newbie needs help with 79 rear suspension
05-18-2011, 10:14 PM
#1
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Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 4
newbie needs help with 79 rear suspension
hi everyone! my names ryan, im 19 and like many people, am new to the forum world. Right before winter i bought a 79 camaro Z28 as a second car for street/strip duty. the car is in great shape and everything is new besides the rear suspension. i believe my leaf springs are sagging badly. i replaced the stock air shocks with QA1 12 way shocks recently because i know those are no good for the car. anyways the car seems to sit a little to low in the rear. i have 275 tires in the back and the inside wall of the right tire rubs badly whenever i take a turn to the right at speed. obviously i believe that body roll the main problem. the leafs i have on there right now are the original 3 leaf design i believe so they def need to be replaced. I want to make sure that i get the right stuff. i have been looking at the Hotchkins rear leaf spring packages but i am concerned that since it is a rear lowering kit, the rear will still sit too low and i will still have major tire rubbing issues. therefore im not shure if i should just go with oem height springs from summit or not. any advice would be greatly appreciated on which direction i should go with the springs and other rear suspension components. i also eventually plan on adding caltracs later on in the summer if needed. thanks again everyone!
05-19-2011, 12:14 AM
#2
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 16
Re: newbie needs help with 79 rear suspension
I'm guessing that your stock springs have sagged more than the 2" the Hotchkis springs would lower it. Get the Hotchkis and it will probably sit higher than it does now and handle much better. If it is too low with the new springs you can lift it with lowering blocks to get it where you want.
06-02-2011, 09:39 AM
#3
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: HOUSTON, TX
Posts: 36
Re: newbie needs help with 79 rear suspension
I have a 78' Camaro. It is very common for the back springs to sag. Plan on replacing them. Lift kits and air shocks will lead to frustration.
One word of caution, Several spring rates are available. the #s I provide might not be correct but you should be aware. I believe factory stock springs are 170#s. 220# and 275# are also available. I went with the 275#s and they are too stiff for street use. They really lifted the rear to the proper height and eliminated wheel hop. I don't need caltracs or slapper bars on a 275RWHP car. The 275# are great for road racing but, if I were to do it again I'd use the 220#s. I removed the rear sway bar as it doesn't seem to be needed now that I have the stronger springs back there.
The springs come with front bushings installed so you don't have to buy them. They can be ordered with rubber or urethane bushings. I went with urethane on the front for better handling and rubber on the back shackles for ride comfort. Do order replacement bushings for the rear shackles either way, they are bad after 30 years and you disassemble them anyway to change the springs.
Also. strongly consider getting bolt in subframe connectors to put in at the same time. Those 2 changes make the second gens much better drivers. I'd spend the money on SFCs instead of caltracs. If you do the above mods and have so much power that you still need caltracs, you're going to need SFCs anyway.
Also, a free modification is to re drill the front perches where the springs mount. Basically you move the mounting point forward and up about an inch and it helps the tires grip better under acceleration. You have to take the perches out to add SFC and springs anyway. You have to be careful that the re assembled parts fit back in though. I have an article from a vintage magazine saved if you'd like to read it.
One word of caution, Several spring rates are available. the #s I provide might not be correct but you should be aware. I believe factory stock springs are 170#s. 220# and 275# are also available. I went with the 275#s and they are too stiff for street use. They really lifted the rear to the proper height and eliminated wheel hop. I don't need caltracs or slapper bars on a 275RWHP car. The 275# are great for road racing but, if I were to do it again I'd use the 220#s. I removed the rear sway bar as it doesn't seem to be needed now that I have the stronger springs back there.
The springs come with front bushings installed so you don't have to buy them. They can be ordered with rubber or urethane bushings. I went with urethane on the front for better handling and rubber on the back shackles for ride comfort. Do order replacement bushings for the rear shackles either way, they are bad after 30 years and you disassemble them anyway to change the springs.
Also. strongly consider getting bolt in subframe connectors to put in at the same time. Those 2 changes make the second gens much better drivers. I'd spend the money on SFCs instead of caltracs. If you do the above mods and have so much power that you still need caltracs, you're going to need SFCs anyway.
