brainstorming the monoleaf issue

[streetdreams1]

thinkin of goin with some suspension techniques up front but I dont know about the rear. you cant mess with that monoleaf, theres no aftermarket for lowering it, I heard that coil overs in the rear would destroy the strut towers and possibly write the car off since its soft metal not engineered for it. but I got two ideas 1) C5 corvette uses a monoleaf, I know theyre low to the ground even on 18"s, I know theyre wide but the GP is not a small car by length or width, and 2) sourcing a rear axle assembly out of a tempest or corsica, it should be pretty straight forward to remove the mono and bolt in a rear axle out of a very similar car, I know the springs

have to meet the body but with some reinforcment plating between the body and spring I dont think it would impact the body as hard as some extra firm coil overs. I do understand the loss in handling thru a solid rear axle, Any other ideas or comments

[streetdreams1]

june 5 & 6 is $40.00 all you can carry day at the J-yard so sourcing a complete rear suspension out of any 80's GM is not a problem

my yard has hundreds of them jus waitin for me, and I have enough tools that its not a hard task to pull it off

[Guest TurboSedan]

i've had no problems with the rear coilovers in 60,000+ miles of HARD driving, so i think the supposed frame damage issue is a myth. gearhead43 has a custom lowering monoleaf waiting to go into his GP....check the sticky in the general section....

[streetdreams1]

check the sticky? dont understand

i was talkin to a suspension guy at work and he

says that install any straight axles in it isnt feasible but i could get away with drop spindles, since i doubt anyone makes them for a w body i'm gonna look into the different d-spindles and maybe modifying them to fit since theres not a whole complicated with the trailing wheels on a FWD

maybe i should consult some more tech's and a weld shop once i pick out some spindle designs, just an idea i dont see anyone talkin about on this particular topic

[GnatGoSplat]

It would be easier and cheaper just to buy the Flex-A-Form rear spring. Sticky meaning one of the posts that always stays at the top.

[grandprix104]

what i never understood is why nowone ever tried tensioning the stock mono leaf with a helper spring or adding bump stops to control the mono leafs full travel. They do it to *gasp* HONDAS! You could then very easily and cheaply lower the rear of the car and the only side effect i can predict is the ride would be stiffer thus handling better around corners.

[GnatGoSplat]

Actually the helper spring thing has been done. However, a helper spring fighting against the main spring is going to affect the spring rate, and not for the better.

 

I don't see how adding bumpstops would help. Bumpstops don't affect ride height whatsoever.

[streetdreams1]

a new idea! there is a centre bracket that holds the monoleaf in place. could this not be fabricated to hold a leaf spring, than the ends would attach to each wheels knucle? just a thought, if it is possible to attach the leaf spring in the monoleafs centre bracket than a leaf spring could be made to hold the desired weight and each wheel would be most definitly still independant in its ride control. there are so many leaf spring setups that it makes so much sense to me just to find a way to attach the proper fabricated ends and centre bracket

[loominaz34]

I think he meant bump stops to stop the suspension form topping out

(going up all the way) as opposed to bottoming out (compressing all the way).

[GnatGoSplat]

I still don't see where the bumpstops would or could go.

I know the rear suspension very well and can't picture it.

 

Anyway, I think the Flex-A-Form rear spring is the way to go, although you can get 2" by cutting out the center block from the center spring mount if you can find another way to attach it.

[loominaz34]

Bump stops set up UNDER the monoleaf that stop the suspension from extending. No idea where they would go though.

[GnatGoSplat]

I don't think that would work, seeing as how there's really nothing under the monoleaf. Maybe if you welded a metal bracket to the center jack pad that extended out with bumpstops, but then I think for that much trouble, it would be much easier to just modify the upper mount so that the spring sits 2" higher in it (that's my guess as to how RSM instructions say to lower the rear).