Moparts

Rear Suspension Suggestions

Posted By: njdevil2

Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/05/15 12:19 AM

I'm putting my '70 convert back on the road and obviously, the rear springs are 40+ years old and the air shocks are leaking.

What do you think...XHD Mopar Performance leafs or SS springs?

What shocks would you use for the rear?

Mostly street use, I have 2.5" Pypes with an "X" pipe and shorty headers, Street Avenger 650 on Stock Edelbrock intake (LD4B?) with 4 speed, 3.23 gearing. No pinion snubber...just yet.

Attached picture 8449062-beepbird.jpg
Posted By: astjp2

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/05/15 12:50 AM

Just call espo and order a set that are the same for left and right. Then pick a sway bar and shocks of your choosing. That's what I am doing. Tim
Posted By: maximus

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/05/15 01:03 AM

I would go with the HD springs for a street car. But if you want to save some money I would take the ones off the car, clean them up and take them to a spring shop and have them re-arched. I did this to my 1969 charger to retain the original springs. They disassembled each leaf, arched them one at a time, then reassembled. They charged me $60 at the time. I had the car for 6 years and they maintained the ride height I wanted. Also the spring shop can add a leaf if you want a stiffer ride. This is my opinion, others may disagree. It works for me using OEM springs.
Posted By: SomeCarGuy

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/05/15 01:08 AM

Skip the mp junk.
Posted By: D_C

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/05/15 01:15 AM

How about Cal Tracs with Split-Mono-Leaf springs and Shocks? That's the way I'd go in your position. Best traction short of a 4-link.

Calvert Racing Caltracs
Posted By: njdevil2

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/05/15 07:30 PM

Quote:

Skip the mp junk.




So, I'm guessing you're not enthused with the MP XHD spring set?
Posted By: polara71

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/05/15 07:57 PM

Springs & Things (ESPO) ... order up 1" over stock height and buy some Bilstein shocks for all four corners
Posted By: GTX MATT

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/05/15 08:01 PM

I put the S/S springs in my car, ride quality is OK, it hooks hard on the street (I do run slicks though), and everyone comments on the old school stance. And they're cheap. My car used to sit so dumpy in the rear on stock springs I didn't care how high it sat with the new springs

Attached picture 8450044-Satellite.jpg
Posted By: mickm

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/05/15 08:20 PM

i'm also trying to figure out springs for the rear. i had the MP (made in mexico) springs on, and loved the stance. with 28" tall tires, the height at the rear fender well was about 25" from the ground. now it has sagged an inch.

since these were supposedly stock hemi springs, i'm looking at getting the same from eaton, but how do i know the car will have the same stance it did before? you can see it in my sig pic. if the old (and new) springs were stock, is it the 28" tall tires that gives the car it's stance, (i think the front is a little lower than stock as well).

the thing i don't want is to spend the money on these springs, and then find it sits right where it does now, and what i really needed was the 1" over stock. i just have to assume that the mopar springs and the eaton springs are built to the same specs, and so will have the same stance.

i'm kind of stuck here...
Posted By: GTX MATT

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/05/15 08:46 PM

Do the 1 inch over stock, if its a little too raked raise the nose.
Posted By: Steve Bryant

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/05/15 09:13 PM

Agreed with the re-arch. I just got my Mopar springs back from the local shop an they only charged $100 (total) to stiffen them so I don't need air shocks.

I hit them with some paint and they look 100% factory except for the additional list.
Posted By: 383man

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/05/15 10:26 PM

Do you plan to race the car any ? Since my car is a street/strip car I bought Superstock springs from Mancini. I bought the 3400 lb SS springs for my 3700 lb 63. This is how it sits and it rides very nice. I dont use a pinion snubber and I only use the older MP long shocks. As I said it rides great and hooks nice at the track as its nothing fantastic but it has pulled a 1.50 sixty running 10.70's which is respectable for a stock suspension SS leaf spring street car. If you dont race it then there are alot of other options as said by the reply's on here. Good luck with that fine Mopar of yours. Ron

Posted By: njdevil2

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/06/15 07:02 AM

I'd love to do a re-arch but there aren't any spring or suspension shops near by.
I did contact Espo and the prices are comparable to MP but it appears that they hand pick and match the springs. The 1" over arch at $270 a pair would work. I need the stance and traction for 90% street use. If it hooks on the track then that's a bonus.
Have to look into the Bilstein shocks. Just wondering with the 1" over stock will there be issues with stock type shocks?
Posted By: polara71

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/06/15 02:03 PM

No....... There will not be. I just purchased and installed my 5th set of springs from ESPO for another recent car purchase and never had a shock fitment issue. I always order them 1 inch over stock height.

