C1- 1959 - Ride Height Adjustment Specs

[Brad K.]

What are the correct ride height measurements (in the rear) for a '59? I have the original springs in my car but they appear to be re-arched so the body rides too high and is obvious. The rear fender is about 2-3 inches above the original tire. I bought it years ago when the big-tire-in-the-rear fad was in full swing. What in fact are the specs and how do I accomplish it? I've got the body off the frame and I need to put spring liners in the springs anyway. What shape does the upper leaf need to assume in order to accomplish the proper ride height?
Thanks,
Brad Kasten #18060

[Roy B.]

Re: C1- 1959 - Ride Height Adjustment Specs

Brad! did you read a post I did about the spring hangers 53 to 55 are different then 56 to 62? Check your's out.

[Dave S.]

Re: C1- 1959 - Ride Height Adjustment Specs

Brad,
I believe either the Assembly Manual, Owners Manual or both have a graphic picture of the body and the correct heights. It is a good place to start.

[Wayne P.]

Re: C1- 1959 - Ride Height Adjustment Specs

A good spring shop should be able to determine the shape needed if you tell them how much too high the car rides. There is no adjustment.

[John H.]

Re: C1- 1959 - Ride Height Adjustment Specs

You'll find rear suspension ride height specs in Section 4 of the A.I.M., measured from the top of the axle tube to the bottom of the frame directly above it; I don't have a '59 A.I.M., but for 57's, it's 3.8" with a full tank of fuel (curb weight). Photo below shows my '57, which measured right on 3.8", and the main spring leaf (original springs) was almost flat.

[Brad K.]

C1- 1959 - Ride Height Adjustment Specs

Thanks for the responses. I could have been a little clearer with my questions.

What I am really interested in is some STATIC dimensions on the springs themselves (while they lay on the garage floor) so that I can put the car together, fill the tank and have the ride height correct. I'd like to avoid having to lift the body AGAIN in order remove the springs to "re-arch" them to achieve the proper ride height. I didn't want this process to be be repeated over and over again with a freshly painted body (I also didn't want to buy new springs!)

John Hinckley gave me the best response with his photo and his reference to the '57 AIM. My '59 AIM does not have the 3.8" distance he refered to, but the "53-72 Corvette Specifications Guide" drawings that show the distance from the ground to the top of the rear fender(for both a '57 and a '59) to be approximately 32.5" John's comment that the springs should be essentially flat under load should be helpful to me.

Once again....Thanks

Brad #18060

[Dave Suesz]

The late Dale P...

New far more about this than I'll ever know. When springs are re-arched, the only way to do this properly is to anneal them, correct the arch of each leaf, and heat-treat them for proper hardness. Minute changes in the heat-treating, metal fatigue, etc., can make a big difference. I removed a pair of badly sagged coil springs from a car about ten years ago, and lying on the floor next to the new springs they were the exact same length. Dale explained this to me much better than I just did, perhaps the webmaster could pull some of his stuff from the archives and start a technical FAQ...