my 70 electra convertible was outfitted with new coil springs 2 years ago. from that time i really didnt like the ride being a little to stiff and giving me the feeling that they werent really stock type springs. since then i replaced the front with oem style springe and the ride much improved more like a float like it did back in the day but the dilemma is that i just replaced the rears with oem springs like the front and now the A end is too loose both side to side AND up and down. I got underneath and can see both spring and shock play as though the new springs are tooou: soft that they are allowing too much shock pay. i had added a 5/8 rear sway bar before but if i stay here i would need a bigger bar or return to the previous springs which i dont want to do. ARE THERE any options thanks......hope i didnt put you to sleep
Are your shocks matched to your springs and tires? The whole thing is a system. How about your tires? Could you go with the stiffer springs in the rear and the softer springs in the front?
its a tough choice as i had stiffer springs in the rear which i still have but the ride is better with the softer new oem style rears, considering bigger bar to tighten things up. what do you think,thanks marty
The sway bar is only going to help the sideways sway motion, not the softness. If you use the softer springs, I'd think you could try stiffer shocks to slow the transition wallow along with the sway bar to tame both areas. What shocks do you have now?
What were the aftermarket springs you took out? If they'd fit in my '68 LeSabre, I'd take them off your hands...
ive decided to put my prior springs back on the rear,these oem are terrible as i go aaround a curve fast and i can almost see my ass following plus it rolls real bad. maybe ill try lighter shocks if there are any lighter than monroe matic.....maybe those pleasurizers on ebay, once i get the stiffer springs back on.......saves me a sway bar change too,martyo No:
This sounds normal for that car. Electras were designed to be big, luxurious, straight line cruisers. They never cornered well.
You either get soft and floaty or firm and rough. I've yet to find a car that was cruiseship smooth on rough roads and still held corners like a slot car (not counting the new cars with active suspensions) You need to figure out what your goal is and build a system to match it. If you want performance than how much comfort are you willing to sacrifice?
I'm running Monroe Sensa-Tracs on the front, and Monroe air shocks in the back, and even with my saggy springs it rides smooth AND tight. As far as cornering, you might want to look at some poly bushings on the front end... I just put poly endlinks and poly sway bar bushings on, and it was a night and day difference how it handles while cornering. Those air shocks in the back held the rear steady too. And my LeSabre 400 is a big body like yours.
thats a really good idea. what are the characteristic differences especially on a boat changing from sensatrac rears to air shock rears. i am also short about 1 inch in the rear even with both springs too as to where i want to be. does it get too stiff as i am going back to my tighter rear springs . also i added a 5/8 rear bar which was adequate for the tighter springs. (my car came with no sway bar} most people dont know that im running 415 hp/ 538 torque so i do have some power,marty
The air shocks raised the rear end back where it needed to be, and seem to ride very smooth. The rear end feels tighter and more in control when I'm turning, as the air shocks keep it level. Also, I was afraid that they would ride bumpy, but they don't even when going over bumps. They're very tight, yet smooth. Just feels much more in control, without sacrificing that smooth big body float.
s t yeh ,thats my solution then. im tired of taking the family on road trips with the A end dragging. is it monroe air shocks you like and do you have a pt no. or spec name, thanks a bunch marty:idea2:
Yeah the part number is Monroe MA719 and should be available locally. I believe I got mine from Oreilly's.
The best part is, if you get the trunk loaded and a car full of people, you can just put a few more psi in the air shocks, case closed... I think I've got like 55 psi in them at the moment.
so e-boat, do you know what after market springs you're using? i just acquired a 70 lesabre and would like to lower it and make it stiffer. i'm willing to sacrifice some (ok alot) ride quality. the thing floats now and rides great but man is it scary turning.
62, I was having the same problem, but I was having problems with finding springs, so I went ahead and did the shocks, like I said Sens-a-Tracs in the front, and air shocks in the back. That actually made enough of a difference that I'm going to wait on the springs. The air shocks hold the rear steady when turning... but as far as the plowing when you turn, I put ES poly swaybar bushings and endlinks, and it was NIGHT AND DAY difference... give it a shot... for $40 or so, you can't go wrong...
