Long story short I've got a brand new pair of Eaton rear springs, stock arch, which I bought from a man who told me he decided after buying them to go with coil-overs. Set the rear-end in the springs tonight, connected my traction bars, put on the brakes, and finally some roller wheels. First time I've seen wheels on the car in years, and I was grinning like a school girl...until I noticed the gap of the wheelwell and tire front and back. **See attached pics for image.**

I loosened the "slapper" bars and adjusted them to pull the rear-end all the way back, and also slid the poly pads, and rearend back all the way to seat them on the outermost edge of the spring centering bolt, and tried again. The drivers side came around a bit, the passenger side didnt move at all. After all was said and done, there is a 1/2'' diffrence in measurement from the center of the spring eye bolt, to the outermost edge of the rotor, from the drivers side to passenger side. In relation to the actual gap from the wheelwell to the outside of the tire where it would contact, is a tight 2 fingers at the front on the Drivers side. Passenger side I can easily fit 3 fingers.

Can I cut the spring centering bolt off the spring,and position the rearend where it needs to be in the car? Will this cause any problems down the road (rearend sliding either way on the spring during accel/decel). It will be a street/strip car, apprx. 400 hp, slapper bars, and possible drag radials, so this will give you an idea of the approximant ammount of "shock" the rearend will take, if it matters. I'm hoping to be able to solve this problem tomarrow, if you have any ideas of what I can do to make it safe/correct, please post them, and I'll either be checking in tonight, or tomarrow morning before stepping into the garage. Thank you.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j9/Ejrock/LeafSpringproblem.jpg

Imho, you really need spring locating "tits" or they will slide around.

I figure that you can make plates and locate your spring tits in holes in them and then put offset "tits" on the plates to locate them so that your wheels line up right in the wheel well openings..

BUT I would first make darn sure the rearend is square to the car before doing this b/c your body just might be tweeked instead of the rearend.............................

pdq67

The rear end will move rearward when you put more weight on it.

That makes sense, and sounds alot better then cutting into spring metal to get them tabs off. Are you thinking along the same lines I am for this plate, such as simply a block of metal, the width of the spring, and height of the rubber pad, which will be replaced. Then offset the hole and tit to align it properly? Makes perfect sense, sometimes a fresh mind, makes the solution look so much easier! I also suppose this is a fairly common problem, and the reason competition engineerings instructions for the slapper bars included a statement about replacing the poly (or rubber) pad with a similar peice of metal.

As to the body being tweaked, I'm not quite following, sorry. All previous damage replaced (very slight front and rear collision with a poll/tree, just enough to bend bumpers, break grill, and dent rearbody panel...but nothing into the structure of the vehicle). The panels and rails are straight. Where would this tweek be at, do you think? The subframe is not measured and squared yet, but is bolted up. As to the wheelwells, they are stock, and not-damaged. Can you direct me where to look for problems, and what I'm looking for?

Thanks alot pdq67, something so simple, all I needed was to hear someone else say it for it to click. Appreciate it, and if you have any more info, feel free to throw it my way :D


Davidpozzi- I realize its a horrible picture (digi cam broke, had to use camera phone) but that doesnt look like a problem in your opinion? I was also thinking dropping the front of the car down to apprx. ride height, and seeing what would happen, but will it really make that big of a diffrence? I have the subframe/motor/tranny in the car. It will only have 2 seats, a rollbar, the battery (trunk) and gas tank mounted for any more additional weight. Those are stock 14 or 15'' wheels, with a 1970's set of tires on them....I was hoping to run a big bigger tire in the future. If that location is correct, the chances of that happening dont look good. Thanks for the advice, I'll try both ideas posted so far tomarrow,and see what is necessary.

Look at your rear spring shackles, when full load is on them, the shackle will be angled towards the rear, not 90 degrees to the floor. It's probably pointing forward a lot right now so I wouldn't be too concerned about it at this point. If your shocks are not connected, they limit downward travel of the springs, and they would arch even more than normally allowed. Mono leafs are almost flat when all the weight is on them.

I would however verify that the "tit" on the bottom of the leaf is centered in the lower spring plate hole on each side, and that it is clamped securely and can't slide due to the rubber pad distorting. My 67 had mono leaf springs and the rear axle slid on them.

You might try loosening the 4 shackle bolts with the car on the ground bouncing the rear of the car a few times and then retighten the bolts.
Mike

Tweeked -- just see if it is square diagonally is all here. First make sure the S/F lines up to the two alignment holes in the body and if so go from there. The holes are up on the inside of each S/F's leg and on the body right behind the kick-up in front. 5/8" or 11/16" drill bit sized pin holes, I think??

And good one Mike, loosen everything up and bounce her and then see how she sits once you have tires on the front for stability.

pdq67

pdq67 glad you mentioned front tires, for some reason I thought it had a full set.

Mike,

I try to ALWAYS work on my car with either the front or the back down on the ground b/c of stability reasons!

Then I use jack stands as well as put my small floor jacks under it too!

I've even in time's past slid my great big L-60's under her and cribbed them up with 2x4's between them and the body as added support!

I started doing this after I heard about a young kid getting crushed to death out in a barnyard trying to take some old mufflers off and the people that were on the place went to town that Sat. and weren't around to hear his screams as he tried desperately to dig himself out..

You wouldn't believe how many time's I've R&R'd stuff using two bumper jacks back when I was a kid and didn't know any better!!

He, he!! I would just crib her up with some old mounted tires and such... Then dig a hole AND crawl under her!!

pdq67

Front rotors should of been here 2 weeks ago, sent the wrong ones. Been getting the run-around until I talked to who I believe is probably the boss, and the replacements were finally sent out thursday, delivery date tuesday of this week. I was hoping for it on all 4 wheels LAST weekend, kind of bummed it didnt even make it this weekend. Everything but the seals, rotors, and calipers themselves are mounted for good, so it wont take but 30 minutes to get front wheels on it tuesday. Can't wait to see the stance :D

Looking it over a bit more today, after taking it apart, and putting it back together again.....made me notice the passenger side spring has a tad bit diffrent bend to it, I suspect when weight is put on the fresh springs will "settle" unlike they are now with just a shell and subframe? However, both sides are fairly close to even now, if the spring settles/de arches just a bit with weight, I think everything will work out fine.

PDQ-the frame is square, thanks for the advice. Once I realized what this big block camaro I'd been referencing from as its being restored was, my jaw dropped. A real pacecar, 396-375 hp, convert. Can't wait to see that bad boy finished up, and done right :D!