Rear setup plan - which springs?

[Darkwriter77]

Trying to formulate a plan for what all I'm going to do to overhaul the rear end of the notch next spring (the season, not the part, heh). The list thus far is basically better/wider tires (if I can find a set of cheap pony rims), Maximum Motorsports lower control arms, poly spring isolators (currently have none), and a set of springs ... which brings me to my question.

I'd like to find something to replace my current Eibach Drag spring setup. For one, they ride like crap. Secondly, the airbag is completely worthless - cracked n' dry-rotted, and the air line going to it keeps getting pinched off on stuff or melted by the exhaust. And third, they make the car sit kinda weird with the front end higher than the rear, even with the battery relocated back to the front, again.

I absolutely DO NOT want anything that'll make the car sit any lower, because I've got enough ground clearance problems right now, as it is, with my stupid UPR X-pipe. Should I look for a plain ol' set of OEM replacement Moog springs, or should I go for some progressive-rate FRPP "B" springs? Or maybe even 4-cylinder springs, if they'll help with weight transfer (and not ride like poo)?

Tried searching, but lowering things to the max seems to be all the rage, and that's what I'm trying to avoid.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[Darkwriter77]

Anyone?

 

[Darkwriter77]

Nobody?

 

[superhuaman]

what kind of weight do you have in the rear? mine's light in the rear...i have eibach prokit springs in the rear and 4 cylinder springs in the front...and the rear is higher than the front

 

[Darkwriter77]

Just a stock spare tire and my trusty bag o' tools n' spare bits (TFI module, MAP sensor, IAC valve, etc.) in the back. Traction wasn't quite as bad when I had the battery back there, but ... 1. it wasn't NHRA legal (no switch, non-approved battery box), 2. Insufficient cable gauge had been run to it, and 3. had to iron out other electrical/charging issues before and eliminate the trunk-mounted battery as a possible cause of some of them. Gonna relocate it back to the trunk again at some point when I can afford to do it up right, but it sits in the stock spot 'till then.

Maybe I should keep the Eibach springs in the back and just score a pair of front 4-cylinder springs from a boneyard...? I dunno. I still feel that the Eibach Drag springs ride like poo, regardless, and I'm considering other spring options besides theirs.

Seems like I can't find a single spring set anywhere (except for OEM replacements) that don't involve lowering the car at least 1" or more. I know 4-banger springs would result in a bit of lowering up front, but they're squishy enough that I figure they'd at least help with weight transfer and maybe not ride so bad. Anyone got/had 'em and can attest to their performance and/or ride quality?

 

[superhuaman]

they seem alright to me, but i didnt drive the car that far (had no exhaust, just headers )

ill get you a pic tomorrow of how it sits...all the ones i have on here are either with the 4 banger, or with no engine at all 4x4 look, lol

 

[superhuaman]

here you go:
View attachment 438088
again, that's with 4 cylinder front springs, and Eibach Prokit 1" lowering rear springs. they all have new energy suspension polyurethane insulators. i have the cheap ebay / granatelli lower arms in the rear, and the frpp upper arms.

 

[Darkwriter77]

Hmmmm ... looks pretty good to me. (Love those SN95 5-lug rims on there, btw.)

I'm thinking that if I put some poly isolators in the back (again, it currently has none), I'll probably pick up at least 1/2" worth of rear height that might level the car out with the current springs. Still, that wouldn't help much with the ride quality, and I'm not entirely sold on the weight transfer abilities of these Eibach Drag springs (although the pretty anodized blue paint sure looks nice under there).

How's this sound: Southside Lift Bars (from my buddy's notch, he's replacing them with UPR uppers/lowers), some welded torque box reinforcements, 4-banger springs up front with some Gabriel Ultra struts (might soften the ride, maybe help with weight transfer?), keep the Eibachs in back with some poly isolators and a new airbag, and a nice clean set of 235/60/R15 BFG DR's on a spare set of 10-hole rims. By my rough estimate, that comes to around $750 total, maybe a tad more.

At that point, theoretically, I could finally make some good use of my 4.10's with a rear that doesn't spin like it's on grease through the first two gears.

Much thanks for the pic.

 

[superhuaman]

hmm, that sounds alright, except for the ride quality that you mentioned, on the drag springs. also, i forgot to mention, my car has no h pipe or catback...it might sit a bit lower after those are installed. not sure how much though.

 

[Darkwriter77]

Probably not enough to make a visible difference, I imagine. A cat-back and H-pipe (cat'ed) should only weigh, what, 70 pounds at the most? ... if even that much? I can throw two batteries in my trunk and barely see the rear end dip at all ... but then, maybe that's the work of my obnoxiously stiff Eibachs? I dunno.

Aside from obviously not lowering the car at all, are stock springs really all that bad, as far as launch capabilities go? The notch I own now rides like a friggin' go-kart compared to my previous '89 notch, and the old one just had plain ol' stocker V8 LX springs and Monroe Sens-a-Crap shocks/struts in it - rode smooth as buttah, cornered plenty nice with just 16" ponies and poly sway bar bushings.

What about the FRPP "B" springs? They're progressive rate springs, so I figure they'd ride pretty decent, and I've read a lot of favorable views of 'em on here. I just worry about the whole lowering issue, still ... if it'll be lower than what I have now, and what kinda steering problems and traction loss that'll create (if any).

 

[superhuaman]

yeah, b springs are only supposed to lower .5" in the rear, if that

 

[Darkwriter77]

Hmmmm ... mayhaps this could be the solution for which I've searched?

Anyone with "B" springs had any traction problems after the install?