IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO REMOVE A LEAF OR TWO FROM THE REAR. I PUT LONGER BOLTS IN THE BACK, STILL NOT LOW ENOUGH, I HAVE 235/60/15 FOR TIRES,SHOULD I GO WITH BIGGER TIRES TO FILL THE WHEEL WELL, MAYBE 255/70/15 IN THE REAR AND KEEP THE 235/60/15 IN THE FRONT,   WILL THAT LIFT THE CAR IN THE REAR BEING A BIGGER TIRE?

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guess you got no speed bumps in your area, hate to think about getting mine any lower, there will be people logging in here to help you with the correct answers you are looking for. Welcome to the site.  I a short while you will see why we say this is the greatest place on the web for C3 info period.
L

Don't take out any leafs from the spring. I have 265/70 x 15 on all four corners. If you want low profile tires then go with 17" wheels. But keep the outside dia. about the same as stock, that will fill up the wheel wells.

DaveM2008-03-14 16:26:40

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Lifetime Member #116
Dave's '82

   

THANKS DAVE, SHOULD I GO WITH 255/60/15 IN THE FRONT AND 255/70/15 IN THE REAR.

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would really like to see a pic of that laguna grey vette, that was the oringal color of mine

255/60 x 15 are about 27" in dia. The 255/70 x 15 are close to 29" in dia. I don't know if you can get 255/60 x 15. Why do you need 60 series on the front? You can get a feel how big the tire will be in the wheel well from the dimensions I gave you. I would rather have the wider tires on the back. Remember if you change the outside dia. of the tire on the rear, it will mess up your speedo.

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Lifetime Member #116
Dave's '82

   

255/60-15 are 27.1"; the 255/70-15 are 29.1; I believe the original tires were F70-15 which are 26.9'. 

WHATS THE CLEARENCE ON THE TOP OF YOUR TIRES TO THE WHEEL WELL? MAYBE IF I GO WITH 255/70/15 IN THE BACK AND 235/70/15 IN THE FRONT. I HAVE MORE SPACE TO FILL IN THE BACK THAN THE FRONT. WILL THESE TIRES LIFT THE HEIGHT OF THE CAR? I JUST DONT WANT TO BUY NEW TIRES AND FIND OUT THE CAP HAS NOT CHANGED MUCH. WHAT DO YOU THINK DAVE! THANKS

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With the longer bolts you should just about be able to drag the mufflers on the ground.  Are you sure you have it adjusted correctly?  I always forget which way to wrench but I know its the opposite of what you'd think.

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Jim Olson 

"The Toys"...!!!  Save the Wave!

Where I've been in a Corvette...!!!

THE HEIGHT OF THE CAR AT THE MOMENT IS TO SPECS, THE FACT THAT I HAVE 235/60/15 ALL AROUND I HAVE A LOT OF CLEARENCE IN THE WHEEL WELLS, MORE IN THE BACK THAN THE FRONT. IM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHICH WAY I SHOULD GO. TAKING OUT SOME LEAFS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA, SO I SHOULD GO WITH 70 SERIES TIRES TO FILL THE GAP, IF I GO 235 FRONT AND 255 REAR IT SHOULD WORK, THE SPEEDO CAN ALWAYS BE ADJUSTED NOT TO WORRIED ABOUT THAT. 

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I POSTED A PICTURE!

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I got GY Eagle GT II 255/60/15's all around on mine when I bought my tires I had the same idea you did about filling out the wheel wells. I bought the longer longer bolts for the leafs in the rear later on during the rebuild. Right now my rear sits lower than the front cause I haven't screwed around with adjusting it but it looks like a good height. I thought about getting the shorter front coils to drop the front down but I'm 99% sure my tires would rub. I can snap some pics is you want. 79rebuild2008-03-14 22:08:25

Measure from the ground to the inside lip of the wheel well at it's highest point (along center of wheel). Then you can tell what size tire will fill it up.

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Lifetime Member #116
Dave's '82

   

You just have to play with it, and get it adjusted. I am not sure bigger tires is the answer. I run 235/60s front and read on our cars, and am very happy with them.

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CAN YOU SEND ME SOME PICS,THANKS

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I HAVE 26.5 INCHES IN THE FRONT AND 27.5 INCHES IN THE REAR!

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ITS GOING TO LOOK GREAT WHEN ITS COMPLETEDTHANKS FOR THE PICS, I WILL TRY THE 255/60/15, I THINK THEY SHOULD FILL IN MOST OF THE GAP.

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I have been reading with great interest about the ride hetght of your C3s.  I have always felt that my 72 sits too high in the rear, and doesn't fill the wheel well.  I bought it in 1973 so I am fairly certain it is all stock.  About 6 years ago I replaced the rear leaf spring with a standard spring,  so that didn't change anything.

