berlinetta specific suspension
09-23-2003, 03:52 AM
#1
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Location: ONTARIO CANADA
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berlinetta specific suspension
i have an 85 berlinetta, ive asked this q a few times before without really straight answers. but maybe i asked it wrong. 
my front struts are shot, as well as a spring. i dont think the berlinetta spring is the same for any other model camaro/firebird or is it?
and for the struts, what ones are reccomended to replace for replication of the original ride feel? to make the way it was when new.
my front struts are shot, as well as a spring. i dont think the berlinetta spring is the same for any other model camaro/firebird or is it?
and for the struts, what ones are reccomended to replace for replication of the original ride feel? to make the way it was when new.
10-19-2003, 11:07 AM
#8
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Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: Coventry, RI USA
Posts: 37
Spring rates have changed over and over through the years as chevy modified the original thirdgen design. The Berlinetta maintained it's spring ratings thru the entire third generation. Berlinettas always had the "softest" spring rates availible @ 58/18. "newtons per millimeter" ( whatever that means !)
The Sport Coupe used the same spring rates until 1986 when the rates were increased to 64/18 'n/mm'.
The Z28 and Iroc cars on the other hand used springs rated @ 96/32 in 83 & 84 then decreased the rear rate a little in 85 to 96/23.
Don't forget that there are several other changes to the suspension that were made each year and I'm sure those changes effected the desisions regarding what spring rate to use on a particular car.
For example: All these Front Sway bar sizes were used over the years in different Camaros :
27mm
29mm
30mm
31mm
32mm
34mm
Early Berlinetta's did not even get a rear sway bar from the factory and didn't have the additional front end frame support that the Z28 enjoyed either. So just adding springs from a Z28 will not make a berlinetta "feel" like a true Z. It would be a lot stiffer - but not the same.
If you want your car to feel like it did from the factory,.......... be VERY CLEAR at the parts counter of they will just give you the part that "everyone" uses !!!!!!
An 85 berlinetta probably has the additional front end frame support in the car already - but that may have been added in 86,..... I don't remember ! As for the factory spring rates and sway bars you should ask for the following:
Springs (F/R): 58/18 npmm
Sway bars (F/R): 30/18 mm
The Sport Coupe used the same spring rates until 1986 when the rates were increased to 64/18 'n/mm'.
The Z28 and Iroc cars on the other hand used springs rated @ 96/32 in 83 & 84 then decreased the rear rate a little in 85 to 96/23.
Don't forget that there are several other changes to the suspension that were made each year and I'm sure those changes effected the desisions regarding what spring rate to use on a particular car.
For example: All these Front Sway bar sizes were used over the years in different Camaros :
27mm
29mm
30mm
31mm
32mm
34mm
Early Berlinetta's did not even get a rear sway bar from the factory and didn't have the additional front end frame support that the Z28 enjoyed either. So just adding springs from a Z28 will not make a berlinetta "feel" like a true Z. It would be a lot stiffer - but not the same.
If you want your car to feel like it did from the factory,.......... be VERY CLEAR at the parts counter of they will just give you the part that "everyone" uses !!!!!!
An 85 berlinetta probably has the additional front end frame support in the car already - but that may have been added in 86,..... I don't remember ! As for the factory spring rates and sway bars you should ask for the following:
Springs (F/R): 58/18 npmm
Sway bars (F/R): 30/18 mm
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