Suspension Parts

bigredlaguna wrote:I wish the companies that sold lowering springs put the stats of their springs up so I can compare them to stock, but here is a little bit of info that I compiled from the NAPA site for stock springs.

1970 coupe/sedan rear springs

Free Height= 14.71" Spring rate= 119 lbs/in.

1974 coupe/sedan rear springs

Free Height= 15.82" Spring rate= 137 lbs/in.

Station Wagon rear springs are the same for all years (?) I only compared 70 to 73-77

Free height= 14.34" Spring rate= 198 lbs/in.

Using the weight of 74Malibu383's car from a different post, the ride height using these spring rates works out like this.

weight on rear wheels= 1803 lbs / 2 = 901.5 per side

divide 901.5 by the spring rate to get the compression distance of the spring.

1974 spring

901.5/137=6.58" of compression

Then subtract the compression distance from the free height to get the compressed height of the spring.

15.82-6.58=9.24"

The average load height(compressed height) is 9" +/- 0.5 for stock ride height.

Now using 1970 coupe/sedan spring info

14.71-7.57= 7.14"

So a stock spring from a 70 will get you approximately 2" of drop. The downside is that it is a much softer spring and you will bottom out too easily.

Front springs do not interchange. The inside diameter of a 2nd gen spring is 3.68" while a 3rd gen ranges from 4.04 to4.09

novaderrik wrote:i also have the rear springs out of the 92 9C1 in my Monte- perfect fit, but it did jack it up some (which is what i wanted to clear the slots).

novaderrik wrote:when i wanted to jack up the back of my Monte to clear the 275/60's on the slots, i put in the rear springs i had kept out of the 92 Caprice cop car i had parted out. they boosted the rear of the car up about an inch or so and gave it just the perfect 70's poser rake without giving up any ride quality or handling like air shocks do.
station wagon springs are also good for this, as well.

Rago wrote:OK. I don't normally recommend JCW, but I had these on my 76 for a couple of years. Because they were designed for earlier models to lift 3-4", they only lift ours 1-2". At least it did mine. This isn't because of the weight difference, but because G3s have longer rear springs. I still have them lying around somewhere I might post pics if I can find them. They will definitely stiffen up your ride & make great drag springs IMO:

http://www.jcwhitney.com/COIL-SPRINGS/GP_2005875_N_111+1971+200728448+600003409_10101.jcw

I don't know about springs for the front, but the rears worked great.

coreys73chevelle wrote:Rear springs for a 68-72 chevelle and 1996 impala ss rear springs will also fit 1973-77 Chevelle