rear coilovers - Forums - Official C3 Vette Registry

SPONSOR AD

Support our Vendors! | Advertise Here

Topic: rear coilovers

in Forum: C3 Handling Components

Already a Member?
Login
Not yet a Member?
Register for Free!

rear coilovers (1/12)
4/19/13 9:15am

gellisvette

Lifetime Member
Send Private Message

PERRYSBURG, OH - USA

Vette(s):
1975 T-Tops,Lite Custom work,Many engine mod. 700R4 trans. body is shaved,17" wheels bf goodrich g-force tires,heavy sway bars front&rear rack&pinion steering,550 slolom springs with gas shocks.

Joined: 4/23/2004
Posts: 317

Can anyone tell me the advantages of having coilover shocks on the rear of there C3? Do coilovers eliminate the rear spring? Thanks George

Our Sponsors help support C3VR

Re: rear coilovers (2/12)
4/19/13 9:19am

Adams' Apple

Lifetime Member
Moderator
Send Private Message

Duncanville, TX - USA

Vette(s):
#1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas

Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20201

Yup...they take the place of the transverse rear spring. Takes some weight off the rear, and adds some adjust-ability to it. Not aware of any set-ups that allow JUST the replacement of the standard shocks with coil-overs....everything I've seen has requires some other mods to do it...which is one of the reasons they weren't used to start with.
Are you looking at doing this?

______________

Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56
My Link

(click for Texas-sized view!) NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Re: rear coilovers (3/12)
4/19/13 9:38am

gellisvette

I have considered it. I have bilstines shocks on it front and rear with 7/8" swaybar and a 350 lb. rear spring. Needless to say it handles quite well for racing but the ride is very very firm on the streets. Maybe sofening the ride may help? Getting old .

Re: rear coilovers (4/12)
4/19/13 9:46am

F4Gary
Standard Member
Send Private Message

Grapevine, TX - USA

Vette(s):
1972 LT-1 convertible with factory air. 2017 Black Rose Grand Sport convertible.

Joined: 8/26/2006
Posts: 1502

Wouldn't a fiberglass rear spring be lighter than steel coilovers?

______________

Re: rear coilovers (5/12)
4/19/13 9:50am

gellisvette

I installed the glass spring sometime ago and it wasn't all that lite. It isn't nearly as heavy as the original by any means.

Re: rear coilovers (6/12)
12/5/13 12:03am

HighDesertDave
Former Member
Send Private Message

Carson City, NV - USA

Vette(s):
Numbers matching 1972 350 4 speed, silver pewter body with blue interior

Joined: 12/4/2013
Posts: 239

You would need to add a panhard or watts link to locate the axle if you ditched the leaf spring. It locates the axle from side to side. The coil over would be a superior way of controlling the axle though. About 15 spring weights to pick from, rebound and compression adjustment knobs if you went aluminum. 18 lbs total for the pair with 250 # springs. I sell this conversion for gen 1 camaros, early Mustangs etc. Of course they are solid axle but still need the panhard. You can also swap to aluminum adjustable shocks....same shock as the coil over just without the springs. It would be a drastic improvement in compliance. In the big pic, do the front first...greater impact. I know...I'm new here...but I do suspension and brake upgrades for a living.
Dave

______________
My Christmas present to ME! Bought Sat 11-30-2013. 72, 350 4 spd, Silver with blue interior...Can't you just hear Pablo Cruz playing in the background?

Re: rear coilovers (7/12)
12/5/13 12:24am

tb2k82ce

Lifetime Member
Send Private Message

Lemon Grove, CA - USA

Vette(s):
1982 C3 Collectors Edition 44000 miles, sat in the sun most of its life, My wife purchased it for me for Father's Day in 2007 from her girlfriend that had it for 19 years. It is on the road again. I'm retired but it is now my daily driver.

Joined: 10/17/2007
Posts: 2041

We Love having experts on board. Another welcome to you Dave.

