rear springs

[LETZRIDE]

K, I did a search before anyone asks lol...I am bottoming out in the rear worse then ever now...I just put on brand new kyb agx shocks a few months ago, but opted to not do the springs as it was to my understanding that they are not supposed to wear out.
Now, I am not able to physcially change the front springs myself, nor do I have $300 for a shop to get to them....

The rear springs I feel I can tackle as they seem to be pretty easy, atleast from what I have read.

I was thinking of going with a Z28 spring in the back but I heard it is dangerous to change to a stiffer spring in the rear without changing the fronts to a stiffer spring as well...

My question is what can I do to fix this problem? The car is not lowered, however it does look pretty lowered...(I cant fit my fist between the rear tire and the fenderwell) I have no desire for it to be lowered, only for it to not bottom out anymore. (before it used to only bottom out with passengers, now it bottoms out with just me in the car and I only weigh 120lbs!!!)

Is it possible to pick up some different sway bars, to offset the oversteer I will get when putting in a stiffer spring in the back?

Car is a 96 v6 camaro btw....(so no the spring rates in the back are not the same as the z28's like the 98-02 models)

[Bonemaro]

Re: rear springs

Do they even make a smaller swaybar than the one your have to reduce your oversteer?

Also, you say you can't do the front yourself. Are you actually not able to do the front or are you feeling over-whelmed by the thought of doing the front?

Something is up if you can't fit your fist between the tire and wheel well. Before I lowered mine, I could fit a small child in the gap.

[onspeed]

Re: rear springs

Don't mean to thread jack, but i'm in the same position as the OP. The previous owner changed the shocks to monroe sensa track (cheap ****, i know) in december of 07, however the car is bouncy and bottoms out a lot... and i parked next to another camaro with the RS kit and mine sat considerable lower. Car is low enough that i need to get on a piece of wood to fit a jack under the car. So i'm not sure if its the monroe's that are ****ty in general, or my springs are shot.

edit- is an alignment needed after doing the rear springs? and i assume i'll need to use a spring compressor too?

[LETZRIDE]

Re: rear springs

Do they even make a smaller swaybar than the one your have to reduce your oversteer?

Also, you say you can't do the front yourself. Are you actually not able to do the front or are you feeling over-whelmed by the thought of doing the front?

Something is up if you can't fit your fist between the tire and wheel well. Before I lowered mine, I could fit a small child in the gap.

From what I understand the front shocks need to come off no? I believe that the spring/shocks are almost like a coilover in the front....I know I couldnt do the front shocks myself, so if this is the case I know I cannot do the front springs either....

I dunno if they make a smaller rear bar, but I was thinking that a different combination of both front and rear bars might do somehting?

I'll attach a picture of the car when I switch cpu's in a few minutes here so you can see it does sit pretty low, I have small hands and I can't fit my fist in there without turning it sideways to get in there to begin with...only thing I can think of is it MUST be the springs?

[Bonemaro]

Re: rear springs

Yeah, the front is a coil over, but it's not as hard to remove as one might think. Too bad you're not closer to Atlanta; I'd have them out in 45 minutes. :)

Really the only thing that could effect ride height is the spring, be it lowered, cut, heated, mounted incorrectly or broken.

[Bonemaro]

Re: rear springs

edit- is an alignment needed after doing the rear springs? and i assume i'll need to use a spring compressor too?

No, there is no rear alignment.

No, the rear springs with literally fall out onto the ground once you remove the bottom bolt of the shock. Support the pumpkin with the jack, remove the bottom shock bolts, lower the jack. That's it.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: rear springs

ok, finally after fighting with my cpu for a bit...I cant get a damn pic up :rant:

Bone, I appreciate the offer if I was in your area lol....

I do have to remove the front shock though in order to change the spring correct?

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: rear springs

Yeah, you have to remove the front shocks, but it's really not that terrible. The only bad part is if the shock bolts are rusted out, making it impossible to get the springs off without some more serious work. IIRC you have kyb agx's though, so your shock bolt shouldn't be rusted at all, and it should all come apart real easy. You'll just need to rent a spring compressor from autozone. Really nothing too difficult.

Also, 98+ bars are smaller than your 96, and a bigger front bar in relation to your rear will reduce oversteer as well.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: rear springs

yea, see I wasnt able to install my front shocks, so I am not gunna try and take em off I'll muck it up and be stuck without a usuable car forawhile lol....

Rear I can handle, so if I put on z28 springs back there and a bigger front bar, think it will be ok?

[LETZRIDE]

Re: rear springs

think just getting new stock springs would solve my problem? Shouldnt be bottomng out after that right?

[Bonemaro]

Re: rear springs

Are you hitting metal to metal somewhere?

[LETZRIDE]

Re: rear springs

I dont think so, It is just a violent BANG when I hit a decent size pot hole, or raised spot. (thats with just me in the car)

with passengers I get a loud BANG whenever I hit bridge joints on the highway....

never really heard metal on metal though....

[LETZRIDE]

Re: rear springs

anybody wanna share any personal experiences on the matter?

[Larrymhemenez]

Re: rear springs

When ever i have a passanger in my car i bottom out all the tiem and my rear tire on the passanger side is cut up from the Fender rubbing but i was told I need to Buy a PANBAR and it will fix this problem anytime you lower the Car buy a Panhard bar i need to save up some money for it first lol also if you have 17' rims or bigger but the bump stops off SLP

[Bonemaro]

Re: rear springs

Uhhhh.....