OK, I want to raise my 70 non air GSX an inch or two to get rid of a tire rub on the right front fender. Will new springs for a ac equipped 455 raise my car? Or is there a better way to raise the height of my car. Thanks Jim
Jim, What condition is your front suspension in? The bushings get soft and will lower the car. I had a 1" spacer in my 71 at one point to make the ride height where I wanted it. After rebuilding the control arms I had to remove the spacer. The car sits at correct ride height with the original springs.
I know nothing about suspension. I did have it aligned by a very experienced tech and all he did was replace a tie rod end. He did not mention any problems or concerns. The car is original except for that tie rod end and has 65,000 actual miles. The car has had this passenger side tire rub since it was new. I just want to get rid of it. The whole car sits low when measuring from the ground to the wheel wheel moldings. Measuring in the center of the wheel it measures the following to the bottom of the wheel well molding. Front right 24, rear right 24 1/2 rear left 24 1/4 front left 24 3/8. What should I look for when inspecting the front end?? Thanks for the help Jim
Thanks Larry. I had seen this drawing before and that is how I measured my car. The rear is ok but the front is low 2 inches. So do I need replace my springs with stock springs or get heavier or longer springs? Eaton Detroit springs can make custom springs to my specs. But I don't know what I am doing so anything I do would be a best guess. So I am seeking advice Jim
Jim I believe Moog 5536 front spring is what you need for BBB without air or Moog 5450 front spring with BBB with air. Hopefully someone can confirm this. George
Even with the two inches it should not be rubbing... What size front tires do you have? Where are the tires rubbing? Not sure when you car was built but if it was early maybe they installed non scallop front wheel well moldings. Does not cost anything to check???
The right front tire rubs on the inner fender fastener located at 12:00. The wheel well trim is non-scalloped. It came with G 60 x 15 polyglass on WG wheels I am currently running TA P235 60r 15 on Coker repops. If you stick your hand between the tire and the fender the passenger side has less clearance than the drivers side. If only rubs when turning hard or you hit a bump while turning. So I do not need much room to get the clearance I need. An inch of rise should give me what I need in clearance. Thanks for the help.
How is the front sheet metal alignment wise, and how are the body/radiator support mounts? Some of our cars are shifted on the frame so that there is more room on one side than the other. There is some adjustment in those front mounts which are frequently rotted on the passenger side from the battery. I think you should replace those front springs with stock springs. It should not rub at all as the 235 is shorter than the stock tire. I have 255's with no rubbing at all. My back tires are another story. I have 15 X 8" ( 4.5" backspace) wheels out back with P275/60R-15 tires. I have a ton of room on the passenger side, but it is very tight on the driver's side. Wish I could shift it over a bit, but I think I will need 1/2" more backspace on that wheel.
My car was just disassembled everything cleaned and repaired and put back together. In my opinion it is straighter than when it came from the factory. Some years ago trying to find out why I have the tire rub I had it put on a frame machine and had the dimensions checked and the frame was in tolerance of specs. I think my best option is to replace the front springs and have the front end realigned
Jim, You could try something that would not cost you a dime, just a little time. You could remove the right front wheel well molding and take it for a drive and see if it changed anything at all.. Nelson
I have 5536s in the front of my 70 Skylark - iron headed 462 no AC.... Cooper Cobra 235/60-15 78' TransAm front swaybar No rub rub, JIM
Are your WG wheels original or reproductions? The reproduction wheel may have a 71 and later center. Combining that with the WG offset might cause the rubbing issue.
Here is my plan, I had a suggestion to remove the inner fender bolt that the tire hits and see if that gets rid of the rub. If that fails I will remove the wheel well trim. No, I am not running the original wheels, I bought repops from Coker. How can I tell if they have the 71 center in them? The repops have the wide ledge like the WGs If the above trials fail I think I will change the springs. Thanks for the ideas
Nelson, I have a couple projects started on my car, the front springs and the rear window, but life is getting in the way. My brother is very ill so I am spending time with him and the car is waiting it turn. Thanks for asking I will post an answer when I get the springs done. Jim
