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Rear leaf spring - ADDED PICTURES

Forum: C3 Engines, Driveline and Handling

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Rear leaf spring - ADDED PICTURES

Posted: 4/30/07 11:38amMessage 1 of 20
j
jgoglick
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Huntsville, AL - USA
Joined: 11/15/2003
Posts: 858
Vette(s): 1971 convertible,375 HP 350ci,Muncie 4-speed,Edelbrock aluminum heads and RPM air-gap manifold,HEI distrubiter - old school mechanical tach drive. LOUD side exhaust!

This might be long, but here goes...

The rear wheels on the vette are tilting inward at the top. I've read that this is likely caused by an old, weak leaf spring - correct? There isn't any play in the wheel bearings. I'm thinking about getting a new mono fiberglass spring. My question is - are the springs the same for all C3's? The reason is that my vette is a 71, but I have a sneaky suspicion that it's sitting on a 80 - 82 frame. reason's for my suspicion: the car is an original 4 speed (verified by VIN), but the trans crossmember is removable, and it looks factory (doen't look like a Bubba job). the car also has an 80-82 rear end in it. So when I go to buy parts, do I buy for an 80-82 or a 71? I'm guessing 80 - 82 for the spring, but I'mm looking for advice. Is there any way to tell what year frame is there other than looking at the VIN (since I'll probably never have the body off the car to ever look).....
jgoglick2007-05-01 18:56:13
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Rear leaf spring - ADDED PICTURES

Posted: 4/30/07 12:33pmMessage 2 of 20
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suncountry
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Moses Lake, WA - USA
Joined: 4/16/2005
Posts: 2134
Vette(s): 1976 L48 4-spd, Mahogany Metalic exterior, Buckskin interior 350ci/350hp, 3rd owner, fiberglass spring, 255/50-16's Torq-Thrust II
Is your spring flat or does it still have its arch? If it is flat or near flat than it is the spring. Check your strut rod cam and see if it has rotated or the narrow section of the cam is to the outside (narrow= bolt center to cam edge). The cam can slip and rotate causing the tire to tilt inward. I have had it happen to me before. Not sure on the spring difference though. I think it has more to do with weight distribution which would require different spring rates for different years. There was a post ealier this month on spring arch.
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Rear leaf spring - ADDED PICTURES

Posted: 4/30/07 3:18pmMessage 3 of 20
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stingrayjim jr
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SHELBYVILLE, TN - USA
Joined: 7/5/2002
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Vette(s): 1976 L48 auto

1978 L82 4speed

1994 LT1 6speed
You might also look at the bushings on the strut rods.... the rubber might be gone on them, allowing the strut rod to mis-allign itself.... there is two bushings per side, one on the shock mount, the other under the rear housing where the before mentioned(by Suncountry) strut rod bolt resides.  Usually if your spring is "shot", it will be flat across or even slightly "W" shaped...and the car itself will kinda look like it is ready to launch into orbit(the back end will look lower than the front).... almost forgot,  it  may also be worth looking into the trailing arm bushings too... if they are "shot" then the arm will "twist" a little also.  Who knew there could be soooooo many bushings to look at back there?......stingrayjim2007-04-30 15:22:40

StingrayJim
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Stingray's '76���������������������������� StingrayJr's '78���������������������������Lil Red '94

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Rear leaf spring - ADDED PICTURES

Posted: 4/30/07 6:34pmMessage 4 of 20
b
bytor
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Simpsonville, SC - USA
Joined: 1/21/2007
Posts: 85
Vette(s): 1978 25th. Silver Anniversary Edition 350 L-82 Stock
I have the same problem. 
 
I have since discovered that someone has installed a 2 1/4" 7 leaf spring.  It's supposed to be a 2 1/2" 9 leaf spring.  I am going to replace it with a steel spring from Muskegon brake.  http://www.bettercart.com/v4/go?s=vettedesk
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Rear leaf spring - ADDED PICTURES

Posted: 4/30/07 7:42pmMessage 5 of 20
m
mkapp7879
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78-82s used a 2 1/2" wide spring. When the factory installed the gymkhana suspension with the 7 (really 6) leaf spring they used an 1/8" shim in front of and in back of the spring.

Bytor, do you have a rear stabilizer? If so, the 7 leaf is correct, you have the heavy duty gymkhana suspension. The first pic is what the 2 1/4" spring in the 2 1/2" carrier looks like with the shim. Second pic shows the spring arch on a 12K mile 79. Believe it or not I drove this home 1000 miles and found this, the bolt and shim had fallen out. Who knows how long this was like this!

mkapp78792007-04-30 20:01:55
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Rear leaf spring - ADDED PICTURES

Posted: 4/30/07 8:17pmMessage 6 of 20
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Adams' Apple
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Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
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Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
You can check the VIN # on the frame to see what year it is...Ya may have to do a little CLEANIN to see it, but it's there!
It's on the driver side, rear, in front of the body mount, on the TOP of the frame rail. With a bit of cleaning, and a mirror, you should be able to see it.


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Joel Adams
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Rear leaf spring - ADDED PICTURES

Posted: 4/30/07 9:42pmMessage 7 of 20
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Gale Banks 80
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Vette(s): 1980 with a Banks Twin Turbo 1969 Convert Big Block 1996 Grand Sport Convert
  I doubt that somebody went to the trouble of installing a 80-82 Rear End in an earlier Frame. Dose the Crosmember have Two Holes in it for the Exhaust to pass through or Dose the Exhaust Pass Under it?  I think Your Hunch that the car has a Later frame will prove to be true. Richard...
My Car...PIC 1     PIC 2
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Rear leaf spring - ADDED PICTURES

Posted: 5/1/07 5:06amMessage 8 of 20
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Adams' Apple
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Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
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Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
[QUOTE=Gale Banks 80]   I doubt that somebody went to the trouble of installing a 80-82 Rear End in an earlier Frame...[/QUOTE]


I'd have to agree...I've done that, and it ain't no pik-a-nick! Major surgery involved, and very easily detected. I did it on a '77, using an '81 diff and all the brackets...what a friggin PAIN!

Joel Adams
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Rear leaf spring - ADDED PICTURES

Posted: 5/1/07 5:12amMessage 9 of 20
b
bytor
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Simpsonville, SC - USA
Joined: 1/21/2007
Posts: 85
Vette(s): 1978 25th. Silver Anniversary Edition 350 L-82 Stock

Mkapp7879, thanks for the insight.    I do have the rear stabilizer and my spring does have the 2 shims.  Your 2nd. picture looks like mine, no arch in the spring.  Is this normal?  

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Rear leaf spring - ADDED PICTURES

Posted: 5/1/07 6:24amMessage 10 of 20
j
jgoglick
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Huntsville, AL - USA
Joined: 11/15/2003
Posts: 858
Vette(s): 1971 convertible,375 HP 350ci,Muncie 4-speed,Edelbrock aluminum heads and RPM air-gap manifold,HEI distrubiter - old school mechanical tach drive. LOUD side exhaust!
Thanks for all the responses and suggestions! I'll get under there this weekend and see what I can see. Hey, worst case I just need to buy MORE parts. I know I'm completely shocked that a 35 year old car needs parts. Shocked, i tell you... Rolling%20On%20The%20Floor%20Laughing jgoglick2007-05-01 06:25:32
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