Ride height with leaf springs

[nova65ss]

The leaf springs on my Nova are shot and need to be replaced. On another Nova I replaced them and the car sat up way too high in the rear. How do you go about fine tuning the ride height with a leaf spring suspension? I don't want to get new ones and not be happy with the way it sits. Thanks,

[Jim Nilsen]

A great big hammer and a very heavy steel plate that is longer the spring a big piece of steel to hammer the spring on.

Take it to a spring specialist ! They have the experience to do it right. All you need to do is know how much lower or higher you want to go and they can figure it out for you. It is almost a science and you can ruin the spring if you don't know what you are doing.

When you see them do it you do ask yourself ? I was so mad at that spring , I could have done that

[Apogee]

Like Jim said, you can always have your springs re-arched for the ride height you want...the key is to buy good quality springs with the proper rates to begin with. You can always lower things a tad using a block or raise things with an extended shackle for minor adjustments. Just don't get too out of control with the shackles or else it starts to look a bit white trash IMHO.

I've got Hotchkis drop springs on a project Nova and I think it sits about right with a 26" tire. We'll see how much they settle over time.

Tobin
KORE3

[nova65ss]

I guess that is what I do not know, the ride height I want and how to figure it out?? Do most people measure where they want it and reference a point to get the arch you want?

Also where do you find a spring specialist? Thanks,

[Jim Nilsen]

I guess that is what I do not know, the ride height I want and how to figure it out?? Do most people measure where they want it and reference a point to get the arch you want?

Also where do you find a spring specialist? Thanks,

if you look in the phone book under spring repair in the auto repair section they will usually show up or look under frame and alignment shops and they will either do it or know someone that does.

If you take it to the shop that does it and you give them an idea on what you want the guy who does will know how to get it there. This may take 2 tries to get it right as it can be difficult to know if the spring is going to respond the way you hope it does.If you let them know up front that you are not sure what will make you happy they might work out a deal for a price that will include more labor to get it right. The thing about springs is the first initial R&R. once you get the new bolts in and it is all nice you can take them in and out in minutes. The cost of parts is the biggest expense and the labor is sometimes dirty crappy work so they usually charge for it.

It is a do it till you get it right and as was stated above, you can adjust a little with the shackles if you have to.

Goodluck and a little perserverence is required !

[nova65ss]

Thank you!

[HWYSTR]

What are your front springs like? Does the front sit about where you want it?

As for the rear, are they sagging, causing a lower than you want position? Wheel hop? Just plain not a performance oriented spring? Then buy new ones, and many places can get them about where you want it right off the bat. Try landrum, they're one of the best on the country, and I believe both Hotchkis & GW source from them.

Replacement springs, or 'springs made to factory blueprints' are a farce. Reason being that over time, even the factory consolidated part numbers to cover a greater model range, to reduce total cost of part overhead. This is one reason why places like Hotchkis & GW have the market they do. If you want to target a particular ride height/stance, bite the bullet and buy from one of those two. Personally, I prefer GW.

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