85 351 4door Vic **DUW**

[johnunit]

The Energy Suspension upper spring isolators are about 1/2". Takes the place of the stock wafer thin rubber ones and will give you that much lift. The spring is still very much piloted in the upper frame pocket so it can't go anywhere it doesn't belong.

Cool. I'm not 100% sure I got those when I got the rear bushings so if not I'll pick those up. Are there supposed to be isolators on the axle side too?

The current ones are sagged really badly and I'm sure the any isolators are squishy it's hard to know how much height difference there'll actually be.

[gadget73]

oh, I should have read that closer. I thought you meant you were changing the front springs. The ES spacers are for the front, not the rear. The rear ones don't really have enough pilot that I'd be comfortable putting spacers in there honestly.

[johnunit]

oh, I should have read that closer. I thought you meant you were changing the front springs. The ES spacers are for the front, not the rear. The rear ones don't really have enough pilot that I'd be comfortable putting spacers in there honestly.

Yeah that's what I was worried about. They make spring cup spacers but they seem to be semi-universal which makes me nervous. They have their own pilot thing in the center but who knows if they fit nicely.

[sly]

You can get spring isolators for the rear though. I bought a pair at Oreilly the last time I needed some (when I replaced the springs on the beater with the cargo springs). They're really cheap but only about 1/4 thick.

[johnunit]

yeah these things. https://www.summitracing.com/int/par...03-2/overview/

I suppose if I, say, doubled them up both top and bottom, gluing them together, that'd give me a bit more. I really just need enough that it won't have a reverse-rake with the stock springs up front.


The only other option I've found is something like this, and I just dont' trust it.

https://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/sps-1627/overview/

[sly]

yeah... the rubber ones collapse over time and the solid ones are generally fine up top. You could attach brackets to the upper plate and bolt down the spacers and use one isolator between the spacer and the frame and another between the spacer and the spring to keep things from rubbing wrong. You could also drill and tap the spacers from the bottom and put in studs and drill the top plate for the studs and put in retaining nuts.

I could probably come up with a few more ideas too... but that's probably plenty.

[Tiggie]

I have used the aluminum ones for 40k miles and no problems but I don't autocross. Hit some big holes in the road though. You may find you need different sizes. One of my is a half inch, the other is a full inch.

Got a set for the 88 waiting to go on. Left side sags a lot in the rear.

[johnunit]

yeah... the rubber ones collapse over time and the solid ones are generally fine up top. You could attach brackets to the upper plate and bolt down the spacers and use one isolator between the spacer and the frame and another between the spacer and the spring to keep things from rubbing wrong. You could also drill and tap the spacers from the bottom and put in studs and drill the top plate for the studs and put in retaining nuts.

I could probably come up with a few more ideas too... but that's probably plenty.

Interesting. I honestly can't picture what the spring seat looks like beyond a rough guess, so if someone says it works I'll take your word on it. This is all probably going to come out when I lower the front, but in the mean time I need the height to not look stupid and prevent the rear tires rubbing on the fender.

[johnunit]

I have used the aluminum ones for 40k miles and no problems but I don't autocross. Hit some big holes in the road though. You may find you need different sizes. One of my is a half inch, the other is a full inch.

Got a set for the 88 waiting to go on. Left side sags a lot in the rear.

cup style similar to what I posted?

Yeah I'm definitely fighting the inexplicable sag to one side. Hopefully it'll go away or be reduced with the new springs but I know that's a crap shoot.

[gadget73]

sag is quite probably front springs, not rear ones.

[johnunit]

Hey everyone! Been way too damned long. I thought I'd show you a glimpse of the stuff that's come for the car in the last few weeks.

Not shown is a pair of AFR 185cc heads that were slightly wrong and are being exchanged, and a whole bunch of other stuff I'll flesh out later.

Suffice to say, my AOD is gonna be on borrowed time soon.

[87gtVIC]

Where were you hiding?

[gadget73]

Thats three in as many days. Welcome back.