adding rear coilsover with leafs?

[ProTour69Bird]

is this just a dumb Q. to add rear coil overs while keeping the leaf springs to achieve alot higher spring rate, but lower it overall with either dropped or de-arched leafs

my plan so far was to use landrum 250#'s and dearch em, i had my rear QA1 stockers on the rear and recently got em on the front, and im really dissappointed with em. car has mad bounce. i also plan to get the watts 2 craddle for the axle, will the 250# alone be a stiff enough rate?

whats a better option for adj. shocks, any QA1 stuff? descriptions are mainly stock race class and drags

much mahalo

[LowBuckX]

250s what are your plans....Do you have dental insurance

[6'9"Witha69]

Bounce is shock valving. Try adjusting if you haven't already. Adding more spring would only further compouind the issue up front.

As for 250# in the rear, I am with LowBuck, get a good dental plan. Stock is ~110#. Hotchkis,DSE, etc are ~175#. 250# is very aggressive, adding to it would only create a terrible ride and horrible oversteer. Not a lot of roll though!

I say either go coilover and get a new link system, or use a properly matched spring and shock combo for your car.

[sik68]

Seems silly to run a coil and a leaf. Just get an adjustable coil-over.

As for the rear spring rate, check with David Pozzi and others...I think Global west is in the 240# range if I remember reading right on this forum.

[GrabberGT]

I've been looking into this same type of setup for my Dad. This was the option which best suited his needs of ride hight and comfort and limited budget. I found the air ride Air Over Leaf option to essentially do the same as coilover over leaf. Rear end location is maintained by the reduced leaf springs while the spring functionality is handled by the coilover.

http://www.ridetech.com/catalog/AIRoverLeaf-28-1.html

[ProTour69Bird]

got the dental haha!, lookin for stiffness as long as its benifits handling, and doesnt give mad oversteer

the fronts just slop right now! given its the under inflated 205/70/14 radial t/a's its sittin on, just added the hotch 2in drop springs, looked crip before i plucked all the feathers from bird. still mad bounce, QA1's are adjusted to the max, doesnt tame this thing

okay, plans to track it mostly, still street legal, upgrade what i need along the way, tryin to get a good platform to start with for now...

friend suggested koni custom valved shocks, lookin into it.

what rate would balance out the over steer with minimal roll. or go a little lighter, add a rear bar, watts link, and hotch rear shock tower brace?

also, looking at roll bar and cage options, bar more likely. where do the rear legs of the dse bar mount? package tray? or to the trunk floor?

[JRouche]

the fronts just slop right now! given its the under inflated 205/70/14 radial t/a's its sittin on, just added the hotch 2in drop springs, looked crip before i plucked all the feathers from bird. still mad bounce, QA1's are adjusted to the max, doesnt tame this thing

okay, plans to track it mostly, still street legal, upgrade what i need along the way, tryin to get a good platform to start with for now...

friend suggested koni custom valved shocks, lookin into it.

what rate would balance out the over steer with minimal roll. or go a little lighter, add a rear bar, watts link, and hotch rear shock tower brace?

also, looking at roll bar and cage options, bar more likely. where do the rear legs of the dse bar mount? package tray? or to the trunk floor?

K... Im a lil confused, couldnt keep up with yer humor. LOL YEAH!!!! Im old lol Ok, do you really have over steer now, hard to believe with your description. From the sounds of the washed out front you would be diving into the turns and washing out. Understeer!!

Is it over steering now or just what you anticipate with the changes.

Sounds like you are dealing with the QA1s at the front and they are bouncing and diving?? Im lost, went from the back to the front and all around..

Ill look at the front. You sound like you have some valving issues if you have the shocks valved all the way "stiff" and yer still bouncing around. If you are still wallowing about on the front with the shocks valved all the way I thinking you are over powering your springs.

You have them so loaded that they are just barely able to handle the weight. The springs, up front should be able to handle the load. When they are over loaded they will act like soft springs. May keep you off your bump stops but they are not controlling the suspension like they should. Think of a 90s cadillac. Then no matter what, the shocks cant control the movement. The springs come first, to support the weight of the car, then the shocks come in to control the oscillations of the spring.

If the spring is too weak for the load then then shocks will never be able to control the spring. JR

[Randy67]

also, looking at roll bar and cage options, bar more likely. where do the rear legs of the dse bar mount? package tray? or to the trunk floor?

They mount to the trunk floor according to their site.

[ProTour69Bird]

i was just anticipating with changes

i havent drivin the car in 3 years, tried to get it cruisin, but the i need my engine decked and heads machined, mad leakage, i slapped a rebuild together and i hate myself now for not doin it right.

anywho, i wanted to see how the suspension felt with hotch springs and the shocks. but i've torn it up and its in pieces ready to build

i just went out last night and adjusted the shocks all the way down in front and its stiff as hell, and about half adj. in the back and its way more solid all round.

so i'll give the shocks a go when its all together. thinkin of trying 175 to 200# in the rear still and de archin em.

i was just gonna run some landrum or speedway ones for now, i would like the GW cat 5's but for that price, ****, i'd rather save for a lateral dynamic tree-link. that things legit!

anyone have an Art Morrison cage? or a cage in there F's? was wondering about head room/clearance above door for street driving... i've heard all the stories of head bangin in accidents but i think that theres planny room...

mahalos!