# What Springs Do I Have and What Should I Have? (or Why The Heck Does My LeMans Sit So High?)



## QDuck (Sep 14, 2019)

When I bought my 1966 LeMans it sat low in front and a bit high in the rear. I did not measure the front springs so I don't know what was installed. I installed Moog 5244 in front, supposedly close to original spring. The rear had air shocks installed. I removed them and purchased Moog 5237. I never installed them because the free height was about 2 inches less. I did exhaustive search and could find no spring to match what was installed. Here are the measured specs on the springs that came with car.

Free height: about 17 inches. Installed height: 11" Coil Diam: 0.625" ID 6-6.1" No. Coils: 5

I measured the ride height of car and I find the the front is 1 1/4 inches higher than factory (with stock height springs) and rear is 2 1/8 inches higher than factory. The car now has a 455 and A/C and a lot of sound insulation. The front springs have been installed about 2 years but only 2000 miles. I would expect them to have settled by now.

So, why is the front so much higher than factory?

The rear springs are definitely worn out sitting 1 inch lower on left than right (measured at installed height with full car weight) and must be replaced.

I've decided that ideally I want the car to sit 1 inch lower than factory in front and a bit higher in rear, probably so that the fender well above axle is the same height front and rear. I am not keen to use lowering springs and I seem to be happy with the way the front springs appear to ride. However, maybe a 15-20 % higher spring rate might improve the handling without sacrificing ride. One inch drop spindles are difficult to find so I thought I would install 2" drops in front which should bring the ride height in down in front to give a 3/4" drop with current springs. Perhaps a change to the Moog 6356 (Same installed height with spring rate of 342 compare to 3125 of the 5244.

The rear though is much more difficult to figure out. With an installed height that is 2 1/2" above factory installed height then installing a stock height rear spring should theoretically drop the read down to the factory ride height or slightly lower. I think I need to raise the rear 1 " above factory in order to get the stance I want. The only spring I can find that comes close to what I think I need is the Moog CC81035 with a variable spring rate. Do I want a variable rate spring in the rear?

Answers, comments, recommendations?

P.S. Why do spring manufacturers make it so difficult to get spring specs?


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## Mine'sa66 (Oct 30, 2019)

I spent a lot of time looking for springs too. This is the thread I started..https://www.gtoforum.com/threads/wagon-springs.137031/#post-898276
I think I posted that correctly. I looked up 9 passenger Tempest wagon springs, then crossed them into an AC variable rate spring to keep the height but soften the ride. These are the perfect springs to get that forward rake you are looking for without being extreme. Everybody who sees it says the stance is perfect.


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