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55 Tony

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🐔County, TN. 55 Bel Air Sport Coupe
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Discussion starter · #1 ·
My rear suspension has been bothering me since I've had the car on the road. I had tried a couple different shocks and they seemed too stiff so I tried the stock factory type KYB 343149's a few years ago with no improvement.

Does it make any sense to disconnect/remove the shocks to see if it's the shocks or the springs? The springs were bought long before I knew any better, Danchuk 5 leaf "heavy duty" which they swore were no more stiff than the 4 leaf. And to make things worse with these crappy springs, most all of the sliders have fallen out. Did old cars have them?

So if I remove the shocks, I know it isn't going to be a great ride, but if it's still so harsh a ride, what is my next step? I had thought about greasing the leafs, but I'm pretty sure they were pretty stiff when new with the sliders in place.

What's a decent spring? I don't want to break the bank so a mono leaf is probably out. I'd like something that sits about stock height and doesn't ride like an empty truck.
 
#2 ·
55 Tony said:
My rear suspension has been bothering me since I've had the car on the road. I had tried a couple different shocks and they seemed too stiff so I tried the stock factory type KYB 343149's a few years ago with no improvement.

Does it make any sense to disconnect/remove the shocks to see if it's the shocks or the springs? The springs were bought long before I knew any better, Danchuk 5 leaf "heavy duty" which they swore were no more stiff than the 4 leaf. And to make things worse with these crappy springs, most all of the sliders have fallen out. Did old cars have them?

So if I remove the shocks, I know it isn't going to be a great ride, but if it's still so harsh a ride, what is my next step? I had thought about greasing the leafs, but I'm pretty sure they were pretty stiff when new with the sliders in place.

What's a decent spring? I don't want to break the bank so a mono leaf is probably out. I'd like something that sits about stock height and doesn't ride like an empty truck.
Click to expand...
Stock springs had the sliders.
Are you sure the shackles aren't flipper or installed backwards or tightened down with the rear end hanging down?
Why not take a leaf out of your springs?
 
#4 ·
55 Tony said:
My rear suspension has been bothering me since I've had the car on the road. I had tried a couple different shocks and they seemed too stiff so I tried the stock factory type KYB 343149's a few years ago with no improvement.

Does it make any sense to disconnect/remove the shocks to see if it's the shocks or the springs? The springs were bought long before I knew any better, Danchuk 5 leaf "heavy duty" which they swore were no more stiff than the 4 leaf. And to make things worse with these crappy springs, most all of the sliders have fallen out. Did old cars have them?

So if I remove the shocks, I know it isn't going to be a great ride, but if it's still so harsh a ride, what is my next step? I had thought about greasing the leafs, but I'm pretty sure they were pretty stiff when new with the sliders in place.

What's a decent spring? I don't want to break the bank so a mono leaf is probably out. I'd like something that sits about stock height and doesn't ride like an empty truck.
Click to expand...

It will only cost time. Take out 1 leaf, then 2 leaves per side and take for a spin each time. I'm guessing your 5 leafs are too stiff. Also, do your shocks have enough travel and not bottoming?
 
#5 ·
It is just a process of elimination. I would;

1. Check tire pressures. Too high a pressure can make a significant difference.
2. Check that the shackles are't flipped.
3. If they are ok, disconnect the shocks and take it for a decent drive.
4. If the ride is still rough, unbolt the springs and re tighten, with the weight on the rear. Take it for a decent drive.
5. If the ride is still rough, install sliders and lubricate. If the sliders can't be found use something else (a spouses credit cards would be a great option...).

That should hopefully identify what is causing the problem.

Good luck.
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
Thanks everyone.

The shackles sure seem to be on right, they hang below the cast hanger, curves to the front. If they were to the front they would be on the body, and if they were behind the mounting bracket, well I don't know what they would do. Hit the hanger and/or the body? They certainly don't do that.

Bushings were tightened with weight on them and loosened and redone 2 or 3 more times.

What leaf would I remove? The middle one? I'm thinking I may need them re-arched to keep the stock height if I remove a leaf?

