I've been reading up on raising the rear end and I was debating using the rubber stoppers that go in the springs. Is this a good/safe way to raise the back?

 

No. They are just a band-aide for worn out springs they should be replaced to begin with.

 

Why do you want to raise it?

 

Use metal spring spacers - they go in under the spring, come in many different thicknesses.

 

Or throw in a fourthgen isolator, which will jack the rear up an inch or so.

JamesC

 

I like the look of a higher rear and lower front. Are the isolators easy to install? As far as the metal spring spacers, do I have to remove the springs to install them?

 

Yes. Drop the rear far enough to remove the springs, swap the isolators (using tape to hold them in place), reinstall.

James

 

Super easy to swap in. Should raise the rear about an inch.

 

I was looking to go another 2-3" higher. The isolator idea seems like the cheapest.

Would something like these on e-bay be bad?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/REAR-...item1c1ae661bf

 

Geez - if just going for the look - before you buy, why don't you jack the rear of the car up one inch, 2 inches, and 3 inches and look. 3 inches seems like alot - in my opinion would look silly. I would think a 1 inch lift would give that little bit of a mean stance that I think you are looking for.

But yes, what you have shown from ebay is the metal spring spacers I was referring to - just as easy of an install as isolators - isolators go on the top of the spring, those spacers go on the bottom of the spring.

 

This all got me to wondering ... has anyone tried a hockey puck on top of the spring? I don't remember if the top of the spring is too large for a hockey puck. I know we used hockey pucks with holes drilled through them to do a body raise on jeeps and 4X4 trucks back in the day because they were cheap, made of hard rubber (so they flexed a bit and didn't have any metal-to-metal contact), and easy to do. But if memory serves me, the top of a coil spring is too large, the puck would just fall into the spring.

 

The rear of my Firebird is lifted, it was done by a previous owner, and I have no idea how they did it...lift springs? I've been under it and its all spring, no spacers, someone once suggested that they may have used chevy S10 springs, I don't know if they would fit..but I digress...When I park next to other 3rd gens it is plain as day that its lifted, and it looks awsome, but its much easier to scrape the airdam off of large bumps and dips in the road, totally changes the angle of the front end towards the ground and it can be a PITA, just something to think about.

 

In your case they might have used Jeep springs - I saw a thread here somewhere about someone using springs from a Jeep in their car. Most springs are generally the same size and can swap out alot of times - just different load capacities, different lengths, different compression rates, etc.

 

Would any of this require a panhard bar? I'm not that familiar with those or what their purpose is.

 

The Panhard Bar controls the side to side movement of the axle to keep it centered. There is a good chance your car at stock height, does not have the rear end TRULY centered, but there is room to vary by about a full inch & still not rub.

For the most part, Adjustable PHBs are used for fitting wide tires to prevent rubbing, or for Lowered cars, or even a higher car.

Use the weighted string hanging off the quarter panel method to measure where your rear end is, then decided if you need, or just want, an adjustable one to align it up better.