Remember, they are also made in the States
Posted By: Steve Bryant

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/06/15 03:10 PM

The local company that did my re-arch is actually a truck (semi) suspension and steering company. Google truck suspension or truck spring and you may find someone close by.

-Steve
Posted By: Pntastar69

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/06/15 03:52 PM

Quote:

I'd love to do a re-arch but there aren't any spring or suspension shops near by.




If you're willing to travel a little, Reading Spring in Reading PA reached mine well over 10 years ago. They also added a 6th leaf. Stance still remains the same. I just recently disassembled them to clean them up and they rechecked everything and reassembled them w/new black liners and new spring clamps (3 each side w/6 leafs). They did not install the galvanized spacers between the leafs as they recommend not to. They charged me $71 to reassemble and parts. Heck, you can't but the rebuild kit for 6 leafs for under that and they were professionally assembled.

http://www.readingspringinc.com/
Posted By: TC@HP2

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/06/15 04:46 PM

Quote:

The local company that did my re-arch is actually a truck (semi) suspension and steering company. Google truck suspension or truck spring and you may find someone close by.

-Steve




I've found decent work and prices at a local truck shop doing this.

The alternative was a local muffler shop who was charging $299 a pair for re-arch. For that price, I'd just go new.
Posted By: mickm

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/06/15 07:33 PM

Quote:

No....... There will not be. I just purchased and installed my 5th set of springs from ESPO for another recent car purchase and never had a shock fitment issue. I always order them 1 inch over stock height.

Remember, they are also made in the States




and where does that put your ride height? with my car, 28" tires, after putting on the stock mopar replacement springs, it had the stance you see in the photo. so that tells me one of two things: 1) the springs were set at exactly stock height, and it is the taller tires that give me that stance, or 2) the springs were arched higher than stock, and it was both.

while in another thread i agreed that it is better to be too high than too low, i want to make the best shot at reproducing that stance with just the springs.
Posted By: polara71

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/07/15 01:48 AM

Unfortunately on my recent spring purchase I didnt take any measurements. I seem to get to anxious to start and I never measure.

11 years ago I bought this car, here it is the day before I bought it....

Attached picture 8451744-1871342004right(1024x687).jpg
Posted By: polara71

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/07/15 01:49 AM

Right after the springs were installed

Attached picture 8451746-1871342004002(1024x679).jpg
Posted By: polara71

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/07/15 01:50 AM

Here she is a few years ago. The springs have held up well and the car sits perfect, In my opinion anyway

Attached picture 8451749-1871342011left(1024x768).jpg
Posted By: polara71

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/07/15 01:53 AM

This is the one I bought in October and you can see where the molding line is on the tire. I dont have a photo but now you can see the whole tire which is a bit too high for me, but as I said, it will settle in.

Attached picture 8451764-IMG_8808(1024x683).jpg
Posted By: ahy

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/07/15 02:51 AM

If you find a spring shop, a good alternative may be simply adding a leaf to the springs you have. That will raise height by about an inch and stiffen it up. You should be able to replace the air shocks with standard. At my local shop, this service costs around $100 with springs off the car.
Posted By: njdevil2

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/07/15 03:40 PM

I did find a shop that is relatively close by, but the issue is I don't think I can leave it on jack stands for a week. I have it in a rented garage and its shared (not worried about the other tenant, they're cool). If I go the ESPO route, then I get it done in a few hours. The down side is I'll need a place to store my original springs. I'm also not confident about how the spring shop will do my springs (to my specs). I'm figuring about $325 for springs and shackle/bushing kits. Shocks are another item I'll need to ponder.
Posted By: zrxkawboy

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/07/15 06:10 PM

Another satisfied ESPO customer here. I put a pair of springs on my '57 Plymouth a few years back, and they've been fine.
Posted By: njdevil2

Re: Rear Suspension Suggestions - 03/09/15 11:37 PM

Come Friday, I think I'll become an ESPO customer. I just need to get it done.
Now, I just need to contemplate the front suspension.....
© 2024 Moparts Forums