Rear Suspension

[vetman2]

My 76 would bottom out in rear at every big bump. Replaced spring and shocks. Not much better. Thinking about air shocks. Any suggestions?

 

[SVO]

My suggestion would be to forget about air shocks and take another look at the rear suspension. When you say the suspension is bottoming out, are you sure the trailing arms are hitting the frame bump stops? It's possible what you think is noise of the suspension bottoming out could be noise from some other part of the suspension. What is the condition of your suspension bushings? What brand of spring did you replace your existing spring with? How did the new spring affect the ride height compared to the old spring's ride height?

Air shocks would just a band aid to the problem and wouldn't fix the real problem.

 

[stevolwevol]

My suggestion would be to forget about air shocks and take another look at the rear suspension. When you say the suspension is bottoming out, are you sure the trailing arms are hitting the frame bump stops? It's possible what you think is noise of the suspension bottoming out could be noise from some other part of the suspension. What is the condition of your suspension bushings? What brand of spring did you replace your existing spring with? How did the new spring affect the ride height compared to the old spring's ride height?

Air shocks would just a band aid to the problem and wouldn't fix the real problem.

If you replaced the mono spring, I'd bet the farm you are NOT bottoming out on the spring. I would say SVO is right about your rear suspension. I am not a believer in air shocks for any reason. Air shocks act as an extra spring. The shock mounts were never designed for this kind of stress. I know they were big stuff back in the late 60's and early 70's to give a car that jacked up look in the back, but it really did nothing but put undo stress on the front suspension.

 

[Hib Halverson]

My 76 would bottom out in rear at every big bump. Replaced spring and shocks. Not much better. Thinking about air shocks. Any suggestions?

Count the number of leaves in the rear spring and post the number.

What kind of shocks did you install at the rear?

Are you using the stock spring bolts or aftermarket? If aftermarket, are they longer or shorter than stock?

 

[vetman2]

The new spring is a standard 9 leaf. The shocks are KYB. The spring bolts are new and still have a couple of inches that I could tighten up. The ride height looks about right. Car goes down enough on the bumps that exhaust pipes are hitting pavement. Car not hitting frame bumpers before it bottoms out. Included 4 pictures to help show what I have.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

. Car goes down enough on the bumps that exhaust pipes are hitting pavement. .

I had that. The car was just too low to the ground. Try raising it a 1/2 inch and see.

 

[SVO]

Looking at your first picture, it appears to me that you don't have a stock exhaust system. Am I just looking at the exhaust pipes wrong?

 

[vetman2]

Not stock exhaust

The car had headers and flowmaster exhaust system when I bought it.

 

[vetman2]

Had plenty of thread so I tighten spring bolts one inch. Drove down road that used to give my exhaust pipes a beating. Did not hit once. Think this may have solved my problem. Thanks all !!!!!