Any aftermarket companies make softer springs to fit a '90 IROC without changing the ride height? I'm not that into carving curves, and the roads are rough around here. Thanks for any help!

 

You'll be hard-pressed to find softer aftermarket springs, your best bet is to find a V6 thirdgen in a junkyard and use those springs.

I'm a little worried about the weight difference in the front though.

Find a Berlinetta in a junkyard, they all got pretty soft springs.

I'm sure someone would be willing to trade springs with you cause everyone wants soft springs..

I actually know someone that may be willing to trade..

 

I thought about V6 springs but I had my dad run the numbers out and it appeared that the car would sag waaaay too much and bottom too easily.
the front springs I just installed in my Z28 were .020 'ths smaller in wire dia. and were noticably softer and dropped the car about 3/4" - 1".

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'84Z28/'92 305TPI
'92 complete rear suspension/PBR disc/Posi/3:42
Light weight 34.5mm stabilizer bar in front ($10 from wrecking yard)/
"wonder Bar" ($5 from wrecking yard)
23mm sta. bar in rear
Rear RS Springs (slightly softer than my Z28)
comp cam, flowmaster
TB coolantbypass/shutoff valve to heater core
powersteering cooler lines (liberated from another wrecked car of course)
MAT relocated
Ram-Air(home-made) gutted air-box
IROC ground effects/wheels GY245/50's
700R4 superior shift kit/ corvette servo(excellent shift kit btw)
home-made strut tower brace (cost $6)

Rebuilt engine and transplanted it myself.

Love this engine!

freshly painted OCT. 2000 Teal with two white stripes on the hood and deck lid

LOW performance people should drive low performance vehicles!

 

I have some V6 springs ready to go into the car this weekend. I was going to do it last weekend but needed a spring compresser.

Visually looking at the 2 springs they look identical. Same number of coils etc. If the V6 spring is .020 thinner wire then it wouldn't be visably different. I'll have to check that out tomorrow to see if the wire size is different.

There's no way I can compress them and measure the spring rates to see how different they may be. Hmmm. Maybe using the press at work and a bathroom scale. Naaa. It's not hard to calculate spring rates but it's not worth the effort.

Worst case would be that the owner of the V6 car I pulled them out of put V8 springs in it for some reason but I doubt that. They look original.

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Follow my racing progress on Stephen's racing page
and check out the race car

87 IROC-Z Pro ET Bracket Race Car
383 stroker (carbed) with double hump cast iron heads and pump gas
461 Big Block installed and ready for the 2001 racing season

Best results before the 383 blew up
Best ET on a time slip: 11.857 altitude corrected to 11.163
Best MPH on a time slip: 117.87 altitude corrected to 126.10
Altitude corrected rear wheel HP based on power to weight ratio: 476.5
Best 60 foot: 1.662

Racing at 3500 feet elevation but most race days it's over 5000 feet density altitude!
Member of the Calgary Drag Racing Association

87 IROC bracket car, 91 454SS daily driver, 95 Homebuilt Harley

 

Thanks for the info guys, if I knew the # of turns and the outer diameter of the coil I could calculate what the rate might be for the different springs. The IROCs are somewhere near 550lb/in, which is pretty darn stiff.

Mac, I'm not sure I want to do this 'till I find out more about the potential for nosedive under the mighty 350's weight, but I'll let you know if I decide to trade.

84, what kinda springs did you get for the front? I want a softer rate but not at the expense of ride height. Maybe someone can custom make some springs for me?

Again, thanks for the help.

 

You don't want softer springs, you want softer shocks. What are you after? a lower ride? No, but that's what you'll get with softer springs. Ask any drag racer. When you install V6 springs,(which only the fronts are different) the front drops. But if you get a softer dampening shock, you won't feel the bumps as much. Compare your ride to a Cadillacs ride.

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'82 Firebird, dead stock, 9 bolt disc rear, over 200,000 miles and still going strong, more to come...
http://www.spinfrenzy.com/stingerssx...easures.html#4

 

Stinger - True, softer shocks will help some but I seriously doubt a Cadillac's springs are anywhere near as stiff as the ones on the IROC. Which shock could I get that would make a significant difference in the harshness of the ride? Do I have to go to adjustable ones? Thanks for your help, man.

 

I got my V6 springs installed today. The original IROC springs must have a real heavy spring rate or the V6 springs I found are really soft. The V6 spring wire is .050 thinner than the V8 IROC's.

I don't know how much different the car will sit from the original springs since I cut the V8 springs last year. The V6 springs raised the front end up 2 inches from where the cut V8 springs were. At least I can get a jack under the ground effects now.

 

Thanks for the help, man. It looks like the V6 springs will do just fine, so I may be looking into that soon. Think KYB GR2 struts will go well with that?

 

The springs I went with were out of a Firebird (engine size unknown, the springs were left over after the initial build-up of my Camaro). They are .020 smaller in dia. than the original Z28 front springs (which were VERY stiff) and 1/2" shorter in overall heigth. The front-end is now 1" lower, measured at the center of the tire, than original and slightly softer.

Now I have another problem, with the lower, softer springs the 245/50 16's rub the inner fender well real quick when I hit a bump. The wheels are late 80's IROC. What I am wondering is what is the difference between my '84 and the IROC cars as far as how much room for the tire clearance? My car is not that much lower than stock and I have read the IROC's were lowered somewhat, so what gives? BTW, the struts are new Gabriels.

------------------
'84Z28/'92 305TPI
'92 complete rear suspension/PBR disc/Posi/3:42
Light weight 34.5mm stabilizer bar in front ($10 from wrecking yard)/
"wonder Bar" ($5 from wrecking yard)
23mm sta. bar in rear
Rear RS Springs (slightly softer than my Z28)
comp cam, flowmaster
TB coolantbypass/shutoff valve to heater core
powersteering cooler lines (liberated from another wrecked car of course)
MAT relocated
Ram-Air(home-made) gutted air-box
IROC ground effects/wheels GY245/50's
700R4 superior shift kit/ corvette servo(excellent shift kit btw)
home-made strut tower brace (cost $6)

Rebuilt engine and transplanted it myself.

Love this engine!

freshly painted OCT. 2000 Teal with two white stripes on the hood and deck lid

LOW performance people should drive low performance vehicles!

 

While it is true that a stiffer spring will give a harsher, stiffer ride, the softer spring will have to be longer to accomadate for ride height. I used the example of the Cadillac for the feel. If you get Pep Boys brand, standard gas charged shocks, and struts, they not only have a life time warranty, but will be a little softer ride, with out compromising height.

 

Cool. Thanks for the advice, stinger! Oh, one more thing, are KYB GR2 struts and shocks softer too?