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Old 03-29-2005, 07:55 AM
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Greetings, I'm rebuilding my front end, and plan on buying Edelbrock ISA shocks. However, I would like to improve the stance so it looks correct, and not nose up. Any idea which springs would do this as well as information? engine will be a 461, so it's got some pounds. Thank you friends.
Mike

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Old 03-29-2005, 07:55 AM
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Greetings, I'm rebuilding my front end, and plan on buying Edelbrock ISA shocks. However, I would like to improve the stance so it looks correct, and not nose up. Any idea which springs would do this as well as information? engine will be a 461, so it's got some pounds. Thank you friends.
Mike

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Old 03-29-2005, 08:11 PM
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I just went through a whole fiasco on lowering the front of my 65. Originally a 326 with A/C. Redid car and put a 467 in with aluminum heads and intake, headers, removed a/c, and relocated battery to trunk. Front end was about 3 inches too high now due to less weight. Decided to cut a spring out of the front, but got excited and cut 2 coils instead. This caused it to sit in the weeds(but looked great) but only had a couple of inches of header clearance. Wound up putting 6 cylinder springs in it. Probably would have been OK with the originals if I'd only cut out 1 coil.

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74 Firebird - 455, e heads, TK0600 in process
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Old 03-30-2005, 04:35 AM
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Cutting springs is not always the best idea. Hotchkis and Eibach make lowering springs that will also improve the handling of the car. Look into those before you cut coils off the stock springs.

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Old 03-30-2005, 06:39 AM
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Call the guys at http://performancesuspension.com/ and discuss your wants with them. They sell a wide variety of springs and can recommend the right product. There is a lot of stuff out there and its a crap shoot unless you deal with this stuff every day. Unless you are going from a 6 cylinder to the 461 or made some other changes like Brad noted in his reply the car will sit normally with stock springs. There is not much difference in the weight of Pontiac V-8's 326 up to a bored 455. Normal is however just slightly "up" in front. Correct spring selection will put it like YOU want it.

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1969 GTO, 455ci, 230/236 Pontiac Dude's "Butcher Special" Comp hyd roller cam with Crower HIPPO solid roller lifters, Q-jet, Edelbrock P4B-QJ, Doug's headers, ported 6X-8 (97cc) heads, TKO600, 3.73 geared Eaton Tru-Trac 8.5", hydroboost, rear disc brakes......and my greatest mechanical feat....a new heater core.
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Old 03-30-2005, 11:20 AM
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Thanks everyone. I'm staying with the 455 and cast heads but the Performer intake. I was trying to get the front down so the car looks better but leave the rear the same. I do want to replace all the springs though. I was thinking of Moog as well as the other better after-market. So, to even the car out, would a 2" front drop and stock rear be correct? The car was a California 326 auto car with the AIR equipment. In fact, I'm still driving it with the black plates so far but have to swap the title soon. Thanks again. < Mike >

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Old 03-30-2005, 11:56 AM
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You could go with the hotchkis front springs. They will drop the front for you and are a higher rate spring so you won't be banging you headers all the time.

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Old 03-30-2005, 12:07 PM
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Mike, you are treading on ground that has a lot of unknowns. I assume the car was sitting up in front with the 326? How bad are the rear springs? Could they be causing the nose up attitude you are describing? Rebuilding the front end can also cause changes in ride height. Generally higher . I would talk to somebody who does this on a daily basis for advice. 3 springs wound to the same unladen height from different stock will settle to different heights when installed and loaded. Don't guess.

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frittering and wasting the hours in an off hand way....



1969 GTO, 455ci, 230/236 Pontiac Dude's "Butcher Special" Comp hyd roller cam with Crower HIPPO solid roller lifters, Q-jet, Edelbrock P4B-QJ, Doug's headers, ported 6X-8 (97cc) heads, TKO600, 3.73 geared Eaton Tru-Trac 8.5", hydroboost, rear disc brakes......and my greatest mechanical feat....a new heater core.
  #9  
Old 03-30-2005, 12:17 PM
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Moog/TRW CS5244 will be purrfect.

