rear spring 66

[JohnZ]

Thanks for all the posts. Now im really confused. You say no small blocks had rear sway bars. I just bought 66 small block. I't has sway bar and 9 leaf spring. The spring need to be replaced, just wonder witch one to go with.I Don't want a real stiff ride, but don't want a soft mess. Will it make a big diffrence if a put in a big block for my spring selection?

Yup, no small-block C2 originally had a rear sway bar when it left St. Louis; at some point, all frames had the internal weld-nuts for the rear sway bar bushing brackets, so it could be added later (after drilling the holes in the top rear of the trailing arms for the link bracket anchor plate bolts).

If someone would start making a correct rate/ride height reproduction 9-leaf spring, they'd sell all they could make.

 

[JohnZ]

"F-40 didn't exist for 1966 production - it was to be released as available for use with all engines, but was cancelled just prior to start of production (after the parts book and the Assembly Manual were released) and replaced by F-41, which was released as only available with the L-72 BB."

So John, whats on my car? Its a 7 leaf with the ends each leaf
slightly turned up. F40?
Thanks!

In '65, F-40 was only available with L-84 (fuelie) or L-78; yours has an F-40 rear spring, and if the F-40 was original to your car, it will have a 15/16" diameter front sway bar, which was unique only to the L-78/F-40 combination; the L-84/F-40 combo and non-F40 L-78's got a 7/8" diameter bar, and standard cars had a 3/4" bar. Both the 9-leaf and 7-leaf factory springs had turned-up ends; many of the repros do not.

 

[396 RAT]

Thanks John,
So your saying not all L78's came with the F40 susp?
Didnt know that.
Mark

 

[JohnZ]

F40 was another option to check on the order form in addition to L-78; if you didn't want it, you didn't get it - it wasn't tied to the engine option, but stood by itself.

 

[396 RAT]

So BB's did come with 7 and 9 leaf springs.
That answers that.

 

[Gerry]

BB rear spring

I can absolutely (100%) say that at least one 67 L 36 convert. came from the factory with a 9 leaf spring. It now has a 420 lb mono which for me is infinitely better.

Gerry

 

[bbp]

Gerry why did you go with the 420 mono? I only want to buy new springs once. I was thinking of going with 340 mono. Any thought from people with actual experience?

 

[396 RAT]

I put a TRW glass spring on my 65 365.
Back then they offered 3 springs,- street, Slalom & Race.
I installed the Slalom. Didnt care for it. It had a bit of a extra bounce to it? I had it with KYB shocks. Nice ride, but just felt
like it had an extra lift/ bounce over bumps & rises in the road.
May have been due to the gas shocks?
Much prefer the 7 leaf with Konis.

 

[Gerry]

rear springs

I used the highest lb single spring because I wanted the flatest cornering and most most tracklike conditions. My rear shocks are the Bilstein autocross and the entire suspension is as high perf that I could get without doing any irreversable changes to the car. I am extremely satisfied with the results but I did not consider harshness a bad thing. I really don't think the suspension is harsh just very communicative. You should consider what you are trying to achieve and then match components to that end. However, I still think the weight savings by going to a composite monospring of whatever lb will still be a benifit to your handling. Just my opinion.

Best regards,
Gerry