Spring Pads

[qdessa]

Seeking clarity - the spring pads on 74-76 cars are there to increase bumper height. Some people advise to toss them, but then there will be metal on metal ( the spring and the spring seat ). That seems to be a problem to me.

Let me know.

Thanks

Alan

[hcestoni]

I tossed them on my 74 no problems and have been like that about a year now, i've read in some other forums about people sliding a rubber hose around the upper and lower coils to protect against metal, i'm probally gonna do that when i get around to it.

[Mike Self]

I thnk you've confused 3 things on 2002 suspensions:

1. The aluminum spacers used on top of the strut bearings (between the bearing and the body) on USA cars throughout their production (68-76). These can be removed to lower the front end about 5/8" with no problems, as the Euro cars didn't have 'em.

2. Rear upper spring mounts are rubber, and come in three thicknesses, denoted by dots drilled into the rubber: one dot is the thinnest, three dots the thickest. Most US cars had three dot mounts; you can replace with a one dot mount and lower the rear about 10mm (slightly less than a half inch)

3. All springs--front and rear--have thin rubber mounts to prevent the springs directly contacting their perches. Always leave these in place; otherwise you'll have excessive noise and wear.

Finally, all 73-76 US cars came with springs that are about an inch taller than the 68-72 cars. This was the factory's answer to Federally mandated bumper height requirements that began in 1973. On a 73-76 car, by removing the front spacer, going to a one dot rear upper mount and using 68-72 springs, you can lower your car around an inch or perhaps a little more (maybe 1.25")

hope that helps clarify things...

mike

[ColinK]

Rear upper spring mounts are rubber, and come in three thicknesses, denoted by dots drilled into the rubber: one dot is the thinnest, three dots the thickest. mike

when i re-built my rear suspension ~4 years ago, the one dots were NLA.

The two and three dots were still in stock.

Maybe this changed over the last years.

[mikem]

I think I still have a pair of 1-dot top pads and lower pads. If interested, let me know and I will check.

Mike

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/mmiller2002/For%20Sale/Parts/?action=view&current=IMG_1485.jpg

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/mmiller2002/For%20Sale/Parts/?action=view&current=IMG_1484.jpg