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Old 03-30-2005, 01:22 PM
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> BS. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Well put.
So, let me get this straight. A company that sells Hotchkis, Eibach, McQuay-Norris and Moog springs on a daily basis isn't capable of an accurate recommendation for a Pontiac, because all of those springs are designed for Chevy's? They did great on mine. I asked for a spring that would lower the front, make it even with the back on a 1969 GTO that had the A/C removed and wanted a slightly firmer ride than stock. They suggested Moog. Now which ones does one get. Pull a number out of hat? Draw straws? Scissors, paper, hammer. Mike doesn't want "text book". He wants to lower the front end. Which Moog does that?

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frittering and wasting the hours in an off hand way....



1969 GTO, 455ci, 230/236 Pontiac Dude's "Butcher Special" Comp hyd roller cam with Crower HIPPO solid roller lifters, Q-jet, Edelbrock P4B-QJ, Doug's headers, ported 6X-8 (97cc) heads, TKO600, 3.73 geared Eaton Tru-Trac 8.5", hydroboost, rear disc brakes......and my greatest mechanical feat....a new heater core.
  #11  
Old 03-30-2005, 01:43 PM
Chris C Chris C is offline
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I put the Hotchkis Springs on my 70 firebird. Since I my front suspension was all screwed up I don't know exactly how much it lowered it. I do like the looks of it though, exactly what I was looking for. I don't have any handy pictures here at work, if you want I can post some later on.

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Old 03-30-2005, 01:50 PM
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After the fiasco with me cutting too many coils, I got from the local Advance Auto Parts a set of springs for my car with 326 and a/c, 326 with no a/c, and the 6 cylinder springs. 3 sets in total so I could check the differences. All were the same height/number of coils. The only difference was the wire diameter on all 3. I believe they were either Moog or TRW. $60/set.

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65 Lemans Street Car - 521, T400, 3.70 9". 10.13 @ 135. 3770 lbs. Drag Week ‘14, ‘15, ‘17

63 Lemans Race Car- 8.81 @ 151, 5.60 @ 123(SOLD)

67 Bonneville ragtop

74 Firebird - 455, e heads, TK0600 in process
  #13  
Old 04-01-2005, 12:29 PM
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Thank you everyone. SOrry I did not respond before now. BUt I had to help my Older Brother move in to an adult foster care home. So, I was pleased to see all the information about my questions. It seems like I touched on a subject that is a big debate. I am installing all new front end, replacing it with poly graphite bushings. All new inside and outside control arms and drag ling and of course all the other things that go with a front end rebuild. I am not real pleased with the way the 66 326 car rides high in the front, just as I would no longer jack the rear up like I did when I was a kid. So, because I,m not going to use long tube headers but the long branch repos, I've decided to try and geet the car to ride even front and rear. Buying high end springs would be fine, as long as the money was not thrown away. And if a set of good old Moog® can do the same thing, I trust the name and they would be good enough. However, if they do not have a set to lower the front and give the rear a stance together, I will need to look around. I'm trying to avoide buying several sets to find out.

FYI, I just got the new issue of OPG's Chevy catalog and in it there is a listiung for every Moog spring made for each of the Chevy A body cars by engine and applacation. But, in three full pages, they don't list anything about the ride or stance they will give. Just replacments. I also found sopme of the very same items in this Chevy catalog we have in our GTO catalog for as much as 30% less. Now,that really makes it a hard job when shopping around for some parts we need. Also, some things not listed in the Pontiac catalog as being made. Are in fact in the Chevy book and yes, I'm talking about parts that are the same.

Good day friends and thanks again for all the wonderful advise. I still, know little more than I did though so I will need to try looking at a few cars and maybe ask questions. I, just have to fine some cars to look at first. Seems they are getting a bit hard to find these days.

Mike

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