Replacement C3 front springs

[Richard M.]

Ordered new front springs for my '68 SB, no A/C 4spd car from reputable Corvette supply co.
New springs received are 3" shorter than original..12 1/2" vs 15 1/2".
Company I received from says these are correct replacement.
Has anyone ran into this & used similar springs as replacement?
If car is judged will large point deduction result from shorter springs?
Is there a source for identical springs available?
Thanks

[Joe L.]

Re: Replacement C3 front springs

Ordered new front springs for my '68 SB, no A/C 4spd car from reputable Corvette supply co.
New springs received are 3" shorter than original..12 1/2" vs 15 1/2".
Company I received from says these are correct replacement.
Has anyone ran into this & used similar springs as replacement?
If car is judged will large point deduction result from shorter springs?
Is there a source for identical springs available?
Thanks

Richard------


That replacement spring looks almost like an F-41 spring. I would not use it. The car will have a lower ride height and will have a much harsher ride quality.

Eaton Detroit Spring might have a spring which more closely matches the original.

[Duke W.]

Re: Replacement C3 front springs

Spring dimensional data is in the AMA specs that are part of the vehicle information package that is a free download from the GM Heritage Web site. It's best to have this data and compare with whatever the vendor is trying to pass off as "correct" for your application.

It seems Corvette parts vendors aren't very good at identifying proper springs for various applications or having them properly reproduced, which is surprising as they are easy to reverse engineer by taking a few measurements or using the AMA specs as a guide. It's not rocket science.

BTW, if the spring at the bottom of your photo is the original, it looks in decent condition. Clean it up and inspect for major corrosion damage. If there are no big craters or notches in the material the spring should be okay to reuse.

Duke