C4 rear end adjustment

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  • Bow tie downunder
    Registered Member
    • Jul 2015
    • 80
    • 2602

    C4 rear end adjustment

    Is it possible to adjust the body height.I?m after 1/2 to 1 inch increase in height.
    Attached Files
  • 55 Rescue Dog
    Registered Member
    • Nov 2015
    • 1426
    • 2775

    #2
    If you are running the composite transverse leaf spring like I do, you can simply use shorter bolt on the ends of the spring or add spacers between the nut and the bottom end of the spring. You can only raise it up so far before interference. If that's not enough, then you would need to find a stiffer spring. They had several different ones on the C4's but I have no idea which one would be best. The other thing is to shed a little weight in the rear. I don't have spare, and my battery is not in the trunk. I don't fill my 22-gallon tank either. My car is pretty stripped down at 3400lbs, but it rides and drives perfect with plenty of suspension travel. Which C4 conversion frame do you have? On the front you would need to maybe add spacers to the ends of the spring, which is more difficult. Beautiful car btw.
    IMG_0723.jpg
    IMG_1634.jpg
    Last edited by 55 Rescue Dog; 08-12-2022, 06:16 AM.

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    • Bow tie downunder
      Registered Member
      • Jul 2015
      • 80
      • 2602

      #3
      Thanks for your help .I have raised the front on the coilovers which has made the car sit level.I don’t want to upset the geometry .I thought of using 20 inch wheels instead of 18 .

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      • WagonCrazy
        Registered Member
        • Mar 2012
        • 1881
        • 530
        • Santa Clarita, CA

        #4
        That's going to take a coil over adjustment (probably loosening the ring below the spring so that it relaxes the spring compression.
        If you get it all the way loose (springs move around by hand), then you may need to go with the next longer spring length.
        1957 Nomad- LS1/T56 on C4 chassis
        1959 Fleetside Apache 1/2 ton, shortbed, big window, 327ci.

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        • 55 Rescue Dog
          Registered Member
          • Nov 2015
          • 1426
          • 2775

          #5
          I chose not to use coil overs for several reasons, and I kept the weight of my car to near the same as a 96 Corvette running the stock size 275/40-17 tires with 9.5 wide wheels front and rear. It drives perfect like a giant Corvette and sticks to the road like you wouldn't believe.
          1955 Chevy autocross - YouTube
          Last edited by 55 Rescue Dog; 08-12-2022, 04:49 PM.

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          • Bow tie downunder
            Registered Member
            • Jul 2015
            • 80
            • 2602

            #6
            [ATTACH]12758[/ATTACH]
            Originally posted by Bow tie downunder
            Thanks for your help .I have raised the front on the coilovers which has made the car sit level.I don’t want to upset the geometry .I thought of using 20 inch wheels instead of 18 .
            This is what I have
            Attached Files

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            • 55 Rescue Dog
              Registered Member
              • Nov 2015
              • 1426
              • 2775

              #7
              It looks like you could use a thicker rubber bushing between the end of the spring and the spindle, which would raise it an inch for sure. Bolt looks plenty long too. Otherwise, you need a stiffer spring.
              Last edited by 55 Rescue Dog; 08-12-2022, 05:24 PM.

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              • Bow tie downunder
                Registered Member
                • Jul 2015
                • 80
                • 2602

                #8
                Thanks for your input .L have adjusted the front it’s the rear I’m not sure of.

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                • WagonCrazy
                  Registered Member
                  • Mar 2012
                  • 1881
                  • 530
                  • Santa Clarita, CA

                  #9
                  Oh, now i see. You still have the stock batwing leaf spring set up on the rear.
                  On my Nomad build, I eliminated that batwing in favor of coil overs.
                  Not sure how to advise you on height adjustments with your setup.
                  Possibly swap out the fixed length link shafts at the end of each leaf spring? Maybe a longer one would raise the ride height? Thinking out loud here...no experience with it though.
                  1957 Nomad- LS1/T56 on C4 chassis
                  1959 Fleetside Apache 1/2 ton, shortbed, big window, 327ci.

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                  • BamaNomad
                    Registered Member
                    • Nov 2016
                    • 3882
                    • 3217
                    • Rocket City, USA (Huntsville, AL area)

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Bow tie downunder
                    Thanks for your input .L have adjusted the front it’s the rear I’m not sure of.
                    With the C4 transverse rear spring, rear height is easily adjustable (within limits).

