Bouncing front end

[Mike Przano]

Hello all,
Well, after a two and a half year restoration I finally took my 61 out for a test drive and wow what a rush! I think my heart was racing faster than the engine. Anyway, it performed amazingly well with the exception of the bouncing front end. During my resto I replaced the front coil springs, shocks, bushings and a few other front end parts but when I drive down the street the whole front end bounces up and down rather rapidly almost as if the shocks are not on at all and the front end is very stiff. Before I start the troubleshooting phase I thought the pros out there might be able to give me some ideas of where to start. Also, it seems like the front of the car sits up higher than others I've seen. BTW I got the coil springs from Ecklers and the shocks from Mary Jo. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Mike

[David H.]

Re: Bouncing front end

Sounds like the springs are way too strong, like maybe for a big block corvette? Also the springs fit into a step inside the top of the crossmember, maybe the top of the spring is resting on the step instead of inside it. Maybe your sway bar is on upside down or the sway bar bolts are too short? Can you push the car down in the front by hand (jounce)? Try disconecting shocks and or sway bar and then jounce front-end or test drive. David

[Mike]

Re: Bouncing front end

David,
I've disconnected the shocks and stab linkage and cannot "jounce" the car at all. What puzzles me as when I begin jacking up the front end the tires leave the ground almost immediately instead of remaining down then after a few pumps of the jack then begin to rise. If the springs were too stiff would that cause this too happen? Thanks again for your input.
Mike

[Roy Braatz]

Re: Bouncing front end

measure your old coil springs againt the new, most after market springs are of the heavy coil WRONG I see many Corvettes siting to high in front . Use your old ones if both are the same height and they will be shorter..

[Mike Przano]

Re: Bouncing front end

Thanks Roy,
Unfortunatly I tossed the old springs out some time ago but I do recall measuring them against the new ones and there was not more than a half inch difference in height. I also remember the coils on the old ones did not seem as thick.
Mike

[Wayne W.]

Re: Bouncing front end

You broke one cardinal rule. "Dont Throw Any Thing Away"

[Mike Przano]

Re: Bouncing front end

You got that right! I tripped over those old springs a hundred times in my garage before I decided to pitch them. Lesson learned!!

[Ronnie Robertson # 36786]

Re: Bouncing front end

David,
If your tires begin to lift with the frame as you jack the car up, the problem is not the springs (Unless you welded the tops and bottoms to the control arms). For some reason, the control arms are not moving in the bushings or at the ball joints. You might check the torque on the bushing bolts. The bolt torque should be set when the weight on the car and hand bounced a few times. The ball joints must be OK if you can steer the beast. A real stmper!

[Roy Braatz]

Re: Bouncing front end

your solution now would be to locate good used springs. They are thinner and shorter and your vett will set right. Always check replacement parts with the old part.I think all new coils are of the heavy option kind for C1's.

[David H.]

Re: get them out

Mike; you're going to have to remove the springs in any event to check the stiffness of the front suspension. Being a 61 with the all metal pivot points makes it hard to beleive that they are too tight but anything is posible. After you remove the springs re-attach the lower control arm with-out the shocks or the sway bar and see if the suspension will travel up and down either by hand or with a floor jack, then you can deal with the proper springs issue at that point. David

[Dale Pearman]

There Is No Heavy Option Kind

RPO 684 had a heavy duty spring. It wasn't an option. They were available over the counter (140) well into 1967.

Dale Pearman

[Mike Przano]

Re: get them out

Took out the springs and re-attached the control arms, replaced the wheels and then slowly let the jack down. The front of the car almost touched the ground so I guess all the pivot points are ok. Will try a different set of springs.
Thanks!

[Doug Flaten]

Re: Bouncing front end

A stiffer spring of larger diameter, will pick up the wheel sooner as you jack it up. Just as it takes more force to compress it, it also takes more force to stretch it.