So I spent the last two weekends converting my car from dual leaf springs back to mono leaf springs primarily because I thought the dual leaf springs made the back sit too high.

Well I changed them and the car sits even higher!! I cant believe it. And to make matters worse the suspension is so stiff I cant even push down the back of the car.

If my goal is to get the car close to stock height, what should I do?

Ugh!

Ed

Was the spring eye bolts tightened while still in the air or on the ground with weight... should be on the ground with weight :yes:

Worse case scenario is to use lowering blocks until the springs settle some.

Loosen the rear shackle bolts and remove the shocks, put the car on the ground and see if it will bounce then. I think the shocks might be too long and holding up the car.

Jeff

Loosen the rear shackle bolts and remove the shocks, put the car on the ground and see if it will bounce then. I think the shocks might be too long and holding up the car.

Jeff

Jeff,

Thanks. Interesting you should say this because to get the shocks back on I literally had to have someone push on the bumper to get them to align. Wouldn't this mean they are too short?

Why would I have to loosen the rear shackle bolts first?

I think you are on to the problem!!

Ed

Verrrrry interesting! I never thought about them being too short. I think if too short you could push down easily but might bounce as it hit the top limit. Loosening the shackle bolts and putting weight on the tires should allow everything to twist into a more relaxed position if that's what's holding the rear end up. Shocks are different for mono and multi, I don't know if it's just the mounts or the length.

Jeff

You want them Rear Shackles to Swing to the Rear as the springs compress and NOT pivot forward jamming against the frame and preventing the springs from flexing.

You want them Rear Shackles to Swing to the Rear as the springs compress and NOT pivot forward jamming against the frame and preventing the springs from flexing.

I think you hit the nail in the head. Right now the rear if the spring us resting on the rail. I had to push the spring forward to get it to align with the hole in the plate and to attach the front.

So how do I fix this?

Ed

Any ideas on this? I guess I can lift the car and compress the leaf spring again but how do I make sure that it pushes the spring back so it wont bind on the frame rail?

Ed

Do whatever you have to do to get all the rear mounting points (the fronts don't have any adjustment) to line up, while keeping everything loose and without the shocks.

Sometimes you have to flatten out the leafs to get them to line up with the shackle plates, not uncommon.

If you got new or re-arc'ed springs (say to give you extra lift) the eye to eye length of the main leaf has probably shortened. As mentioned install the leafs with every bolt loose and set the wheels on the ground. You can fill the trunk with concrete blocks and watch how the rear shackles respond. As Dave mentions you might have to flatten the leafs. To achieve this: Weight in the trunk usually does it but you may have to use a bar under the spring perch and with "U" bolts over the springs flatten them before torquing the bolts.

You will be surprised just how much the torque of the Main "U" or "J" Mounting Bolts affect the Arc of the leafs. This torque will most likely have to be varied as the leafs take a setting over a period of time and set torque to whatever gives you the desired ride height. Generally the ride height will increase with more torque on the "U" bolt nuts and shorten the eye to eye length which in turn affects the position of the rear shackle. As time goes on you may find it necessary to apply more Torque to these nuts as the springs settle in order to maintain your ride height; in other words, the torque of the "U" Bolts can adjust your ride height ;o)

This phenomena is more pronounced if you replace the Rubber Spring Mounts by welding in a Steel Plate Perch.

Hopes this helps.

Thanks guys. I will give it a shot over the weekend and see what happens.

Well I had time to crawl under the beast tonight and it turns out the springs actually seem to be working. I had my daughter jump up and down in the trunk and they are moving.

So I guess for some reason these springs have too much arc for this car. Hard to believe mono shocks can do this.

So what options do I have now? I guess I should start looking for a new set of springs. Any ideas on which springs will give me a stock height? What a pita!!!

Run a forum search...there is a resent thread in great detail...and it bor one not long before has the arch/spring rate specs