                    To lower the rear of the car, remove the cotter pin and tighten the large nuts at the ends of the spring. Replace the cotter pins of course afterwards.

                    To raise the rear of the car, remove the cotter pin and loosen the large nuts at the ends of the spring. You have a lot of room to further raise the rear, and one can even go to a longer bolt as long as the spring is strong enough to further lift the car.

                    For my curiousity. Would you check the 2-letter code stamped into the spring and let me know which one you have?
                    Last edited by BamaNomad; 08-15-2022, 08:27 AM.

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                    • BamaNomad
                      Registered Member
                      • Nov 2016
                      • 3882
                      • 3217
                      • Rocket City, USA (Huntsville, AL area)

                      #11
                      Originally posted by WagonCrazy
                      Oh, now i see. You still have the stock batwing leaf spring set up on the rear.
                      On my Nomad build, I eliminated that batwing in favor of coil overs.
                      Not sure how to advise you on height adjustments with your setup.
                      Possibly swap out the fixed length link shafts at the end of each leaf spring? Maybe a longer one would raise the ride height? Thinking out loud here...no experience with it though.
                      This is just 'semantics', but Paul the 'batwing' is the Aluminum Component that holds the differential and allows retention into the chassis. The stock rear C4 spring is a single transverse composite spring, clamped in the middle and which uses the ends of the spring to suspend the wheels/tires.

                      PS. I went with the original rear suspension as well for two reasons: 1) to retain stock GM components as much as possible for future replacement purposes, and 2) I do not plan to drag race my Nomad, and one additional reason: I dislike coil over suspensions!

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                      • 55 Rescue Dog
                        Registered Member
                        • Nov 2015
                        • 1426
                        • 2775

                        #12
                        Actually, to raise the car you need to shorten the bolts that the end of the spring that is suspended from the spindle, which applies more pressure to the center mount of the spring mounted below the diff, which raises the car. To lower the car, you use longer bolts on the ends of the spring. Opposite of what it appears to look like. Same spring setup on the C3. C5, C6, and C7 Corvettes.
                        Last edited by 55 Rescue Dog; 08-15-2022, 09:33 AM.

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                        • Bow tie downunder
                          Registered Member
                          • Jul 2015
                          • 80
                          • 2602

                          #13
                          Sorry for the late reply and thanks for your help .The car is lower on one side about 1inch .FDFAFFC4-6AE0-4DB6-9A35-61345C39117A.jpeg

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                          • chevynut
                            Registered Member
                            • Nov 2011
                            • 11030
                            • 115
                            • Fort Collins, CO

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Bow tie downunder
                            Sorry for the late reply and thanks for your help .The car is lower on one side about 1inch .
                            Looks like it's only been about 7 months.

                            Are you sure the problem is in the rear? Does the front sit level?

                            I noticed you're not using a dropped toe adjuster. Did you notch the frame to clear the stock one? The frame in that area is already weak and notching it could have made the frame low at the right rear corner.

                            With the car sitting on level ground, measure the front end to see if it's level. If it's not, it could still be a rearend problem. Put a floor jack under the differential and raise the rear off the floor to see if the front end sits level then. If it doesn't, adjust the front coilovers. If it does, the problem is in the rear.

                            Measure from the spring straight up to the end of the batwing on both sides. That measurement should be the same if the car is level. Are both spring bolts adjusted the same? Tightening the nut (shortening the bolt) will raise the car, and loosening it will lower it.

                            Car looks great btw.
                            56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


                            Other vehicles:

                            56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
                            56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
                            57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
                            1962 327/340HP Corvette
                            1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
                            2001 Porsche Boxster S
                            2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
                            2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

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                            • Bow tie downunder
                              Registered Member
                              • Jul 2015
                              • 80
                              • 2602

                              #15
                              Thanks for the advice .Inreplaced the tyres on the rear with 265x45 18 which gave me an extra 1inch of clearance.The rear was too low with a 35 profile .The front is level.The measurement at the batwing is 92 mm and 95 mm.The spring bolts are the same on bothe ends .The only thing I can see that is different is position of the camber adjustment.
                              E27F335B-98DA-4FCC-BEB4-1538E27D5E09.jpegAFE4CF92-D88D-4844-B41A-EBCC80E00FF0.jpeg

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