Rear Suspension Belp

Rapid

New Member
Mar 31, 2005
297
1
0
Columbia, SC
Rear Suspension Help

I have 5 leaf mid eye rear leafs on my 65 with KYB gas adjusts. I am running 17x8s with tires that hit up inside my wheel wells on bad dips when I am alone which is 99 % of the time and fairly often when I travel with a passenger and luggage. No damage is caused but it is very annoying. When I am loaded it also rubs on turns. A panhard will help there.

The ride is not harsh at all and the car handles well so far.

I really like the wheels and tires. I really like the car low for autox. I am considering changing the shocks to Bilstein Sports to gain some compression dampening and possibly decreasing the distance between the bumper and the axle. I could also add some spring or shackle length to fine tune things.

Any other ideas?
 
  • Sponsors (?)


Changing shocks won't give you more travel (unless they are air shocks :D). You are more than likely rubbing on the front inside of the wheel well by the spring mount. Panhard bar should help but MAY cause a problem when going over dips at speed when straight. This gives a littlie shimmy as the bar arcs on slight dips on the freeway.

I've never tried the sport valved Blistiens, but I love the street versions. If you put them on the back, put the matching ones on the front as well. You're gonna want to throw rocks at those KYBs.
 
a panhard bar may help a little, but the leaf springs are usually stiff enough to handle the side to side movement. start by rolling the fender lips and see if that cures the problem. after that find where the tires are hitting, and use a bfh to modify the wheel well in that area.
 
I modified an adjustable pinion sunbber for a fox on my 65 becuase I had the same problem and I have standard eye 5 1/2 leafs with 50/50 drag shocks. I have no rubbing issues anymore. Maybe worth a try
 
What size tires are you running in the rear?
What is the backspacing on your wheels?
Exactly where are your tires rubbing, inside by the leaf springs or outside toward the fender lips?

If you are rubbing while driving in a straight line when hitting potholes or going over a speed bump, a panhard bar will not help.

Tim
 
P245/45 17 Nitto NT 555s

BS is 4.5 on a 17 x 8 wheel

They are rubbing in the wheel well up past the lip.

I'm looking for the panhard to stop the axle from moving side to side. I do understand that it won't help on the bumps.

What type are you running? I am looking at the Maier.