FAQ: Aftermarket Lowering Springs

That link isn't working for me? Pulls up a page that doesn't exist?

Youre going to have better luck with Robos coil over conversion mod or F41 springs.

I still want to see more people do the coil overs..

charlieRobinson wrote:

Youre going to have better luck with Robos coil over conversion mod or F41 springs.

I still want to see more people do the coil overs..

Me too.Had a neighbor take a ride with me last week,he said " Wow,this car really does stick in the corners!?" Confirmation makes me feel good.

robotennis61 wrote:

charlieRobinson wrote:

Youre going to have better luck with Robos coil over conversion mod or F41 springs.

I still want to see more people do the coil overs..

Me too.Had a neighbor take a ride with me last week,he said  " Wow,this car really does stick in the corners!?"   Confirmation makes me feel good.

Do you have pictures of your riv on here and how was your idea and how low did you get yours

Johnny5 wrote:

robotennis61 wrote:

charlieRobinson wrote:

Youre going to have better luck with Robos coil over conversion mod or F41 springs.

I still want to see more people do the coil overs..

Me too.Had a neighbor take a ride with me last week,he said  " Wow,this car really does stick in the corners!?"   Confirmation makes me feel good.

Do you have pictures of your riv on here and how was your idea and how low did you get yours

I tink this will answer some questions



https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t7854-custom-adjustable-front-coilovers-for-all-years-fabrication-required?highlight=custom+coilovers

Howdy,

I want to lower my 97 by only 1" to 1 1/4" front and rear. I am putting in new struts and air shocks (Monroe or KYB -?). I have read all of the posts on this subject and am confused. First I contacted Spring Specialties, who said they could supply the fronts but had no pattern for the rears. They want me to buy a stock rear and send it to them, which I am willing to do. Anyone have one for sale?

Alternatively, if I went down 1" in front, could I not tweak the rear air shock adjustment link (bend it if not enough rotational adjustment) to bring the back down by 1"? Would the difference in the spring rate show up in unequal ride stiffness from to rear? Can I cut the front coils myself, and if so how much to cut off to get 1"? I don't want to Mickey Mouse this. Assistance anyone?
Thanks!
Richard

Having a spring specialist make them for you would be the best way to go. Nothing out there on the aftermarket to buy other than the very rare Eibach's. What kind of price are you getting from your spring guy? If the price is right, there may be some other guys on here that could give him some business.

Hey richard, when i contacted www.coilsprings.com in regards to making custom springs for my car, the said they didnt have front or rear for my 98 riviera..HOWEVER they do have the buick park avenue ultra f41 springs, which are a direct fit to our cars (idk if 97 is that different)

highwaywarrior wrote:

Hey richard, when i contacted www.coilsprings.com in regards to making custom springs for my car, the  said they didnt have front or rear for my 98 riviera..HOWEVER they do have the buick park avenue ultra f41 springs, which are a direct fit to our cars (idk if 97 is that different)

Yup.If you were to send them a used front & rear from a junk yard they would make you a custom set.It's getting the message across to them thats the hard part.You have to know exactly what you want in terms of,type of driving,cruzin,sport,towing,etc. Get that down and dont let them talk you into anything regarding rates and what not.Research what "Rates" are,and base your spring rates on knowledge of what "Rates" mean in the real world, and choose and buy accordingly. They will steer you into a slightly stiffer than stock and nothing too Sporty! to cover their ass.If you complain of too harsh a ride they will say  "We told you so"  Not talkin shit just the truth.   I use the Afco spring chart.

Thanks to both bigdave and daryl. i'm working with Perry at Coil Spring Specialties to sort this out and will be back with info as available.

Thanks to both bigdave and daryl. i'm working with Perry at Coil Spring Specialties to sort this out and will be back with info as available.

Thanks Robo - that helps.

Richouser wrote:

Thanks Robo - that helps.

uh huh.

http://static.speedwaymotors.com/images/charts/AFCOIL.gif

Now you have to go get your Riv weighed at a truck stop.Better be even-steven on that scale is all I'm tellin ya.

robotennis61 wrote:

Richouser wrote:

Thanks Robo - that helps.

uh huh.

http://static.speedwaymotors.com/images/charts/AFCOIL.gif

Now you have to go get your Riv weighed at a truck stop.Better be even-steven on that scale is all I'm tellin ya.

find the biggest fat chicks u can, put them in back seat first!!!Thank you and ride on.............

