They went in without any drama, my only complaint is the dials on the viking



double adjustable shocks do not have firm "click" they start out OK but after 5-6 "clicks" they fade away.

 

I have never had coil overs on the rear, is it normal to compress the rear springs to get the correct ride height?
The rear springs are 110# so they compressed a bit to raise the body to the height I needed.

I use 27.5/4.0-15 front runners and 28/10.5.-15 stiff sidewall slicks

The front ride height is 28" (un-adjusted) I setup the rear ride height to be 28 1/4".
I adjusted the coil overs until I had 4 3/16" measured from bottom of locking nut to bottom of first tread. This gave me the 28 1/4" ride height at the rear (measurement from ground to center of wheel well opening)

The slicks fit the wheel wells nicely, better than before because the original rear suspension had no adjustment. 60 degrees today but the track is closed until April.

 

You don't set ride height with the spring adjustment. You set the height of the shaft in the shock with the spring adjustment so you have enough shaft in the shock. You adjust the ride height by moving the lower shock mount up or down.
Go to Chris Alston's site and look at the tech pages, it explains all of it. I use 110lb springs on the back of my Camaro, 29x10.5W Hoosiers or 29.5x10.5W MT and I have had 29.5x10.5 MY Pro Bracket Radials.https://www.cachassisworks.com/cac_tech_articles.html look under springs drag race

 

110 pound springs on the back of my car.
Springs hold the car up. Shocks do all the work controlling spring oscillations.
A spring that's too light will allow the shock shaft to sit too low when weight is on the spring. A spring that's too stiff won't compress enough to allow the shocks to do their job.

With a good chassis setup, you want the shocks to extend easily on launch as the tires get driven down into the pavement. The shocks then allow a slower compression to keep the tires planted as long as possible. extension and compression should happen before you cross the 60 foot mark. By then the chassis should be neutral and pushing you down the track.

 

what?! F body's have only one lower shock mount, per the OEM design, and the UMI kit is based on the OEM design. I don't have another option.
Shocks have a certain length of stroke, per the model # of the shock, so I assume UMI provided the correct length shocks for their f-body kit.

I set the coils on the shocks lower setting to install the upper coil retainer then I installed the shocks fully extended, top mounts first. I raised the axle to attach the bottom mounts then I adjusted the coils up to fit my rear slicks.
I compressed the springs a bit but did not change the shock stroke if that makes sense.
I spoke with other races who have the same setup and confirmed this is OK.

 

Thanks I have never had double adjustable shocks. I baselined compression and rebound to +4 clicks from "0" ( 50/50 setting on the soft side) We shall see what it does and adjust from there.

 

Not talking about changing the stroke of the shock, talking about how much extension you have vs compression. On a stock mount you might have to fabricate a lower mount, using a stock location is a compromise. I welded in a crossmember and welded adjustable shock mounts to the axle tubes. If you read the Alston articles you'll see what I mean.

 

10-4, I have some more reading to do.

Thanks,

 

its probably a stock length shock. i had similar ones when my car was stock. if you have a fairly stockish ride height the shocks should be ok since they probably have around 7" of stroke... and they would probably wind up fairly centered in their stroke range. so you would basically then set your ride height with the springs. when you are running the little short shocks in other locations is when you really need to pay attention to the length when installed at ride height.

 

Thanks, yes they are stock length shocks. ride height it set 28" front and 28 1/4 rear to fit the tires, allow for clearance and the car sits nice and level

 

I sent UMI tech support an email with pictures and the setup/install is OK.

 

to many cooks in the kitchen... the coil overs set up on a 3rd gen at all 4 corners are for/can be used for ride height adjustment. for us drag race guys..set the height. with the spring adjuster on the shock body. the kits sold for drag racing should come with a shock you can set about the height the car came with..give or take a inch..the shock its self 50/50 (setting) in the rear.(ball park) works for me.spring rate give or take should keep your car from feeling like its sagging/sloppy or sitting to low on the shock body. in order to get the car at the height ya want. NOTE: looking at your spring adjuster riding that hi up on your shock body. ya might want to add bump stops to the top of your shock..they make some for the rear shocks you have.. a tad over 1/2" thick C shaped. ya slip them on.(with out taking the shock apart). ya can see them in my pic below..its a safty thing to keep the shock from getting beat to death.. if bottoming out/oops.. a spring rate of 110lbs =compresses the spring 1" inch for every 110lbs 2 springs = 220lbs to compress the springs 1" (whats the back of your car weigh?) get with in a 50lb ball park..battery in back? it adds up NOS bottles?

but yes..the spring sets the cars ride height. by pushing up.shocks only dampen the spring rebound/bounce..you adjust the rebound of the shock..fast or slow up or down...by the bleed valves/***** on the shock body..
note coil overs all the way around below. springs set the height by pushing up on the cars body..turn them up the body goes up..turn them down the body goes down... simple..

 

You keep the chassis clean!

I am overdue for a chassis detailing. I keep my car covered and also had a plastic sheet on it when I was restoring my Cutlass but the dust from; the body work, priming, painting still got underneath the firebird.

Good old southside machine bars.. I love mine! Hard to believe it's been 25 years since I got them! and now I have some tunability with the new shocks.

 

when the car is together.1 time a year I remove lights and other parts to clean behind them/under them. rockers just about everthing..that's easy to get to..
as for the SSM bars..the car was always going to be going to the track. so I had them installed when the car was still new..as for the way they work..the car is like a slot car..strait..love them. over the years I see sets for sale. so I buy them..most of the time they are missing some parts..and I get them cheap. back up parts always!.. SSM Subframe connectors are some of the best fitting at the time..and no longer made..sad..
as for the bars.. today.. upgrades run a tube from bar to bar. under the center section. then attaching it/welding to bottom lower back of the center section. in place of a back brace many install on the housing.. (as it's a bit less work) having to cut the back brace to contour over the bar straps.. (my thinking)..the heat on the housing..and the welding its self is cut down to a 1/4..of the time..