63 Coil Spring

[Gary B.]

[Thomas S.]

Re: 63 Coil Spring

is it possible that the springs are incorrect as well? It would be a shame to go through all of that only to find out they are not correct in 1st place.

[Thomas B.]

Re: 63 Coil Spring

That's a possibility. How can I tell whether the springs are correct?

[Harry S.]

Re: 63 Coil Spring

Have a read -----> https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...63+coil+spring

[Thomas B.]

Re: 63 Coil Spring

Just guestimating from my photos I think they're correct. 3 exposed coils and 2 hidden top and bottom. Equally spaced. About 1/2" in diameter. What's the importance of placing end of coil 3/8" from sop in the frame? Maybe this places the spring so the drain hole in the lower control arm is not blocked by the bottom of the spring?

[David H.]

Re: 63 Coil Spring

... What's the importance of placing end of coil 3/8" from sop in the frame?

Thomas

Frame pocket retaining your spring is angled to match angle of coils. Incorrect placement in frame pocket would "lift" body out of height specification. Nothing to do with drain hole.

Coil spring tops on C1 are finished "flat", while C2/C3 coil tops retain their angle. Expect it was less expensive for GM to have a shape stamped into a frame, than to have coil spring tops finished flat.

Dave

[Thomas B.]

Re: 63 Coil Spring

Dave,

Are both ends of the C2 spring angled or is the bottom end flat?

Tom

[David H.]

Re: 63 Coil Spring

Dave,

Are both ends of the C2 spring angled or is the bottom end flat?

Tom

Tom

Both ends angled. Depending on what year, spring coil separation may be equally spaced along entire length, while other coils have wider separation at base and tighter separation toward top (frame coil pocket). If replacements are needed, post inquiry for vendor recommendations.

Up until recently, Long Island Corvette would be a typical recommendation however, they closed and sold inventory to ZIP. LIC website did have photos/measurements/descriptions of coil springs - I expect someone on Tech Board has saved this information.

Dave

[Harry S.]

Re: 63 Coil Spring

A few shots...

SpringPrint.jpg

63 Spring.jpg

Front I.jpg

[Thomas B.]

Re: 63 Coil Spring

Harry, thanks for the spring info. I'll get a closer look at mine and compare. I took the car in to a local shop and had the springs re-installed properly. They hit me for 1.5 hrs labor per side. About $370 total out the door. Front end is noticeably lower than before. Was higher than rear before. Shocks now align with springs as they should. Previously they did not align and the top of the shock was contacting the spring. The car had a really good frame off restoration at some point but whoever did it messed up on the springs. Thanks for input from everyone.

So, what stared all of this was a noise which sounded like it was coming from the front passenger side when turning into my driveway which I thought was the spring rubbing on the frame at the top due to paint scraped from the spring. Well the noise is still there. So, still have to track that down. No noises when driving down the road, just that turn into the driveway.

[Leif A.]

Re: 63 Coil Spring

Harry, thanks for the spring info. I'll get a closer look at mine and compare. I took the car in to a local shop and had the springs re-installed properly. They hit me for 1.5 hrs labor per side. About $370 total out the door. Front end is noticeably lower than before. Was higher than rear before. Shocks now align with springs as they should. Previously they did not align and the top of the shock was contacting the spring. The car had a really good frame off restoration at some point but whoever did it messed up on the springs. Thanks for input from everyone.

So, what stared all of this was a noise which sounded like it was coming from the front passenger side when turning into my driveway which I thought was the spring rubbing on the frame at the top due to paint scraped from the spring. Well the noise is still there. So, still have to track that down. No noises when driving down the road, just that turn into the driveway.

Thomas,
Just out of curiosity, are you running stock size wheels? What size tires?

[Thomas B.]

Re: 63 Coil Spring

Running 225 / 70 R15.

[Leif A.]

Re: 63 Coil Spring

Running 225 / 70 R15.

Check the upper, inner fender lip on your front fenders for sign of tire rubbing. 215/70R15 size is about as wide as is safe to avoid tires hitting the fender lip when turning (as into a driveway, parking lot...anywhere where the spring is compressing as the wheel/tire is rising in the wheel well). You may have a tire that is just a tad too wide for your particular car.

[Thomas B.]

[Thomas B.]

Re: 63 Coil Spring

Looks like the exhaust system is the issue. The driver side pipe only had only a small amount of clearance with the bottom of the hole in the frame cross member. Evidently the turn that I make into my driveway put enough torque on the frame to make the pipe contact the crossmember. I was able to loosen all of the pipe clamps and jack the pipe up with a floor jack, re-tighten all clamps and get enough clearance to the crossmember. No noise now when I make that same turn into driveway. I think it needs to go higher though. AIM shows the pipe pretty much centered on the frame hole. Any further improvements will have to be made with the car on a lift.