Hey guys, I was wondering how I could lower the rear of the car just about an inch....maybe two. I have no idea what springs are on it now. They are 3 leaf springs and they look very new. They still have the plastic tape on them. I really don't want to buy new springs, but if thats the only (or best way), so be it. I just kinda need to know what to get.

Thanks for any insight.

~Joe

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa282/Kokamo44/AFB%20Car%20Show/AFB%20meet%207-25-09/IMG_4133.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa282/Kokamo44/AFB%20Car%20Show/AFB%20meet%207-25-09/IMG_4130.jpg

Can you take and post a couple pic's of the spring pockets, the shackles and the perches?

maybe blocks, if your not thinking about something to too serious.. blocks would do the trick

Can you take and post a couple pic's of the spring pockets, the shackles and the perches?

I can...gimmie a bit....I gotta run to a Hooters car show and I'll get em up later this afternoon.

maybe blocks, if your not thinking about something to too serious.. blocks would do the trick

Well, I was thinking some light autocross in the future. I was ultimately going to go with a 4 link setup, but thats kinda out of my budget range at the moment.

~Joe

Take the rear shackles out and drill new holes about an inch from the current mount.

Joe if your gonna autocross, Then you better go with the Hotchkis front and rear lowering springs and a front sway bar in at least the front. But if you are not going to autocross then info above will work (blocks or drill a new hole in the shackles).

Heres a picture of my 69 with Hotchkis 2" lowering spins in the front with a Hotchkis swaybar and 1.5 lowering leafs in the rear with Hotchkis frame connectors and Caltracs traction bars.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/skeeter55/Frameconnectors003.jpg

Heres a Camaro with Hotchkis....
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/skeeter55/th_Carshow087.jpg (http://s145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/skeeter55/?action=view&current=Carshow087.flv)

Take the rear shackles out and drill new holes about an inch from the current mount.
Exactly what to do. I did this to mine and it works.

I have to raise mine back up when I put my slicks on. Costs nothing but time.

If your shacles are stock, you can't drill them shorter. There is not enough room between the leaf spring eye and the fame.

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii152/tjs69_photos/steering/shacle.jpg

1" lowering blocks.

Joe if your gonna autocross, Then you better go with the Hotchkis front and rear lowering springs and a front sway bar in at least the front. But if you are not going to autocross then info above will work (blocks or drill a new hole in the shackles).

Heres a picture of my 69 with Hotchkis 2" lowering spins in the front with a Hotchkis swaybar and 1.5 lowering leafs in the rear with Hotchkis frame connectors and Caltracs traction bars.


Skip, I have the Hotchkis lowering front springs.....I just have an all aluminum LS1.:yes: Thats why it sits a little higher than it would with a regular ole small block.

Your stance is what I am looking for. I want the top of the tire to not be visible.....just like yours. Looks like the lowering springs is what I need to do. I just don't want to use blocks.....I don't trust em.

Thanks a bunch Skip.

If your shacles are stock, you can't drill them shorter. There is not enough room between the leaf spring eye and the fame.


I agree. Here are some pics of my setup.......

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa282/Kokamo44/Misc%20pictures/IMG_4207.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa282/Kokamo44/Misc%20pictures/IMG_4208.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa282/Kokamo44/Misc%20pictures/IMG_4209.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa282/Kokamo44/Misc%20pictures/IMG_4210.jpg

That's not a Camaro rear end with the shock mounts welded to the axle tubes and the looks of it the upper shock mounts have been relocated to accommodate the rear end. You already have a 1/2" - 3/4" spacer lowering the car to it's current stance as well. The shackles are stock and there is no way to re-drill them. Even with flat plates for shackles you are not going to lower the car much by shortening them.

What do the front spring pockets look like? If they are not stock for the car you might be able to loose some height by replacing them.

fill the gas tank.

That's not a Camaro rear end with the shock mounts welded to the axle tubes and the looks of it the upper shock mounts have been relocated to accommodate the rear end. You already have a 1/2" - 3/4" spacer lowering the car to it's current stance as well. The shackles are stock and there is no way to re-drill them. Even with flat plates for shackles you are not going to lower the car much by shortening them.

What do the front spring pockets look like? If they are not stock for the car you might be able to loose some height by replacing them.