Tires have had as low as 25 psi and it just handled like crap.

New sliders may help, but it was a rough ride when they were new and had sliders. Maybe now they are broken in and the sliders will help a lot?

I guess I'll remove the shocks and feel what happens since that's a lot easier than removing a leaf.

Oh, I don't think the shocks are bottoming out. They are stock replacement.
 
#8 ·
The only way you change the spring rate with leaf springs is to add or subtract leafs. In other words, 4 leaf springs are 4 leaf springs, there's no such thing as a stiffer 4 leaf spring.

Having said that, the sliders reduce friction so they could be a factor. Look at your springs. If the sliders are gone and the springs are binding up, you should see bare metal, paint scraped off, on the leafs above where the shorter leafs ride.

Shocks will definitely make a difference. Some shock are quite stiff. Others not so much.

I don't find the ride to be objectionable in a 55-57 with 5 leaf springs and some performance shocks, at least on good roads. Maybe your roads aren't so good?
 
#9 ·
Tony...is your rear end lowered at all?

Only reason I ask is because...if your rear is lowered, you could be bottoming out your shocks. Another way to bottom out shocks is to use a shock bar with the stock length shocks...it shortens their travel by a few inches in most cases.

Another possibility (this happened to me)...if your rear is lowered and you have a shock bar, your rear axle might be hitting the shock bar on bumps. This happened to me, but I had 3" drop springs in the rear at the time. I replaced the standard shock bar with one designed for lowered rear ends and all is good now.

Otherwise...you may just have really stiff springs. It's a bummer that Global West is no longer making tri-five leafs...they made a good product for a good price (~$200 for a pair). I think I'd be inclined to give them a call and see if they're still offering them at all...even as a custom order.
 
#10 ·
My five leafs are pretty stiff. Depending on how they were made, it is possible that you have five leafs with a higher spring rate then stock. For example the guy who sells the three inch lift springs confirmed that they are not a longer re arched spring but the same spring length as stock five leafs but a higher spring rate. Any chance you have the three inch lift springs?
 
#11 ·
Tony...I was looking through my ECC and saw that they sold leaf spring inserts and liners:

Image
 
#12 ·
For example the guy who sells the three inch lift springs confirmed that they are not a longer re arched spring but the same spring length as stock five leafs but a higher spring rate.
Click to expand...
Not a correct statement. You don't get a higher spring rate without adding leafs. Spring rate is a function of material (steel), thickness, and width. The only way to get more is to add more steel.

That said, you can change ride height (but not spring rate) by changing the arch.
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
Discussion starter · #14 ·
Dragsix said:
My five leafs are pretty stiff. Depending on how they were made, it is possible that you have five leafs with a higher spring rate then stock. For example the guy who sells the three inch lift springs confirmed that they are not a longer re arched spring but the same spring length as stock five leafs but a higher spring rate. Any chance you have the three inch lift springs?
Click to expand...
I don't think so? My rear rocker area in the pic is just under 12". I did notice I have 10" in the front. My rear tires are 275/60-R15 and the height to the center of the wheel is about 13 1/4". Excuse the dirty tires and wheels.
 

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#19 ·
There are several ways to desing leaf spring pack. I believe that leafs which are behind the axle works only for suspension and leafs front of the axle more as control arm and secondary for suspension. Changing the leaf lenghts you can 'tune' the spring. This is how its works in big rig stuff and I don't think there is much of a difference in car leaf springs.
 
Discussion starter · #20 · (Edited)
IDK, I'm thinking maybe it was just the coil springs. Boy oh boy is that a long drawn out video. I pay per the megabyte so I skipped a lot but caught him mentioning cutting a coil spring and of course that makes it stiffer. I suppose if one were to alter the suspension in the rear to accept longer springs, that too would make it softer. I never thought about it but I suppose that is true.

What do you think about the petroleum with springs deal? And while on that subject, I don't think he mentioned the plastic sliders and I didn't notice holes in the spring to accept/hold them.
 
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55 Tony
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