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I WAS JUST READING OVER SOME SPECS ON THE BF GOODRICH T/A, MAYBE I CAN GO WITH THE 235/70/15 ITS  OVERALL DIAMETER IS 28 AND MAYBE 225/70/15 IN THE FRONT, WHICH HAS OD OF 27.4

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THANKS DEAN ,FOR THE INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE, JUST MEASURED MINE AND I HAVE 2 INCHES IN THE FRONT AND 3 INCHES IN THE BACK AND I CURRENTLY HAVE 235/60/15. I THINK THE 255/60/15 WONT MAKE THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE, I WAS LOOKING AT THE 235/70/15 BUT HOW MUCH WILL THESE TIRES FILL IN OR WILL THEY JUST INCREASE THE HEIGHT OF THE CAR. MAYBE WE CAN FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.

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As I look at your picture, I have to believe something is not right.  You have a big gap from tire to body, and the car sits too high.  And you have already used longer bolts, which should have lowered the rear a couple of inches.  Are you sure you got the correct spring?  Or the correct bolts, correctly installed?

Larry

I HAVE THE 9 INCH BOLTS INSTALLED IN THE REAR. THEY HAD PUT IN BIG BLOCK SPRINGS IN THE FRONT AND I HAD THAT REPAIRED, CAR WAS SITTING TO HIGH. UNLESS THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS ARE INCORRECT FOR THE YEAR, PEOPLE ARE TELLING ME NOT TO REMOVE 1 OR 2 LEAFS TO DROP IT DOWN A BIT, IVE HAD PEOPLE DO THAT WITH NO ISSUES, WHAT OTHER OPTIONS DO I HAVE, I REALLY DO NOT WANT TO CHANGE THE REAR LEAFS , THEY LOOK FAIRLY NEW AND BY GETTING 70 PROFILE TIRES WILL ONLY INCREASE THE HEIGHT OF THE CAR!

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Well at least it looks good! I like the color But now that he said it, it does look like it's sitting high in the rear. It's always hard to tell from a picture. When I had my rear leaf out I had some new cushions and bands put on em. There's a spring shop in tacoma, the guy at the shop new they was an aftermarket spring just by looking at em. 79rebuild2008-03-17 20:37:46

from the looks of your sig pic your definately sitting way to high in the rear. make sure you turned the leaf spring bolts the correct way. the nut shoiuld be closer to the bottom of the bolt to lower it. i would definately check the springs.PO may have liked that high rear/ lower front look and put in too stiff a spring. I run Good rich ta`s  255/60 15 rear and 235/60 /15 fronts. 255`s in the front will cause you to catch your fender , trust i learned the hard way. i do not have those gap issues. i can still lower it some more if i wanted. 235`s to 255`s won`t change the hieght at all since those #`s relate to width. VETTERBOB2008-03-18 12:04:34

THANKS FOR THE INFO, GOING TO TRY THE 255/60/15 IN THE REAR FIRST AND KEEPING THE 235/60/15 IN THE FRONT. I MEASURED MINE AND I HAVE 28 INCHES FROM THE FLOOR TO THE TOP OF THE WHEEL WELL IN THE REAR. I CHECKED TO SEE  HOW MANY LEAFS I HAVE AND THERE ARE 9, LOOKS FAIRLY NEW MAYBE STILL STIFF.

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Here's a thought - since you said the rear spring looks pretty new get a couple 50# bags of floor dry and toss them in the luggage area.  The extra weight will help "relax" the spring a little quicker.  Just don't lock up the brakes with them back there...!!!

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Jim Olson 

"The Toys"...!!!  Save the Wave!

Where I've been in a Corvette...!!!

JUST GOT THE 255/60/15 BF RADIALS INSTALLED IN THE REAR, LOOKS BETTER THAN BEFORE, TRIED THEM IN THE FRONT FILLED IN THE WHEEL WELL BUT CRANKING THE WHEELS TO THE LEFT, WOULD RUB AGAINST THE FRAME. GOING TO TRY 245/60/15 IN THE FRONT, KEEP YOU POSTED!

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the 245`s are still to wide. go qith the 235`s

YOU THINK THEY WILL BE STILL TO WIDE, THE 255 WERE JUST A BIT TO WIDE, I THINK THE 245 WOULD FIT THEY ARE A BIT SMALLER WIDTH AND HEIGHT. I HAVE 235 ON THE FRONT, IT SEEMS TO SMALL IN PORPORTION TO THE BACK THEY DONT LOOK BALANCED. IVE SEEN GUYS WITH 275 ON ALL FOURS, I THINK THATS CRAZY!

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i caught the rear of the right fender  making a hard left turn that did some damamge. didn1t nhappen all the time ,but it did happen. rather be safe then sorry. you really can`t tell that much difference from the rears to the fronts. plus your steering will be a bit easier

THANKS BOB I WILL TAKE A BETTER LOOK.

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