rear end bounce

[impalalover60]

I have a 47 Ford Coupe and it has a 75 Camaro rear in it to include the leaf springs. The guy that performed the work dearched the springs and the car bounces like crazy. What can I do to fix this???? I want it to be easy like adding shocks, springs ,etc. Thanks!!!!!

 

[dogpatch1]

boing!

give us some more info, does it bounce when you push down on the body? or while riding down the road? when accellerating/decelerating,. is it the famous mono leaf or more than one leaf per side.?

springs are a coil/recoil devise their made to bounce it is the shocks job to stop the bounce, de-arching them shouldnt have effected the bounce just the ride height. if the rear just keeps bouncing when you push down on the bumper a couple times i'd start with a good gas shock... assuming the rear end geometry is set up correctly and its not an acceleration/decelleration driveline vibration issue..

dp1

 

[impalalover60]

Boing is exactly right!!!! It has never seen the road since it has been redone but just driving it around our yard about 2 acres it just bounces. The trunk doesnt have weatherstripping and you can hear the trunk rattling. What is a good shock that I can use?? My dad thinks it is also the shocks but it had some on them, dont know if they are good or not though.

 

[hotrod preacher]

general rule of thumb...

when car is setting, push down on rear of car by hand and get it bouncing, if when you quit pushing on it it bounces more than 2 or 3 more on its on, then you need shocks...you can also have someone else check for other noises while you're pushing on it

 

[impalalover60]

The rear of the car really doesnt move when pushing down on it, but I do know that it needs shocks. I want some overload shocks sort of like the coilovers but cheaper does anyone know if I can find some at the local auto chains to fit the car. All it has in the trunk is the gas tank. Help!!!!

 

[hotrod preacher]

maybe its a stupid question but i'll ask anyway.......is there any chance that it has settled to the point you're setting on the axle? you know-NO suspension travel at all??? that would really make for a bouncey ride!!

 

[impalalover60]

what do you mean setting on the axle??? All I know is that I think the problem came from heating the leaf springs. I use to drive the camaro donor car and all was good before the guy heated the leafs to lower the car.

 

[hotrod preacher]

what i'm tryin to ask is...is there any clearance between the axle and the rubber bump stops on the body? or does it have any clearance between the body/frame and the moving parts of the suspension...
since all has been modified sometimes clearances change sometimes it disappears altogether!! with heated springs, the odds are the suspension has no room to work...

 

[BadRATT]

Bouncing..

Maybe an out of round tire..? If it has radials on it a seperated belt will do that and you cant tell by looking at it...

 

[BigIrish]

I was thinking the same thing as HRPreacher. Any time I hear "heated the springs", I think "uh oh". I bet that sucker is sitting on the bump stops or very close to it. The fact that it doesn't move at all when you push down on the rear also tells me that its probably sitting on the stops (i.e. there is no suspension travel left). I'd crawl under there and see how close the rear axle is to the frame.

 

[impalalover60]

To tell the truth I dont even think it has bump stops. Im going home this weekend and Im going to post some pics next week.

 

[impalalover60]

ok I asked the guy who built it about what it was doing and he said that I needed to add some weight on the rear end. Well I did and it is 10 times better. Is this good though??? I rode in a 40 Chevy Coupe also built by him and the thing bounced all over the road. It rode good on fresh paved roads but I was like dang. The car looked great though LOL.....

 

[BigIrish]

Sounds like its the shocks then. Stiff rear springs and bad shocks will be very bouncy.

Who is this guy building all these dangerous pogo-stick old cars??