Re: rear coilovers (8/12)
12/5/13 12:29am

HighDesertDave
Former Member
Send Private Message

Carson City, NV - USA

Vette(s):
Numbers matching 1972 350 4 speed, silver pewter body with blue interior

Joined: 12/4/2013
Posts: 239

tb2k82ce said: We Love having experts on board. Another welcome to you Dave.

______________
My Christmas present to ME! Bought Sat 11-30-2013. 72, 350 4 spd, Silver with blue interior...Can't you just hear Pablo Cruz playing in the background?

Re: rear coilovers (9/12)
12/5/13 8:54am

JohnRR
Former Member
Send Private Message

Joined: 2/22/2011
Posts: 110

HighDesertDave said: You would need to add a panhard or watts link to locate the axle if you ditched the leaf spring. It locates the axle from side to side. The coil over would be a superior way of controlling the axle though. About 15 spring weights to pick from, rebound and compression adjustment knobs if you went aluminum. 18 lbs total for the pair with 250 # springs. I sell this conversion for gen 1 camaros, early Mustangs etc. Of course they are solid axle but still need the panhard. You can also swap to aluminum adjustable shocks....same shock as the coil over just without the springs. It would be a drastic improvement in compliance. In the big pic, do the front first...greater impact. I know...I'm new here...but I do suspension and brake upgrades for a living.
Dave

All good information except the part about adding a Panhard Bar or Watts link. The half-shafts and the strut rods control the frame side to side.

Van Steel has nice Coil-Over kits for the front and rear suspensions. I like the adjustability of the shocks and it's very easy to change springs if you like. Van Steel recommends that you weld a simple reinforcement bracket to the upper mount. I had a mobile welder do mine and he charged me $50. You can also buy offset trailing arms that give you more clearance for modern wide wheel and tires.

I can email you lots of photos if you like.

John

______________
1973 BB 4-Speed Coupe Project Car

2009 Z06 Mostly Stock

Re: rear coilovers (10/12)
12/5/13 5:19pm

HighDesertDave
Former Member
Send Private Message

Carson City, NV - USA

Vette(s):
Numbers matching 1972 350 4 speed, silver pewter body with blue interior

Joined: 12/4/2013
Posts: 239

Thanks, I have yet to crawl under mine and study it. That actually makes it very easy to do a coil over conversion. Do you have an extended shock length eye to eye measurement to add to the conversation?

Thanks,
Dave

______________
My Christmas present to ME! Bought Sat 11-30-2013. 72, 350 4 spd, Silver with blue interior...Can't you just hear Pablo Cruz playing in the background?

Re: rear coilovers (11/12)
12/5/13 9:07pm

JohnRR
Former Member
Send Private Message

Joined: 2/22/2011
Posts: 110

|UPDATED|12/5/2013 9:07:52 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

______________
1973 BB 4-Speed Coupe Project Car

2009 Z06 Mostly Stock

Re: rear coilovers (12/12)
12/5/13 9:20pm

JohnRR
Former Member
Send Private Message

Joined: 2/22/2011
Posts: 110

I didn't check the eye to eye measurement.

Here are some pics of the Van Steel rear Coil-Over setup:

[URL=http://s702.photobucket.com/user/JohnRR1/media/DSCN5063_zps07e47316.jpg.html][IMG]http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww24/JohnRR1/DSCN5063_zps07e47316.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s702.photobucket.com/user/JohnRR1/media/CoilSpringClearance_zpsd16428c8.jpg.html][IMG]http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww24/JohnRR1/CoilSpringClearance_zpsd16428c8.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s702.photobucket.com/user/JohnRR1/media/DSCN5094_zpsdcfb801b.jpg.html][IMG]http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww24/JohnRR1/DSCN5094_zpsdcfb801b.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s702.photobucket.com/user/JohnRR1/media/DSCN5285_zps222c8726.jpg.html][IMG]http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww24/JohnRR1/DSCN5285_zps222c8726.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

John

(I don't know why the pictures don't display)

|UPDATED|12/5/2013 9:20:14 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

______________
1973 BB 4-Speed Coupe Project Car

2009 Z06 Mostly Stock

Our Sponsors help support C3VR