Here is the latest development. C.S.S.already has the specs for the front springs, and I have purchased and sent them a rear spring for a pattern. I intend to order a set of lowering springs for my 97 and will let you all know how that turns out. If its good then they will have the specs for 97 at least and probably for the rest of the years. Is there a general announcement on this forum that would be in order? Stay tuned...

Richouser wrote:

Here is the latest development.  C.S.S.already has the specs for the front springs, and I have purchased and sent them a rear spring for a pattern.  I intend to order a set of lowering springs for my 97 and will let you all know how that turns out.  If its good then they will have the specs for 97 at least and probably for the rest of the years.  Is there a general announcement on this forum that would be in order?  Stay tuned...

what rates ya goin for?

Whats interesting is i inquired with them about my 98 but they didnt have anything foe it..but they had part numbers for the f41 park avenue springs.... sounds good to me.lol

highwaywarrior wrote:

Whats interesting is i inquired with them about my 98 but they didnt have anything foe it..but they had part numbers for the f41 park avenue springs.... sounds good to me.lol

Be careful. Park Ave springs are what comes in Monroe Quick Struts and CharlieRobinson's car sat about 2 inches higher in the nose. The PA front end weighs more than the Riv's nose. For some reason aftermarket companies are showing the Riv and PA having the same front springs, but they should not.

Doesnt @abaddon have F41 springs installed with all the advantages and none of the problems?

Hey Robo and the rest,
Please excuse any duplicate posts - I'm just figuring out how to "reply" vs "send".

I sent to C.S.S. a used rear spring from a '97 SC out of a salvage yard. They say the specs are the same as the '95 they had on file. So I gave them the go-ahead to make a set of springs for my '97 with 1 1/4" drop and no more than 10% increase in spring rate over stock which is 154 lb front and 200 lb rear.

They say they need some suspension dimensions which are very difficult for me to get laying under the car - e.g. the distance from the center of the strut to the brake plate and the like. Robo, you would not happen to have those from when they made yours do you?

Stay tuned…
Richard

You might want to go a little stiffer than 10%.

Congrats on ordering custom springs. Cant wait to see what happens.

Richouser wrote:

Hey Robo and the rest,
Please excuse any duplicate posts - I'm just figuring out how to "reply" vs "send".  

I sent to C.S.S. a used rear spring from a '97 SC out of a salvage yard.  They say the specs are the same as the '95 they had on file.  So I gave them the go-ahead to make a set of springs for my '97 with 1 1/4" drop and no more than 10% increase in spring rate over stock which is 154 lb front and 200 lb rear.

They say they need some suspension dimensions which are very difficult for me to get laying under the car - e.g. the distance from the center of the strut to the brake plate and the like.  Robo, you would not happen to have those from when they made yours do you?

Stay tuned…
Richard

Alas I dont.Didnt save any old info. I guess they have their reasons asking those specs,for the life of me I still cant fathom why? I mean,I dig it but,what can you do/they do? A drop in suspension is still a drop! You lower a car below the manufactures specs and you take your chances! Spoke to Eibach years ago and was told it was safe to drop most cars out there 2 inches at the most.Safely. Anything more than that and you MIGHT be asking for issues,but nothing your car cant handle. You're going for 1 1/4 lower.No big deal.Just tell those pencil pushing liability fearing dik wangers to go ahead and make you a set of 1 1/4 lower springs and ta shut tho pohk up! No worries.

Agree with a stiffer rate, especially with a 1 1/4" drop. With that much change, you don't want the springs to allow so much movement over bumps or when cornering - this avoids tire rub, hitting bump stops, and overextending the struts. If springs aren't made stiffer, they can allow the suspension geometry to go outside safe limits, which is bad for handling and CV axles. The bottom of your car could even scrape.

Ask your guys what they recommend based on the car's weight. If they think 10% is safe, good deal!

...Oh yeah and, 154 pounds up front aint nothing in the performance handling world.My Riv with her 450 pound springs up front took a little getting used to but are now like,perfect real world spring rates & not some comfort fantasy bs.I say go 30% front and rear.I think the oem and other commonly available shocks and struts can handle that.

Say,for all you smart guys out there,If my current springs are 450pounders over the oem of 154lb, what % increase is that?

robotennis61 wrote:

Say,for all you smart guys out there,If my current springs are 450pounders over the oem of 154lb, what % increase is that?

There's no crazy formula in this. It's straight up math.

(450/154)-1=1.92, or 192% over stock.