Spring Manufacturers

[fast4motion]

Has anyone had experience with having coil springs custom made?
I've heard of Snells, but is there anyone else who does it?

[torqued]

chamberlains springs - had a custom set made.
Weren't as low as i wanted plus were two soft. Had to get the springs reset lower twice which ended up making them even softer I ended up throwing them out and buying a set of coil overs

[dirtyleppa]

bellamy and east here in chch do coil springs, but there should be someone up north way who does something similar. failing that either coil overs or maybe try find an existing coil that will suit your needs

[fast4motion]

bellamy and east here in chch do coil springs, but there should be someone up north way who does something similar. failing that either coil overs or maybe try find an existing coil that will suit your needs

It's for my Impala (I'm thinking of removing the airbags), so will need some custom made.
I'm not sure how they go about it without knowing the weight of the car, or the exact height the spring needs to be.

[Bartman]

Why are you thinking of removing the airbags?

[fast4motion]

Why are you thinking of removing the airbags?

Because they were pretty cool when I first got them about 9 years ago, when there were very few bagged cars in NZ. But now every wannabe gangsta has them in their Merc or BMW, so they've lost their appeal for me.
Also, I find I don't use them when I drive or even park the car, so they're more of a hassle than anything. I only really use them at shows, weddings, school balls etc.
And with the power it makes, the bags can make the handling unpredictable due to the changes in rear suspension geometry and pressure at different heights. Sometimes it hooks up nicely, sometimes it just wheelspins, or could be anywhere in-between.
I'll probably be more likely to use it if I've got a good set of springs in there.

I'm still just considering it.

[nick_m]

It'd probably be easier for you to get it corner weighted (maybe ask local cert guys or race car fabricators) at least then you the front/rear weight split and if you know what spring rate you want you can work backwards to free length.

[brocky41]

Hey dude i can find out what rates the lowered springs are so at least you'd know roughly what rates you need - how low does it need to be etc - Pm me the details of the car and ill find out.

[fast4motion]

I have the original springs, so that's a starting point. The fronts are actually too low! I assume the spring people can measure the rates of them, and take into account the difference in height I want, then make something accordingly. I'll see if I can get it weighed too.

I'm not sure if car details will help Brock! It's a '64 Impala, with added front weight of a 400ci V8 and TH350 trans, 6/71 supercharger, twin holleys and Hilborn scoop, etc. Plus there's some 2" dropped spindles to add to the confusion.

[nick_m]

Corner weighting will make life soooo much easier but you can work out the spring rate value by putting a known weight on it (eg you standing on it) and then measuring the deflection.
You could then with a little simple maths work back to what spring rate you'd need at the standard spring length for it to sit at the height you want. You'd need to make at least a half accurate guess at what the front weight would be though. eg the thing weighs 2.5tonne and probably has a 55% front weight bias for example. (thats a complete guess by the way) it might require you to track down the standard weight split if such info is available and then approximate the extra weight you've added and work out the new front rear split. Its relatively easy to do if you can find the info. Otherwise thats where the corner weighting is easiest