't believe that the interior, to include the glass, will compress the springs 2 to 3 inches. Now like I said I will do my best to get under the car and loosen everything just to re tighten it.

cheapthrillz
12-07-2009, 07:05 PM
Just the interior and glass won't. The interior, glass, torquing everything at ride hight, and the springs settling will get you a lot closer, though.

JEFFTATE
12-07-2009, 07:14 PM
It will settle a couple of inches after you get it fully assembled and drive it.
Also , you need to tighten the suspension bolts with the complete weight of the car on the tires , not on jackstands .
It does make a difference.
Use a drive-on lift if you can borrow one..

bergsvette
12-07-2009, 07:18 PM
It will settle a couple of inches after you get it fully assembled and drive it.
Also , you need to tighten the suspension bolts with the complete weight of the car on the tires , not on jackstands .
It does make a difference.
Use a drive-on lift if you can borrow one..


Ok you are easing my nerves a little bit but if it will settle that much then I am screwed up front. It is setting correct now, if it droppes a couple of inches I will need to get taller springs..... hahah I am sure all will work out just fine...

Weezy F
12-07-2009, 11:23 PM
I hate to say it buy with MY past experiences with hotchkis springs, they don't lower the car much at all. I have used their springs in the past to find that they actually raised my car :confused:. I ended up cutting a few coils off to get the ride hieght I was looking for. I dont mean to bash hotchkis in anyway, i love their products but their springs havent worked out for me on more than one occasion. I would definitely get the glass and interrior in the car first before you start cutting coils or swaping springs, who knows, it might settle in perfect for you... Hope it works out for ya.
-Ryan

cheapthrillz
12-08-2009, 06:24 AM
Ok you are easing my nerves a little bit but if it will settle that much then I am screwed up front. It is setting correct now, if it droppes a couple of inches I will need to get taller springs..... hahah I am sure all will work out just fine...

I will lay this out in points that need to be made.

Point 1: Hotchkis designs their kits to lower the car an approximate number of inches from STOCK ride height. If your car had worn out springs, your new springs will NOT lower the car 2"-3" from that height.

Point 2: Your rear springs will bind if you tightened them without the full weight of the car on the TIRES. If you didn't tighten it with the tires on the ground and the full weight of the car on them, this could be part of your problem.

Point 3: You stated that the car was not completed. A full tank of gas and all of the cars glass weighs a fair amount and will lower the rear some more.

Point 4: All springs will settle out after you put a few miles on them.

Point 5: Smaller overall diameter wheel and tires will make the suspension look taller than it actually is.


My suggestion is to re-tighten the rear springs with the full weight of the car on the tires (this may need to be done after you get the car completed). Drive the car for a while (500 miles or so) on some twisties and then re-evaluate your suspension.

JEFFTATE
12-08-2009, 06:38 AM
Just tighten it on the tires , fully loaded .
Get an alignment done.
Drive it a while and see how far it settles,
Then trim springs if you have to..

John Wright
12-08-2009, 06:53 AM
If the back is still too high, you can add some small lowering blocks to the rear perches or take the springs to get them de-arched a little.
I think you may have to approach his situation a bit differently, in that the factory put a coil spring rear under the 67 chevelles. Not sure if you can cut the coils either (maybe someone can confirm), because I beleive the coils have tails on both ends.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

cheapthrillz
12-08-2009, 06:59 AM
I think you may have to approach his situation a bit differently, in that the factory put a coil spring rear under the 67 chevelles. Not sure if you can cut the coils either (maybe someone can confirm), because I beleive the coils have tails on both ends.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

:pat: All of the damn camaro's on this site are making me think leaf springs..... I'm an idiot!

Please disregard my earlier posts.... I was thinking leafs (I even looked at the pic and still didn't realize lol).

Hmmmm. This makes it a little more difficult. Now I see why the OP is getting frustrated (probably at me for being an idiot).

John Wright
12-08-2009, 07:03 AM
:pat: All of the damn camaro's on this site are making me think leaf springs.....
Hehe...yeah, so many spring configurations, and I find myself referring to the camaros too....specifically the early 2nd gens...LOL

cheapthrillz
12-08-2009, 07:16 AM
I just looked at the TVS systems for the 67 Chevelle on Hotchkis's website and every one of them says that is lowers the car 1" from factory ride height....


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/12/1967Chevelle3-1.jpg

1" Lower than that is still sitting pretty high....

Tony_SS
12-08-2009, 08:31 AM
whoa.. 4x4 city.

For the record, we put a set of Hotckis springs on our 70 Monte SS (big block) and they sat the car perfect. We were very happy with them in our case.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

DRJDVM's '69
12-08-2009, 09:12 AM
Wow...so those are pix of Chevelles WITH the lowering springs? Damn.....4x4 city is right.....
I would do as stated above.... make sure things are seated, and torqued with the car on the ground....drive it awhile and then decide id and how much you want to cut etc.
I've had a few friends that cut things early and then as the car got "filled" and settled, the springs were then too low and they had to start all over with new springs. I know its tempting but dont start cutting too early. Give it some time...

Roger M
12-08-2009, 09:16 AM
Tony, that 1st Gen Monte is very nice. Exactly how i would have done. Nice work.

Sorry for the Hi-jack

cheapthrillz
12-08-2009, 11:45 AM
No guys, those two pics were of two that seemed to be at stock ride height. I was just stating that 1" lower than that is not a huge difference.

But there is definitely something going on with the OP's rear setup...

bergsvette
12-08-2009, 03:01 PM
This is exactly why I love this site... Everyone joins in and never, tries, to make you feel like an ass. Although I do a pretty good job of that myself...

And I will postpone any further adjustment untill I have the car together.

For the record I can NOT cut the springs because they are pigtailed on both ends. There is no "free" end to cut from.

So thanks for all the info...
We will see how it works...

2ndgenhunter
12-08-2009, 05:45 PM
Hey atleast you don't have BBC springs in the front with a 250I 6.

bergsvette
12-08-2009, 08:54 PM
hahahaha, that would be great.