Anyone in here using composite leaf springs?

[dodj]

Ah, ok, looking good Brad! Not to say it didn't look good b4, I just prefer the lower stance. 

[brads70]

Installed the 225# Hyperco composite leafs this past weekend. I also machined up a pair of 3 deg shims to get the pinion pointing down. It was pretty close to level before. The parts on the side of the shim is so the u-bolts do not make contact with the composite parts. A big no no according to hyperco. Now I just need some nice weather and some rain to wash all the salt off the roads. I just snowed here this morning...5" worth!

['Cuda Hunter]

So, I am really considering doing this.
Can't wait to hear what your opinion is after driving them for a little while.
Any chance you would make another shim set and sell them?

[brads70]

So, I am really considering doing this.
Can't wait to hear what your opinion is after driving them for a little while.
Any chance you would make another shim set and sell them?

I'm sure I could help you out but you would need to assemble what you have to know what deg. shim you need?

['Cuda Hunter]

I understand.  That's what I meant.  In the near future.

[brads70]

I understand.  That's what I meant.  In the near future.

Sure just let me know!
Are you building a BB or SB?

[HP2]

Brad, you have some mad fab skills. A man and his mill, its a beautiful thing.

 

[brads70]

Brad, you have some mad fab skills. A man and his mill, its a beautiful thing.

 

Thanks, ya it comes in very handy when messing with cars! Thanks for all your help( and Mitch too!)

[brads70]

Just a quick update..... 225 rate is much better than the 175. Keep in mind I'm using a 451" BB and a S-60 Dana . 175 with a small block combo I would guess? What you NEED to know with these springs is that you MUST run good shocks. The Bilstein RCD just could not keep up with how fast the composites react. I swapped in QA1 double adjustable shocks to take the bounce out.  I am using TD801 in the rear due to the lowered ride height( catalogue suggests TD901) and TD501 up front.
Hope that helps someone down the road? 

[HP_Cuda]

I used to run a stage III racing setup in my other car.

It was a small block but had 620lb front springs and 200lb rear leaf springs. What I can tell you is that you felt everything in the road even with good shocks, I used adjustable Koni's and Spax adjustables as well. It was great for racing but for any trip over 30 mins you would need a kidney belt!!! Car weighed about 2300lbs wet.

Hope you enjoy the new setup!

 

[brads70]

I used to run a stage III racing setup in my other car.

It was a small block but had 620lb front springs and 200lb rear leaf springs. What I can tell you is that you felt everything in the road even with good shocks, I used adjustable Koni's and Spax adjustables as well. It was great for racing but for any trip over 30 mins you would need a kidney belt!!! Car weighed about 2300lbs wet.

Hope you enjoy the new setup!

 

IDK what 1.120" torsion bars equate to in spring rates but I don't find it rough riding? 620 lb rate springs in a GM car is not that much?  I drove it down to Carlisle and around all summer with this set up. I did swap out the rear shocks just after Carlisle and like the improvement in ride. I just bought the front shocks this week so I'll have to wait till spring to try them out? Shocks are key to the ride quality IMO.

[422STROKER]

His car weighed 2300lbs Brad, I'd suspect that plays big part.


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[brads70]

His car weighed 2300lbs Brad, I'd suspect that plays big part.


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Your right , I missed that. 

[HP_Cuda]

Lets say potholes would jar you to the core!!!

[dangina]

I used to run a stage III racing setup in my other car.

It was a small block but had 620lb front springs and 200lb rear leaf springs. What I can tell you is that you felt everything in the road even with good shocks, I used adjustable Koni's and Spax adjustables as well. It was great for racing but for any trip over 30 mins you would need a kidney belt!!! Car weighed about 2300lbs wet.

Hope you enjoy the new setup!

 

had to say brad I'm creeping in on your old posts lol started off with reading articles on drop spindles (since I'm running the MF ones) there's alot of good information in the threads -  made it to the end and saw this post ouch! My race car being a import ,all the spring rates are in kg not lbs, I usually ran a 6kg front, 4kg rear for a daily streetable car, 8kg front 6 kg rear was about the highest I would go on the street as your back felt the vibrations of the road.  But if you wanna convert lbs to kg from what a stock car racer told me was to divide the # in lbs by 56 to get kg. So when he said 620lbs front that is equal to an 11kg!! ouch, no wonder his shocks couldn't dampen that rate!!!

still debating over my choices of torsion bars and leaf springs, I'll have this summer to see how well they do hopefully. the 1.12 bars which I have are rated at 270 lbs or 5kg and the rear at 200 lbs is about 3.5kg which will make a great driver for the street but I can see myself going to bigger rates down the road