i have a newbie suspension question

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71 chevy
Posts: 156
Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:23 pm

i have a newbie suspension question

#1 Post by 71 chevy » Tue May 03, 2011 11:18 pm

hi guys, I just switched the front suspension on my 72 nova from shock and spring to coil overs.

with the old setup I had a 5 inches travel and I thought I would have max 3.75" with the coilover because that is the total extended length of the shock.

i just measured and I have over 7" of travel. how can this be? when the shock only extends 3.75" ?

JES
Posts: 84
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2009 10:29 pm

Re: i have a newbie suspension question

#2 Post by JES » Tue May 03, 2011 11:48 pm

Take your index finger, stick it strait-out, knuckle at your hand is piviot piont, mid knuckle is shock, finger tip is your wheel. Move your finger up and down and you will see why there is more travle at wheel than shock. Simple , but easy to understand.

71Hellride
Posts: 80
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 7:35 pm

Re: i have a newbie suspension question

#3 Post by 71Hellride » Wed May 04, 2011 12:39 pm

Trz told me on a nova every half inch of shock travel is an inch at the wheel. I just put afco coil overs on mine and I have 4" of travel. Are you saying you have 7" from front end fully compressed to fully open?

71 chevy
Posts: 156
Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:23 pm

Re: i have a newbie suspension question

#4 Post by 71 chevy » Wed May 04, 2011 5:41 pm

JES wrote:Take your index finger, stick it strait-out, knuckle at your hand is piviot piont, mid knuckle is shock, finger tip is your wheel. Move your finger up and down and you will see why there is more travle at wheel than shock. Simple , but easy to understand.
lol. Im still in the fog on how that works. I need to go back and read up on pivots :D

71 chevy
Posts: 156
Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:23 pm

Re: i have a newbie suspension question

#5 Post by 71 chevy » Wed May 04, 2011 5:43 pm

71Hellride wrote:Trz told me on a nova every half inch of shock travel is an inch at the wheel. I just put afco coil overs on mine and I have 4" of travel. Are you saying you have 7" from front end fully compressed to fully open?
from the vehicle at rest to the point the wheel is just touching the ground when I jack up the front end, is 7"

but, the middle of my fender opening (in line with middle of wheel) is 22.5" off the ground at rest, so it sits very low

71Hellride
Posts: 80
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 7:35 pm

Re: i have a newbie suspension question

#6 Post by 71Hellride » Thu May 05, 2011 3:04 am

I think ours is 25" to the fender. I had to turn it up maybe 2-3" of thread. You might have a lighter spring than me and it lets it compress a little more.

71 chevy
Posts: 156
Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:23 pm

Re: i have a newbie suspension question

#7 Post by 71 chevy » Thu May 05, 2011 10:19 am

i have 350 lb springs. thinking of going 250lb springs

71Hellride
Posts: 80
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 7:35 pm

Re: i have a newbie suspension question

#8 Post by 71Hellride » Thu May 05, 2011 12:11 pm

My front end weight is 1795. I have 8" 450lb springs. I wanted 400lb springs but Mike told me I could run into coil bind and send the shock through the lower control arm.

71 chevy
Posts: 156
Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:23 pm

Re: i have a newbie suspension question

#9 Post by 71 chevy » Thu May 05, 2011 11:49 pm

71Hellride wrote:My front end weight is 1795. I have 8" 450lb springs. I wanted 400lb springs but Mike told me I could run into coil bind and send the shock through the lower control arm.
question. how stiff is your front end.? with the 350 lb springs and the spring all the way at the bottom of the shock threads, it feels like i have zero travel and the suspension is super stiff.

any ideas?

71Hellride
Posts: 80
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 7:35 pm

Re: i have a newbie suspension question

#10 Post by 71Hellride » Fri May 06, 2011 1:22 am

With the compression and rebound both fairly soft, maybe 5 clicks from full soft, it feels similar to the moroso springs and the 90/10 shocks I used to have. If I crank the compression up it gets hard as a rock. I can jump on the front end and hardly move it down. This is with the afco bnc front shock.

want-a-be
Posts: 189
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:04 pm
Location: Southern Illinois

Re: i have a newbie suspension question

#11 Post by want-a-be » Fri May 06, 2011 9:01 am

71 chevy wrote:
71Hellride wrote:My front end weight is 1795. I have 8" 450lb springs. I wanted 400lb springs but Mike told me I could run into coil bind and send the shock through the lower control arm.
question. how stiff is your front end.? with the 350 lb springs and the spring all the way at the bottom of the shock threads, it feels like i have zero travel and the suspension is super stiff.

any ideas?
71 chevy,

If the bottom spring pad is at the bottom of the threads I would seriously consider lighter springs, at least 50 pounds lighter and if it were mine I would put a set of 250s on it and see how they do.

One possibility to not zero travel on the front end would be front shocks that are seized up. Have you had them off to check how they move through out their stroke?

Just a few observations.

Don

want-a-be
Posts: 189
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:04 pm
Location: Southern Illinois

Re: i have a newbie suspension question

#12 Post by want-a-be » Fri May 06, 2011 9:17 am

71Hellride wrote:My front end weight is 1795. I have 8" 450lb springs. I wanted 400lb springs but Mike told me I could run into coil bind and send the shock through the lower control arm.
When you jack this car up,...how much suspension travel do you have? How much of the shock shaft is showing at normal ride height. What is the stroke of the shock?

Don

71 chevy
Posts: 156
Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:23 pm

Re: i have a newbie suspension question

#13 Post by 71 chevy » Fri May 06, 2011 9:21 am

71Hellride wrote:With the compression and rebound both fairly soft, maybe 5 clicks from full soft, it feels similar to the moroso springs and the 90/10 shocks I used to have. If I crank the compression up it gets hard as a rock. I can jump on the front end and hardly move it down. This is with the afco bnc front shock.

it is a single adjustable heidts coilover(made by strange, I believe)

right now it is set fully soft( all the way counter clockwise) are you saying I should stiffen it a little?

71 chevy
Posts: 156
Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:23 pm

Re: i have a newbie suspension question

#14 Post by 71 chevy » Fri May 06, 2011 9:25 am

want-a-be wrote:
71 chevy wrote:
71Hellride wrote:My front end weight is 1795. I have 8" 450lb springs. I wanted 400lb springs but Mike told me I could run into coil bind and send the shock through the lower control arm.
question. how stiff is your front end.? with the 350 lb springs and the spring all the way at the bottom of the shock threads, it feels like i have zero travel and the suspension is super stiff.

any ideas?
71 chevy,

If the bottom spring pad is at the bottom of the threads I would seriously consider lighter springs, at least 50 pounds lighter and if it were mine I would put a set of 250s on it and see how they do.

One possibility to not zero travel on the front end would be front shocks that are seized up. Have you had them off to check how they move through out their stroke?

Just a few observations.

Don
the bottom of the spring pad is at the bottom of the threads but that was a starting point. my front end is too low for me.
I checked the front shocks before installing and they move freely so I dont think that is the problem.

71Hellride
Posts: 80
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 7:35 pm

Re: i have a newbie suspension question

#15 Post by 71Hellride » Fri May 06, 2011 1:32 pm

want-a-be wrote:
71Hellride wrote:My front end weight is 1795. I have 8" 450lb springs. I wanted 400lb springs but Mike told me I could run into coil bind and send the shock through the lower control arm.
When you jack this car up,...how much suspension travel do you have? How much of the shock shaft is showing at normal ride height. What is the stroke of the shock?

Don
Almost 4 inches, actually about 3 3/4. Shock is 4" stroke. Shock is about half way compressed at ride height

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