1969 Camaro ride height
#1
01-21-2013, 09:38 PM
1969 Camaro ride height
Can anyone please tell me what the stock rear ride height should be for a 1969 coupe with a smallblock and multi leaf springs? Or if anyone with stock rear suspension (no upgrades or mods) and known good springs could measure from the fender lip to the ground and tell me what you get? That would be even better.
I need to replace my old leaf springs but I don't know how much they have sagged...not sure if stock height springs will be tall enough to keep my (not original and way too wide) tires from rubbing. Thanks in advance.
More info about the car:
1969 Z28 clone
350 ZZ4 SBC
muncie 4 spd
multileaf rear springs
275/60R15 rear tires
unknown wheel backspacing
I need to replace my old leaf springs but I don't know how much they have sagged...not sure if stock height springs will be tall enough to keep my (not original and way too wide) tires from rubbing. Thanks in advance.
More info about the car:
1969 Z28 clone
350 ZZ4 SBC
muncie 4 spd
multileaf rear springs
275/60R15 rear tires
unknown wheel backspacing
#4
02-23-2013, 10:53 PM
Here is an update and some random info for anyone else working on rear leaf springs:
Ride height: On my 1969 coupe, the ride height with stock springs was 26.75" measured from the rear fender lip down to the ground. I think the shape of the fender lip on 1967 and 1968 models is different. With Eaton ML193+1 (1" lift) my ride height was 27.5"; with the same Eaton and a 2" lift ride height was 28.5". BTW, Eaton did not charge me to re-arch the springs, and they got them back to me in about a week. I had also tried a set of 2.5" lift springs from SD Truck springs, but they gave me a ride height of 30.5" and caused the driveshaft to rub one of the mufflers. Maybe I didn't get them installed right, I can't explain why it was so high. SD kindly gave me a full refund even though it had been 45 days since the purchase.
Random info:
You can remove the rear leaf spring shackles without removing the fuel tank.
If possible, only remove one spring at a time and bolt in the new spring before removing the other old spring. If you remove both springs, your rear axle can and probably will move - left to right, front to back, and you will lose your pinion angle. The front of the diff will drop down due to the weight of the driveshaft. Getting the axle back in place can be done but just takes more time.
The easiest way I found to install springs is rear shackles first, then the front bracket, then bolt the axle to the spring with the U-bolts. Jack the axle up while doing the first two so its weight is not on the spring.
The thru bolt for the front bracket goes in with the head inboard and the nut outboard. It will not fit the other way. There is a torque given for this bolt, but I found that if I snug the nut down just to the point where the bracket is slightly hard to pivot on the spring eyelet, it is easier to install the bracket on the rear subframe.
The hardest bolt to install is the inboard one on the front bracket. The holes in the bracket for the other two bolts are slotted, so they don't have to be perfectly aligned. If you have a helper, have them push the springs forward from the back once you have the shackles on finger tight, and put the inboard bolt in the front bracket first.
J-nuts commonly strip out (especially on that inboard bolt), and you have to remove the front bracket from the subframe to replace them. Have a few spares on hand. If you do strip one, you may be able to re-tap the threads without removing the spring.
You may need new U-bolts if your new springs are a different thickness than your old springs.
If you are going to change your U-bolts, order some from a Camaro catalog. The ones I got from AutoZone kept stripping out and breaking and they are just junk. Don't waste your time with them.
If you re-use your old U-bolts, try to put them through the shock plate before you put them on the axle. Mine were sprung, and they wouldn't line up with the holes in the shock plate. A few turns in the bench vice will fix that.
Sorry if any of this is common knowledge, I had to learn it all the hard way. Maybe I can save someone else some trouble.
Ride height: On my 1969 coupe, the ride height with stock springs was 26.75" measured from the rear fender lip down to the ground. I think the shape of the fender lip on 1967 and 1968 models is different. With Eaton ML193+1 (1" lift) my ride height was 27.5"; with the same Eaton and a 2" lift ride height was 28.5". BTW, Eaton did not charge me to re-arch the springs, and they got them back to me in about a week. I had also tried a set of 2.5" lift springs from SD Truck springs, but they gave me a ride height of 30.5" and caused the driveshaft to rub one of the mufflers. Maybe I didn't get them installed right, I can't explain why it was so high. SD kindly gave me a full refund even though it had been 45 days since the purchase.
Random info:
You can remove the rear leaf spring shackles without removing the fuel tank.
If possible, only remove one spring at a time and bolt in the new spring before removing the other old spring. If you remove both springs, your rear axle can and probably will move - left to right, front to back, and you will lose your pinion angle. The front of the diff will drop down due to the weight of the driveshaft. Getting the axle back in place can be done but just takes more time.
The easiest way I found to install springs is rear shackles first, then the front bracket, then bolt the axle to the spring with the U-bolts. Jack the axle up while doing the first two so its weight is not on the spring.
The thru bolt for the front bracket goes in with the head inboard and the nut outboard. It will not fit the other way. There is a torque given for this bolt, but I found that if I snug the nut down just to the point where the bracket is slightly hard to pivot on the spring eyelet, it is easier to install the bracket on the rear subframe.
The hardest bolt to install is the inboard one on the front bracket. The holes in the bracket for the other two bolts are slotted, so they don't have to be perfectly aligned. If you have a helper, have them push the springs forward from the back once you have the shackles on finger tight, and put the inboard bolt in the front bracket first.
J-nuts commonly strip out (especially on that inboard bolt), and you have to remove the front bracket from the subframe to replace them. Have a few spares on hand. If you do strip one, you may be able to re-tap the threads without removing the spring.
You may need new U-bolts if your new springs are a different thickness than your old springs.
If you are going to change your U-bolts, order some from a Camaro catalog. The ones I got from AutoZone kept stripping out and breaking and they are just junk. Don't waste your time with them.
If you re-use your old U-bolts, try to put them through the shock plate before you put them on the axle. Mine were sprung, and they wouldn't line up with the holes in the shock plate. A few turns in the bench vice will fix that.
Sorry if any of this is common knowledge, I had to learn it all the hard way. Maybe I can save someone else some trouble.
#5
02-24-2013, 09:20 AM
I made/bent a couple flea market 9/16 inch box end wrenches to hold the nuts on the other side. As we all know, the nuts are only swaged in place on the clip and their sole purpose is to hold the nut during assembly at the line.
Over time, rust has formed on the external bolt threads and as the bolt is unscrewed, the rust binds up process and the nut comes loose.
Good job, TX.
Over time, rust has formed on the external bolt threads and as the bolt is unscrewed, the rust binds up process and the nut comes loose.
Good job, TX.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