Dennis, you are correct about the axle. It is in fact out of a 79 Nova. I fabbed the shock mounts and the upper shock mount was already in place when I bought the car. I talked to the previous owner and he said it was basically the same setup.....CLICKY for pic (http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa282/Kokamo44/69%20Rising%20from%20the%20ashes/IMG_2491.jpg)

As for the front pockets, they are not stock and the stock ones are not there...they are connected to the subframe connectors. Sorry I didn't get a pic...I will tomorrow, I don't know what I was thinking today. They are hotchkis (I think) subframe connectors (welded) and if I remember correctly, they might have a little room for adjustment. If I have the geometry right in my head, a little movement on the front mounts can make a big difference in the ride height.:confused:

Thanks for the help guys....I'll get back with some pix tomorrow.

~Joe

Kokamo, Beware of those KYB Gas-A-Just shocks... Those thing are STIFF. I would want smoother shocks on a Lumber Truck !

Joe - it looks like quality work. You can use a block in the perch between the spring and axle but if you drive the car hard you don't want to get too excessive. If your springs line up with the stock forward spring pockets using the stock pockets will place the spring eye up closer to the floor and will also effect a drop.

Looking at that last pic you are not going to find a "simple" suspension solution to lowering your cars rear end and gives you good handling without replacing everything and building it back correct. How's the wheel hop, the factory staggered the shocks in '68 to eliminate bad wheel hop in the non-staggered '67. How's the ride quality?

I just put 1.5in blocks on my car. I dont do much but cruise and burn outs. I had to leave out the bottom poly pad didnt look right. The only really good thing about blocks is you can lower your car today! Napa has them in stock.

http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt182/spideynut/more%20pics/031.jpg

Kokamo, Beware of those KYB Gas-A-Just shocks... Those thing are STIFF. I would want smoother shocks on a Lumber Truck !

Yeah, it's stiff. I would like to go to another shock, just for comparison.

Joe - it looks like quality work. You can use a block in the perch between the spring and axle but if you drive the car hard you don't want to get too excessive. If your springs line up with the stock forward spring pockets using the stock pockets will place the spring eye up closer to the floor and will also effect a drop.

Looking at that last pic you are not going to find a "simple" suspension solution to lowering your cars rear end and gives you good handling without replacing everything and building it back correct. How's the wheel hop, the factory staggered the shocks in '68 to eliminate bad wheel hop in the non-staggered '67. How's the ride quality?

Wheel hop is very little to none. I guess it all depends on the type of road, but yet, I have not taken it to the track. My guess is it would be pretty bad on a sticky track....but then again, I'm not building it for the track.

The ride quality is good. It feels like a real sports car with the stiff suspension. Since it has the stock 6cyl front sway, it feels like a jon boat in a hurricane while going thru some slalom cones.:yes: Other than that, it feels ok to me.


I just put 1.5in blocks on my car. I dont do much but cruise and burn outs. I had to leave out the bottom poly pad didnt look right. The only really good thing about blocks is you can lower your car today! Napa has them in stock.


Man I wanna try the block thing, but I'm scared to death the axle might roll out from under the block or something like that. I would be alot more at ease if it had a matching block on the side of the leaf....simply for support. If there was such a thing as that, I would prolly try it out.

Thanks again guys, I'll get that pic later this evening.

~Joe

have you tried unhooking your shocks to see if it drops the rear a little bit? looks to me like the shocks are rubbing on the inside of the mounts, and even if they aren't rubbing very bad, the mounts are probably binding things up a little bit.
i'm no suspension expert, but i think you should rework those mounts so that the shock mount is turned 90 degrees and use a stud like the stock setup. this will keep the shocks from binding as the rear end pivots and moves up and down.

As long as your springs, perch and block have the locating pin it will not come out. Make sure you use the cast iron blocks. Do not use the aluminum ones. I have 1-1/2" cast iron blocks in mine and it leaves with the front tires in the air.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v325/steve69ss396/Wheelie-2.gif

As long as your springs, perch and block have the locating pin it will not come out. Make sure you use the cast iron blocks. Do not use the aluminum ones. I have 1-1/2" cast iron blocks in mine and it leaves with the front tires in the air.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v325/steve69ss396/Wheelie-2.gif


Steve...thats proof enough for me man. Where do I get these "cast iron" blocks?

~Joe

Steve...thats proof enough for me man. Where do I get these "cast iron" blocks?

~Joe

You can get them at shops that work on 4X4 trucks. :beers:

You can get them at shops that work on 4X4 trucks. :beers:
Thanks Steve. I know of a big 4X4 truck shop right down the road. I'll check em out.