Also, a free modification is to re drill the front perches where the springs mount. Basically you move the mounting point forward and up about an inch and it helps the tires grip better under acceleration. You have to take the perches out to add SFC and springs anyway. You have to be careful that the re assembled parts fit back in though. I have an article from a vintage magazine saved if you'd like to read it.
07-08-2011, 12:29 AM
#4
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 4
Re: newbie needs help with 79 rear suspension
I have a 78' Camaro. It is very common for the back springs to sag. Plan on replacing them. Lift kits and air shocks will lead to frustration.
One word of caution, Several spring rates are available. the #s I provide might not be correct but you should be aware. I believe factory stock springs are 170#s. 220# and 275# are also available. I went with the 275#s and they are too stiff for street use. They really lifted the rear to the proper height and eliminated wheel hop. I don't need caltracs or slapper bars on a 275RWHP car. The 275# are great for road racing but, if I were to do it again I'd use the 220#s. I removed the rear sway bar as it doesn't seem to be needed now that I have the stronger springs back there.
The springs come with front bushings installed so you don't have to buy them. They can be ordered with rubber or urethane bushings. I went with urethane on the front for better handling and rubber on the back shackles for ride comfort. Do order replacement bushings for the rear shackles either way, they are bad after 30 years and you disassemble them anyway to change the springs.
Also. strongly consider getting bolt in subframe connectors to put in at the same time. Those 2 changes make the second gens much better drivers. I'd spend the money on SFCs instead of caltracs. If you do the above mods and have so much power that you still need caltracs, you're going to need SFCs anyway.
Also, a free modification is to re drill the front perches where the springs mount. Basically you move the mounting point forward and up about an inch and it helps the tires grip better under acceleration. You have to take the perches out to add SFC and springs anyway. You have to be careful that the re assembled parts fit back in though. I have an article from a vintage magazine saved if you'd like to read it.
One word of caution, Several spring rates are available. the #s I provide might not be correct but you should be aware. I believe factory stock springs are 170#s. 220# and 275# are also available. I went with the 275#s and they are too stiff for street use. They really lifted the rear to the proper height and eliminated wheel hop. I don't need caltracs or slapper bars on a 275RWHP car. The 275# are great for road racing but, if I were to do it again I'd use the 220#s. I removed the rear sway bar as it doesn't seem to be needed now that I have the stronger springs back there.
The springs come with front bushings installed so you don't have to buy them. They can be ordered with rubber or urethane bushings. I went with urethane on the front for better handling and rubber on the back shackles for ride comfort. Do order replacement bushings for the rear shackles either way, they are bad after 30 years and you disassemble them anyway to change the springs.
Also. strongly consider getting bolt in subframe connectors to put in at the same time. Those 2 changes make the second gens much better drivers. I'd spend the money on SFCs instead of caltracs. If you do the above mods and have so much power that you still need caltracs, you're going to need SFCs anyway.
Also, a free modification is to re drill the front perches where the springs mount. Basically you move the mounting point forward and up about an inch and it helps the tires grip better under acceleration. You have to take the perches out to add SFC and springs anyway. You have to be careful that the re assembled parts fit back in though. I have an article from a vintage magazine saved if you'd like to read it.
07-15-2011, 01:59 PM
#6
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 4
Re: newbie needs help with 79 rear suspension
do you think i should go with another spring instead of hotchkins then? or maybe just start with sub frame connectors? the front right tire seems to rub sometimes also when the wheel is cranked and i accelerate hard from a stop
09-15-2011, 07:29 PM
#7
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 9
Re: newbie needs help with 79 rear suspension
I have a 79 and had saggy old springs and the tire rubbed with 26.5" tall BF goodrich
tires. So I installed Hotchkis sport springs and QA1 shocks and I am running 28" tall Micky Thompsons and have about 2.5" whell clearance
and no wheel rub. The only thing is you will have too inslall shock extentions for
proper shock travel. If you want go to my garage and there are rear suspention pics With this setup you are asking about.
tires. So I installed Hotchkis sport springs and QA1 shocks and I am running 28" tall Micky Thompsons and have about 2.5" whell clearance
and no wheel rub. The only thing is you will have too inslall shock extentions for
proper shock travel. If you want go to my garage and there are rear suspention pics With this setup you are asking about.
Last edited by dman79z28; 09-15-2011 at 07:38 PM.
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