#1  
Old 06-21-2020, 01:59 PM
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Default 1969 Mid Night Green GTO sits low in front

Hi All,

I notice the car sits low in the front. When I am cruising down the road and on some roads where there is a cross road with a hump and if I am doing a moderate speed (well maybe a little faster) the front end would bottom out.

On Friday I had new tires installed to replace the Copper tires and took some pictures of the A-ARMS.
Do the upper A-Arms look right to you all?
To me they seem like the lowering A-arms?

Could my issued be spring related?

Even thou I worked on cars in the 80's, owned a 1970 GTO and 1976 Gran Prix at one time I don't know all the ins and outs on these suspensions.

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Thanks for the help.

  #2  
Old 06-21-2020, 02:39 PM
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I don't know about the control arms but yeah, ride height is usually spring related. If you can push the front down easily and it bounces up and down a couple of times after release, that's usually shock related.

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Old 06-21-2020, 02:52 PM
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Thanks for the reply

The previous owner installed new shocks all around. Brand I am not sure of.
Will need to take a look at them the next time I take it out for a spin.

I like stance but concerned about the bottoming out.

  #4  
Old 06-21-2020, 04:07 PM
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To lower a car, you either buy shorter springs or take a grinder to the existing ones and cut them. It looks like someone did this in the past.

My front end is pretty low, but the suspension is way to stiff for it to bottom out at speed.

It it “bouncy” when you drive it? As mentioned below, that would suggest bad shocks.

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  #5  
Old 06-21-2020, 06:23 PM
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Shocks don't affect ride height unless they are "overload" shocks which aren't very common (they will have a coil spring around them) or are air shocks.

Springs are what will affect ride height 98+ % of the time. Whether someone swapped springs, cut the springs or the springs are just plain worn out to have the front end that low is the question.

The fact that the car bottomed out could be a combo platter of spring and shocks. The shock is supposed to dampen movement up and down, but maybe the springs have caused the front shocks to fail prematurely.

If someone used a torch to cut the springs, they probably ruined the springs.

If you like the stance, look for a pair of 1 or 2" drop springs to replace the fronts.

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Old 06-21-2020, 08:09 PM
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Chris,
Car is pretty stiff when driving no bouncing up and down.

Champ,
I am not sure this history of the front springs but who knows what the previous owner or the owner before him did to them. They could be original springs and just tired and need of replacement.

Even thou I like the looks of it sitting low in front. I am one to keeping parts pretty much stock.

For now I assume I can still drive the GTO but need to be cautious at crowns/bumps and crossing the railroads.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I really appreciate it.

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Old 06-21-2020, 09:15 PM
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Where are you bottoming out? Hitting the bump stops, or perhaps the headers?

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  #8  
Old 06-21-2020, 10:00 PM
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ZeGermanHam,

No headers on my car. I think it is the cross-member hitting or it could be the bump stop as you mentioned.

I was crossing some R&R tracks the other day taking my time and then had some yahoo get on my tail once I cleared the tracks I gas it maybe just little came to the hump in the road and bam. I am like dang I need to be careful I don't what to damage the oil pan or what not.

When I would back out of my nephews garage where I had it stored the front cross-member would hit the apron of the garage. There is a little dip there thou.

I need to get out to my twins and get some measurements of the crossmeber ground clearance and rocker panel front and back ground clearance.

I was reading somewhere here or it may have been on another GTO forum stock rocker panel clearance for front is 9.5 inches where the back is 9 inches.
Does that sound correct?

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Old 06-22-2020, 05:32 AM
Geoff Geoff is offline
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If the car was driven with worn out shocks [ previous owner? ] it can wear out the springs from the continuous spring oscillations, result is car sits low.
New shocks will not fix worn out springs.
Fix for worn springs to restore correct ride height is [a] new springs or [b] spring spacers. Summit sell alum spring spacers in various thicknesses that fit under the springs to raise the car. Roughly 2:1 ratio. So if you want to raise it 1.5", use 3/4"spacers.

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Old 06-22-2020, 07:21 AM
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Beautiful car and X10 on get new springs

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69 GTO Liberty Blue/dark blue 467, 850 Holley, T2, Edelbrock Dport 310cfm w Ram Air manifolds, HFT 245/251D .561/.594L, T400, 9" w 3.50s 3905lbs 11.59@ 114, 1.57/ 60'
  #11  
Old 06-22-2020, 12:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dadspackard View Post
I was reading somewhere here or it may have been on another GTO forum stock rocker panel clearance for front is 9.5 inches where the back is 9 inches.
Does that sound correct?
I can't remember the exact measurement but that's about right. Slightly higher in front. Measured under rocker panel. As a matter of fact, that's what mine measures right now, take a quarter inch or so on the front. I have slightly smaller diameter tires on the front.
Just wondering, do you have any front tire rubbing issues on sharp turns, especially into a dip?
By the way, nice looking '69!

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Last edited by Greg Reid; 06-22-2020 at 12:47 PM.
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Old 06-22-2020, 01:37 PM
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Rear looks a little to high also....

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Old 06-22-2020, 01:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Region Warrior View Post
Rear looks a little to high also....
I thought that, too, but it probably is somewhat the result of being parked diagonally on a grade with the left rear tire in a rain gutter. Definitely agree that the front looks lower than it should be.

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Old 06-22-2020, 02:06 PM
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I agree that the back end appears higher because of the gap between the top of the tire and the wheelwell. But we don't know the tires size, so it might be just a small diameter tire.

If all 4 tires are the same size, that stance really supports the idea of a problem with the front springs.

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Old 06-22-2020, 03:49 PM
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Hi All,

Tires are 225/70/14s all the way around.

Greg, You asked do you have any front tire rubbing issues on sharp turns, especially into a dip? I have not encounter and sharp turns or dips. Have been taken it easy around corners and turns.

When I do go replace the springs I am going to replace them all.

Thanks for the complements. It has its flaws here and there. I wanted another GTO for along time. When my twin found this one on Facebook Market Place we went to go look at it and I could not resist buying it. Original color according to data plate is the Matador Red.

Thanks for the feedback

  #16  
Old 06-22-2020, 11:42 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dadspackard View Post
Original color according to data plate is the Matador Red.
Wow...that has to be a first!

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  #17  
Old 06-23-2020, 07:37 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg Reid View Post
Wow...that has to be a first!
Greg,

The change in color?

I already have a Red car in the garage a 1931 Packard another red car would have been overkill.

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Old 06-23-2020, 10:19 AM
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Default Coil Spring Specialties

Call Coil Spring Specialties. They got both my cars back to a perfect, stock ride height with no fuss. They will also do drop coils and the like, although I was looking for stock ride height with both cars.

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Old 06-23-2020, 12:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by propuckstopper View Post
Call Coil Spring Specialties. They got both my cars back to a perfect, stock ride height with no fuss. They will also do drop coils and the like, although I was looking for stock ride height with both cars.
Pro, Thanks. I have filled out their on-line form a quote.

  #20  
Old 06-23-2020, 02:06 PM
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Just received the quote back from Coil Spring Specialties and they have a better price then the place out of Detroit.

I will be giving Coil Spring Specialties a call to order.

Thanks

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