Replacement springs on my 68 300s
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polara71
Old Man with a Hat
1" over stock height! It will give you a slight rake and level out nicely when loaded with kids, coolers and chairs.
I've done it on 2 71s and 3 70s all 1" over stock. Perfect!
Purchase all related hardware just in case.
I've done it on 2 71s and 3 70s all 1" over stock. Perfect!
Purchase all related hardware just in case.
PH27L7
Well-Known Member
Don't like any "stance" on my cars, I would go with stock height for both aesthetic & handling reasons. You could also go with HD springs. If you sometimes have three 300 pounders in the back seat then retain the air shocks. FYI, if your car still has the original springs, the P/N will be stamped on them, typically towards the center on the bottom leaf. You can pretty much tell if you're going to need hardware by looking at the parts- rusty/ crusty or nice.
Mr C
Senior Member
I always buy the HD spring if I'm doing a swap out. Never regretted it...there's a lot of sheet metal hanging out there and the extra lift is a must in my opinion.
Our Mopars from the factory (Slab, Fusie, Formal) were meant to have a slight rake to them (examples below). Their butts should be a little in the air...about an inch. It's a little harder in the brochure pic but if you put a sheet of paper at the bottom of the tires, you'll see the slight rake.
Unfortunately the standard springs squatted too soon after production and a lot of the cars left the car lot sagging in back.
Our Mopars from the factory (Slab, Fusie, Formal) were meant to have a slight rake to them (examples below). Their butts should be a little in the air...about an inch. It's a little harder in the brochure pic but if you put a sheet of paper at the bottom of the tires, you'll see the slight rake.
Unfortunately the standard springs squatted too soon after production and a lot of the cars left the car lot sagging in back.
PH27L7
Well-Known Member
3 of my current mopes are running the original 50+ year old springs & torsion bars (including Fury) and there is zero rake or sagging on any of them although 2 came with the HD suspension. The older springs (say '67 & earlier) in the non-HD variety did seem to have more of a tendency to sag over time more than later years, especially with heavy use. One option that works if you want to retain your original springs is to re-arch them or simply add a leaf.
polara71
Old Man with a Hat
I would wager a grand they are sagging. AND have lost some effectiveness of rebound. Since you didn't take measurements as delivered new you can not make the claim they haven't sagged at all.
Science and experience tells me they have.
Mr C
Senior Member
My point exactly....Time + lots of weight cantilevered over the springs= loss of factory stance.
Place any passengers or load in the back and you're dragging *** down the road.
I remember lots of C bodies in the day driving around like this:
PH27L7
Well-Known Member
Yep, my poor old springs are a draggin' & a saggin'. I scrape bottom every time I hit a pothole.
PH27L7
Well-Known Member
I've driven similar models with & without HD springs and the non-HD are noticeably mushier. The factory HD springs are not brutal though with the exception of some of the nastier muscle cars which are N/A to C's. They generally made a whole lot of different springs even within the same model line & some were really mushy & had a much greater tendency to sag prematurely.
cbarge
World Famous Barge in a Budget
On the BoaB,I added a leaf on each side.KYB gas-a-just shocks.
Slight rake when empty,and level when fully loaded..
On my wagon,I did use the ESPO srings with 1 inch upgrade..well worth the extra cost..
Slight rake when empty,and level when fully loaded..
On my wagon,I did use the ESPO srings with 1 inch upgrade..well worth the extra cost..
I know that many tend to like "stance", but to me, the real beauty of the car is when it's sitting with the rocker panel parallel with the roadway, as designed. If the front bars are tirned down a bit to get that rake, then that makes the spring rate softer and ride/handling can suffer a bit, not to mention headlight aim, by my observations over the decades.
So, I voted for "level" for those reasons. IF you're worried about carrying loads, opt for the fact HD rated springs. Not much more stiffness, but more firmness, by observation. If you're nornmally carrying "things" in the trunk, minimize that stuff. A good set of HD shocks (as the old Monroe Super 500s) were a gteat addition to Chrysler product suspensions, back then, even with the factory a/c suspension.
On the other side of the deal, the '69-'72 Dodge C-body cars can look a bit nicer with their wedge shape and the rear a little bit higher, kind of adding to the visual wedge look. BUT on those cars, it can also make the fuel tank much more less-protected in the event of a rear end collision.
To me, "stance" is more about driving slower and "profiling" than enjoying the beauty of the Chrysler suspension dynamics "at driving speeds" on not-completely-smooth or straight roadways. Best to keep things level with all of the available wheel travel capabilities, to me.
So, "normal ride height" with HD replacement items.
Enjoy!
CBODY67
So, I voted for "level" for those reasons. IF you're worried about carrying loads, opt for the fact HD rated springs. Not much more stiffness, but more firmness, by observation. If you're nornmally carrying "things" in the trunk, minimize that stuff. A good set of HD shocks (as the old Monroe Super 500s) were a gteat addition to Chrysler product suspensions, back then, even with the factory a/c suspension.
On the other side of the deal, the '69-'72 Dodge C-body cars can look a bit nicer with their wedge shape and the rear a little bit higher, kind of adding to the visual wedge look. BUT on those cars, it can also make the fuel tank much more less-protected in the event of a rear end collision.
To me, "stance" is more about driving slower and "profiling" than enjoying the beauty of the Chrysler suspension dynamics "at driving speeds" on not-completely-smooth or straight roadways. Best to keep things level with all of the available wheel travel capabilities, to me.
So, "normal ride height" with HD replacement items.
Enjoy!
CBODY67
cbarge
World Famous Barge in a Budget
Waygun loaded with new ESPO springs...
before new springs...
before new springs...
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polara71
Old Man with a Hat
Yep, my poor old springs are a draggin' & a saggin'. I scrape bottom every time I hit a pothole.
View attachment 412646
That definitely Looks low to me.
Why are you hitting potholes with your 50 year old car?
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polara71
Old Man with a Hat
5, 6 or 7 leaf, what does your car have, decide what you want. I replaced all with 7 except the most survivor of cars. The 7 leaf springs do not raise it any more but it does add stiffness and help minimize roll a bit more than 5. They do not float like the 5 leaf cars but the difference is worth it.
Regarding the 1" over the stock height, I like the stock height myself and that's what is under my 300.
That said, it's really personal preference. It's not a lot of difference and some guys like the "touch" of rake that it provides and some like to see the car level. Get what you want and don't worry about what the rest of us think.
As long as the car doesn't look like it's got a trunk full of rabbits...
That said, it's really personal preference. It's not a lot of difference and some guys like the "touch" of rake that it provides and some like to see the car level. Get what you want and don't worry about what the rest of us think.
As long as the car doesn't look like it's got a trunk full of rabbits...
stubs300
Senior Member
Stance is all a matter of perception in how you see your car sit. Pics are deceiving too! I replaced mine from a small spring company in Chicago, I don't know if there over-lift or not? Different angles give different stance looks as well, this car hadn't moved a inch!!
The stance differences can be attributed to how the sheet metal between the rear wheel and the bumper is shaped. Slabs have a more upward angle as Fusies are more parallel to the roadway (which also helps the rear bumper be blended-in more, with the use of the famous rear valence panels . . . as the chassis attitude remains constant between the two model year groups. I didn't realize this so much until I put the y-pipe back '72 Chrysler single exhaust (OEM bolt on replacement items) on my '67 Newport CE23. Everything fit as it should have, but that rear pipe piece had to get a slight tweak upward for it to be in the normal height location and meet the normal rear pipe hanger height.
Just my experiences,
CBODY67
Just my experiences,
CBODY67
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