Ok, I got the pics. It looks like there is an extra bolt hole above the actual bolt holding the spring on, but it actually comes to a dead stop on the pass side. Don't know why it is there.....even if I drilled another hole, it just wouldn't work....well, I take that back, it might work on the drivers side, but I know the pass side would not work. I might have to do some more investigating under the car. If I could make the spring bolts go in those holes, it might sit nicely.

See the pics and you will understand.

~Joe

Driver side from the inside......
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa282/Kokamo44/69%20Rising%20from%20the%20ashes/IMG_4212.jpg

Pass side from the outside......
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa282/Kokamo44/69%20Rising%20from%20the%20ashes/IMG_4213.jpg

Driver side from the outside......
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa282/Kokamo44/69%20Rising%20from%20the%20ashes/IMG_4217.jpg

Pass side from the outside.......
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa282/Kokamo44/69%20Rising%20from%20the%20ashes/IMG_4216.jpg

I have the same SFC's on my car. I had to use the lower hole because the uppers are blocked on the inside by the stock rear subframe. Yours is probably the same. You could cut a hole or notch the subframe for clearance.

Steve, I may try that. I'm just trying to avoid dropping 500 bones on a pair of springs.

Out of curiosity, which SFC's do you have? These were on the car when I got it. I was just guessing Hotchkis, but that more than likely way off.

~Joe

Steve, I may try that. I'm just trying to avoid dropping 500 bones on a pair of springs.

Out of curiosity, which SFC's do you have? These were on the car when I got it. I was just guessing Hotchkis, but that more than likely way off.

~Joe

Mine are from Comp Engineering, they look exactly like yours.

Joe maybe you can have your springs modified right before the front spring eye. Look how this truck spring is bent.

http://image.classictrucks.com/f/10690150+w750+st0/0807clt_06_z+1953_chevy_truck_front_end_suspension _rebuild+leaf_spring.jpg

I have seen some drop springs where the spring rolls down and under to form the eye instead of the conventional up and over most springs have. A bend like in the picture would have the same effect but might shorten the spring. If you did this at the front spring eye it might help center your rear tire in the wheel well, I was looking at your side view picture and the tire looks like it sets to the rear more than it should...

You can take leafs to a spring shop (look in the phone book) and they can de-arch them for you. I've done this before (not on the Camaro), simple - just tell them you want to drop the spring by X amount and they can do it for you. Not the best solution always, but it is a fix. Best if you take the springs off an bring them to them ($). When I had mine done, it wasn't noticable, not like the picture above - just as smooth and natural as before, but with less arch.

Joe,

The leafs in my care are de-arched for about a 1.5" drop. The P/O had it done before I got the car and I can't advise where to have it done.

Andrew

Joe maybe you can have your springs modified right before the front spring eye. Look how this truck spring is bent.

http://image.classictrucks.com/f/10690150+w750+st0/0807clt_06_z+1953_chevy_truck_front_end_suspension _rebuild+leaf_spring.jpg

I have seen some drop springs where the spring rolls down and under to form the eye instead of the conventional up and over most springs have. A bend like in the picture would have the same effect but might shorten the spring. If you did this at the front spring eye it might help center your rear tire in the wheel well, I was looking at your side view picture and the tire looks like it sets to the rear more than it should...

It looks like if you bent the ends of the leaf spring like the picture shows, it will change the pinion angle also. Then you would have to deal with angled plates between the spring perch and rear end.

Ok guys, I think I am going to go with a custom made block. I have a good friend that has a few ungodly expensive CNC machines and i'm going to get him to cut out a few aluminum or stainless blocks to lower the car.

Today....just to get a measurement, I sucked the rear end of the car down and tied it off with motorcycle straps to get an idea of how it will look at "X" amount lowering.

I came up with 1-3/4" lower than the pic in the first post of this thread....what do you think?

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa282/Kokamo44/69%20Rising%20from%20the%20ashes/IMG_4625.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa282/Kokamo44/69%20Rising%20from%20the%20ashes/IMG_4620.jpg

Looks good lowered :yes:

Before you get crazy... loosen everything up and bounce the car a few times to get it to settle. Without jacking it up retorque everything.
If it was tightened up while in the air it could cause issues.

Thanks Doug. Yeah, that is one of the things I specifically did when I put the suspension together. Pretty sure thats not an issue.

~Joe

Oh man! I read through this whole thread to make sure no one said what I was going to suggest. And John beat me to it. Oh well.
My son de-arked his springs while in high school (late 80's) on his first 69. It looked great and worked great. Not sure how you can go wrong. And it'll take out factory under steer. At least it'll help balance your chassis.