# 67 GTO want to raise height of back of the car



## 67 GTO (Nov 26, 2011)

Hey everybody im new to the forum due to i just purchased my first muscle car a 67 GTO!! My first question to the forum and many more to come.! The car right now sits at original ride height. I dont like the look of it at all and the driveability (to easy to bottom out)i would like to raise the rear end up a bit. Is there an easy fix to this such as bigger coil springs or spacers? or is the only option a air shocks or soemthing like that. Thank you 67 Gto


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

you can put airbags in the rear coils and they will stiffen the ride and keep it from rolling in turns but do not jack it up like airshocks. also if your shocks are old a new set of gas shocks will do wonders. I don't care for these cars all jacked up but do like just a bit of forward rake on them, the bags seemed to do the trick for me.....welcome to the reservation...:cheers and its not a first thread without pictures.....

1966 Tempest pictures by instg8ter - Photobucket

Brian


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## pontiac (Mar 6, 2011)

the drive ability (to easy to bottom out) means the springs have gotten weak over the years. Get new rear springs and rubber spacers for under the coils, but try just the new springs first, before you just put in the spacers. Also the shocks are too worn as well.


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## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

I agree with the new springs. You'll be amazed what a difference they can make. Since you're under there already, change the shocks out too if you don't know how old they are, then you can forget about the rear suspension for quite awhile..... May also want to look at the rear control arm bushings. Replace those if they look worn out... Will help in the handling characteristics....


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

What all these guys said! ^^^^. New springs first. They make rubber spacers that go under the springs in 1 and 2 inch heights. That may do it. Also, the Air-Lift drag bags will do the job, as well as being useful to maintain ride height if you have the car all loaded with gear and passengers. The Air Lift bags have been around as long as these cars have. They are a simple install, fit inside the coils, and they are bulletproof.


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## 67 GTO (Nov 26, 2011)

thanks guys, we put new shocks in it and the ride was a little better still no height clearance and i will have to look into to the spacers and air bags.


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## allpawl66 (May 9, 2008)

Call coil spring specialties , give them all info. and what you want they make it .


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## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

67 GTO said:


> thanks guys, we put new shocks in it and the ride was a little better still no height clearance and i will have to look into to the spacers and air bags.


New springs will make more of a difference than just new shocks. Replace the springs and see where you're at.....


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## JAYARTER (Feb 3, 2010)

Greetings from Arizona
A set of Moog Cargo-coils will do the job, and they are easy to install. I've put them on my 67 Elcamino, 68 and 69 Malibu's along with Monroe Sensatrac shocks. looks good and ride is better. I also just bought a 67 GTO sitting 21 years in a garage. Jay

PS: You can purchase new coil springs at your local auto-parts store. Cheaper and no shipping


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

67 GTO said:


> thanks guys, we put new shocks in it and the ride was a little better still no height clearance and i will have to look into to the spacers and air bags.


Hold on there, Buckaroo...  Seriously, before you go that route, try just replacing the factory springs with new ones first. After all the car is what.. 44 years old? Springs do wear out and settile over time. If you immediately jump to spacers or bags you might fix the height problem but it still isn't going to handle or ride "right".

Bear


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Officer Bear Has Spoken. He speaks with straight tongue.


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## 67 GTO (Nov 26, 2011)

we changed the coils as well, the ride was better but still did not do anything for the ride height. we got the ride down pat just got to get the height now somehow to raise the rear end


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

I installed Budzter spacers in the back. I got 1.5" lift. Looks fantastic. They're steel not rubber not aluminum.

My experiences in the past with rubber: after a period of time the rubber cracks and compresses or the coils wear a grove in the rubber and in time rubber fails.

I have not at all been disappointed with my rear spacers. I had the '70's look I wanted. I then opted to install cast coil spacers in the new front springs the front to level the ride out. Car looks nice and aggressive just sitting, no sag no droop. It handles great. 

Since the issue was not resolved you may want to consider spacers or drag bags. I opted for spacers: Budzter coil spring spacer order page


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Replace the rear springs first. Shocks do not control the car height. Shocks should not be used to lift the car. If you use air shocks, you will be using the shock to "override" the springs function.If you want a stock ride height...use a stock spring. If you want to go higher or lower in the rear, have a custom set of springs made (around $200).....:cheers Eric


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## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

Guys have used station wagon springs in the rear to give it a rake.....


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

:agree Very true...but custom springs will give a more "accurate height"...we don't know exactly what he wants.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

Eaton Detroit Spring Coil Springs

....they can hook you up


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

:agree....Excellent company, that's were I'd go.:cheers


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## 67 GTO (Nov 26, 2011)

hey guys sorry i have answered back sooner. Been having a real couple busy days, i ordered a set of station wagon coil springs for the back from OPGI so i should be getting them sometime next week. If that doesnt work ill go from there !! thank you for all the information!


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## JAYARTER (Feb 3, 2010)

As I stated earlier on my thread, your local parts house should carry the MOOG line of springs on the shelf...mine does. The Moog Cargo-coils would have done the job for you. They raised my 68 Chevelle, 69 Chevelle, and 67 Elcamino about 1.5 to 2.0 inches and get stiffer as you add weight to the trunk. Thats what I'll be putting on my 67 GTO I just bought. J


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## 67 GTO (Nov 26, 2011)

i got the coil springs i ordered from OPGI this weekend! It took about a half hour to install them and it was lifted about 2 inches. I used station wagon coil springs it made the ride stiffer however but i like it better.


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## OldToys (Oct 30, 2011)

Can you post a before and after picture?


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## 67 GTO (Nov 26, 2011)

this is the after picture


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Looks good from that angle.....did it lower the front at all??? You might consider a set for the front also. IMHO...the car will steer better. Speaking from experiance.


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## pawpaw (Jan 30, 2010)

Wow, this post is like a time warp for me. I had a '66 that I did the same thing to increase the rear height. Ended up with Delco air shock's in the rear. I even had a 1" or little taller spacer under the rear coil's that worked for awhile. I had Chevy station wagon spring's in the front but took them back out because it rode too rough. These thing's were being done back in '67 and '68 and reading this post had me thinking about what we did with these car's back in the 60's, good to see many of them survived!


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

checked my receipts and i did order the wagon springs all the way around from moog, seems they were the same price as the standards at the Zone and cheaper than the ones offered by the aftermarket. At first my front sat a bit high but the 455 fixed that after torquing on them for a few hundred miles...


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## 67 GTO (Nov 26, 2011)

it didnt lower the front,just raised the rear two inches, it would be nive to put a 455 in it but the car is totally numbers matching and PHS documented and unrestored. Even has the factory writing on the firewall still!


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## 67/04gto (Jan 15, 2005)

you can try staionwagon springs,new springs might help depending on how worn the current ones are


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## alanmay0 (Sep 3, 2015)

*front coil springs*

I have a 67 GTO with factory A/C and can't find front coil springs for it. Moog does not make the springs for GTO's with factory A/C any suggestions?
thanks in advance
alan


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