Softest rear springs
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 259
Likes: 1
From: Eastern Ohio!
Car: Mystifying 1989 TBI Camaro.
Engine: 1992 350 Truck Engine. TBI
Transmission: 700R4 when it wants to be.
Axle/Gears: 2.73
Softest rear springs
I'm going nuts trying to figure out which springs to use on the rear for my needs. My eyes are bleeding after reading all the conflicting posts about the 5665 and the CC635 (cargo springs) and all I want is the one that will be the easiest riding over bumps on the road. I don't care how high the car sits.
I'm not concerned with cornering performance or drag racing, I just want the softest ride I can get so my kidneys don't fall out. Right now it's like riding in a wagon with no springs at all, so I imagine anything I put back there will be better, but still...
Can someone please help me before I go insane?
Right now Amazon has a sale on both items and I have a $25 gift card, so I won't have to pay much.
The 5665's are about $59 and the CC635's $54.
HEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!! lol
I'm not concerned with cornering performance or drag racing, I just want the softest ride I can get so my kidneys don't fall out. Right now it's like riding in a wagon with no springs at all, so I imagine anything I put back there will be better, but still...
Can someone please help me before I go insane?
Right now Amazon has a sale on both items and I have a $25 gift card, so I won't have to pay much.
The 5665's are about $59 and the CC635's $54.
HEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!! lol
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 259
Likes: 1
From: Eastern Ohio!
Car: Mystifying 1989 TBI Camaro.
Engine: 1992 350 Truck Engine. TBI
Transmission: 700R4 when it wants to be.
Axle/Gears: 2.73
Re: Softest rear springs
Is this the general rule?
I just found this from Norm Peterson on another thread:
I just found this from Norm Peterson on another thread:
The stiffness of a spring is the number that's given with "lb/in" units. A spring listed with a larger number of lbs/in is stiffer (it takes more lbs of force to compress it one inch).
A variable-rate spring may be given with two such numbers (which correspond to some beginning rate and the rate when further compressed), but this is not guaranteed.
Generally, variable-rate springs are more ride-friendly, and linear rate springs work a little better for hard-core handling. Not that variables can't be used in a moderately serious handling application, just that linears make things a little more predictable.
There's a little more to all this than "just make it stiffer". You do want to keep the front and rear suspensions in some sort of balance with respect to each other for both best ride and for understeer/oversteer, and that ultimately ends up also discussing the sta-bars (aka anti-roll bars or "sway bars").
A variable-rate spring may be given with two such numbers (which correspond to some beginning rate and the rate when further compressed), but this is not guaranteed.
Generally, variable-rate springs are more ride-friendly, and linear rate springs work a little better for hard-core handling. Not that variables can't be used in a moderately serious handling application, just that linears make things a little more predictable.
There's a little more to all this than "just make it stiffer". You do want to keep the front and rear suspensions in some sort of balance with respect to each other for both best ride and for understeer/oversteer, and that ultimately ends up also discussing the sta-bars (aka anti-roll bars or "sway bars").
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 259
Likes: 1
From: Eastern Ohio!
Car: Mystifying 1989 TBI Camaro.
Engine: 1992 350 Truck Engine. TBI
Transmission: 700R4 when it wants to be.
Axle/Gears: 2.73
Re: Softest rear springs
Well anyway, I ordered the variable rate.
Less than $29 with free shipping by using my $25 gift card.
I was going to use that toward computer memory, but the back of the car is in more need than my computer, so I decided it was the logical way to spend it.
Less than $29 with free shipping by using my $25 gift card.
I was going to use that toward computer memory, but the back of the car is in more need than my computer, so I decided it was the logical way to spend it.
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 19,282
Likes: 103
From: Lawrence, KS
Car: Met. Silver 85 IROC/Sold
Engine: 350 HO Deluxe (350ci/330hp)
Transmission: T-5 (Non-WC)
Axle/Gears: Limited Slip 3.23's
Re: Softest rear springs
There's a chart in the following link that might be useful:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/susp...ing-rates.html
JamesC
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/susp...ing-rates.html
JamesC
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 259
Likes: 1
From: Eastern Ohio!
Car: Mystifying 1989 TBI Camaro.
Engine: 1992 350 Truck Engine. TBI
Transmission: 700R4 when it wants to be.
Axle/Gears: 2.73
Re: Softest rear springs
Thanks guys. 
I went ahead and ordered the CC635's. It's so bad that a slinky would probably hold it up right now. When you hit a bump, it actually "bottoms out" and hits/knocks really bad and if someone around 200 pounds sits on the back, they can make it go all the way and hit the axle or whatever. It doesn't bounce though, so the shocks seem to be working.
For now I have to use the cheapo $16.99 shocks. $13.59 with one of the many Advanced Auto's hidden rebate codes I was able to find.
I went ahead and ordered the CC635's. It's so bad that a slinky would probably hold it up right now. When you hit a bump, it actually "bottoms out" and hits/knocks really bad and if someone around 200 pounds sits on the back, they can make it go all the way and hit the axle or whatever. It doesn't bounce though, so the shocks seem to be working.
For now I have to use the cheapo $16.99 shocks. $13.59 with one of the many Advanced Auto's hidden rebate codes I was able to find.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 259
Likes: 1
From: Eastern Ohio!
Car: Mystifying 1989 TBI Camaro.
Engine: 1992 350 Truck Engine. TBI
Transmission: 700R4 when it wants to be.
Axle/Gears: 2.73
Re: Softest rear springs
The springs and shocks were put on today and it rides like a Cadillac! Yeah right...
It is riding so much better now. Bumps that would make you think you were going to lose your kidneys are barely felt now. There are some dips in the road with bumps that we thought "okay, here is a test coming up" and it was almost like it wasn't there anymore. I can't remember it ever riding this good and I've had it since 99.
The old springs were so bad that someone could get on the back bumper and make it knock all the way down.
The part number on the old springs were 10027652, but I can't find anything about them. They appeared to be a constant rate spring because they looked different than the replacements, but they were very weak and didn't take much to compress with a person pushing on them.
Oh what a difference!!!
The old shocks were pretty much gone. One pushed in really easy/fast and came back out fairly fast, but the driver's side wasn't quite as bad.
I think it could be due to the fact that most of the road bumps are on the right side? But they both still needed replaced.
When they say limited lifetime warranty on a shock, does that mean the lifetime of the shock or you? I couldn't find a definitive answer to this.
It is riding so much better now. Bumps that would make you think you were going to lose your kidneys are barely felt now. There are some dips in the road with bumps that we thought "okay, here is a test coming up" and it was almost like it wasn't there anymore. I can't remember it ever riding this good and I've had it since 99.
The old springs were so bad that someone could get on the back bumper and make it knock all the way down.
The part number on the old springs were 10027652, but I can't find anything about them. They appeared to be a constant rate spring because they looked different than the replacements, but they were very weak and didn't take much to compress with a person pushing on them.
Oh what a difference!!!
The old shocks were pretty much gone. One pushed in really easy/fast and came back out fairly fast, but the driver's side wasn't quite as bad.
I think it could be due to the fact that most of the road bumps are on the right side? But they both still needed replaced.
When they say limited lifetime warranty on a shock, does that mean the lifetime of the shock or you? I couldn't find a definitive answer to this.
Last edited by jamienoel; Nov 4, 2010 at 11:20 PM. Reason: Because I'm brain dead
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