68 corvette front springs cut

[Jim R.]

Anyone know what cutting one coil off from the soft end (tightley wound end) of a small block spring would lower the car, it is a 68 small block air roadster that sits way to high in the front, there is a 2-3 inch gap between the tires and the fender lip. did some 68's sit high in the front, I think the sb air car used the bb non air springs. car also has oem tire size or diameter.

[Dick W.]

Re: 68 corvette front springs cut

I cannot comment about cutting the coils, but the small block and big block coils were different

[Ron G.]

Re: 68 corvette front springs cut

If you cut enough coils it will no doubt lower the car. Also, it will not ride as intended to. After numerous conversations with my counter part Paul Oslansky, aka Paulie O., on his advise you should leave the bolts in the upper and lower control arms loose. Maybe even load it on ot a car trailer and tie it down. When pulling the trailer with the car on, it will bounce a little and that will help lower the front end. Or you can consider some how pulling down on the frame with the bolts loose such as a frme machine. The factory originally put a load on the chassis which gave it the proper ride height. This may be a question for John Hinckley. The same holds true for the replacement of the rear rear spring.

[John H.]

Re: 68 corvette front springs cut

After numerous conversations with my counter part Paul Oslansky, aka Paulie O., on his advise you should leave the bolts in the upper and lower control arms loose. The factory originally put a load on the chassis which gave it the proper ride height. This may be a question for John Hinckley. The same holds true for the replacement of the rear rear spring.

Ron -

That's correct - the front and rear suspension were installed on the Frame Line, with the frame upside-down; the front upper and lower control arm shaft bushing bolts were torqued with the front suspension in a hydraulic compression fixture that positioned it at design ride height so the bushings would be free of torsional stress with the finished car on wheels. The rear suspension was assembled the same way; a locating fixture held the hubs at design ride height while the trailing arm front pivot bolts, lower shock mounts, and inner strut rod cam bolts were torqued during the rear alignment operation. The rear spring was then compressed and the spring end link bolts and cushions were installed. These requirements are also noted in UPC 3 and UPC 4 in the Assembly Manual so all the rubber bushings in the system were stress-neutral with the finished car on wheels. Failure to torque the bushing bolts with the suspension members at normal ride height will result in premature failure of the bonded rubber elements in the bushings due to torsional stress.

The four rear spring plate retaining bolts were also torqued with the spring compressed to normal ride height; that tidbit didn't show up in the Chassis Service Manual until about 1971 - failure to follow that procedure is what breaks the rear ears off of so many differential rear covers when installing rear springs.

[Joe L.]

Re: 68 corvette front springs cut

Anyone know what cutting one coil off from the soft end (tightley wound end) of a small block spring would lower the car, it is a 68 small block air roadster that sits way to high in the front, there is a 2-3 inch gap between the tires and the fender lip. did some 68's sit high in the front, I think the sb air car used the bb non air springs. car also has oem tire size or diameter.

Jim------


1968 small block with C-60 front springs= GM #3931824

1968 big block w/o C-60 front springs= GM #3931825