RIVNIK Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 Greetings Riv lovers I need advice...... Ive been putting up with an annoying problem long enough. When I bought my 65 the ball joints & bushings needed replacing so I had the springs replaced at the same time. That was 24 yrs. ago but only about 1500 miles. Unfortunately the car went into hibernation soon afterward, where it sat 15 yrs.,much of that time w diagonally opposing flat tires. When it was reawakened for restoration I discovered that the Riv sits at an awkward slant, 1 1/4" higher on the pass. side in front & 1" higher in the rt. rear. Ive tried to remedy it from time to time w rubber & metal spreaders w little improvement. A mechanic friend says it is impossible to determine the offending spring/springs without taking them off so I may as well replace them all, considering the work involved. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated , including how much they should cost & the best place to buy them. I want to keep the stock ride height. I find AC/Delco on Ebay from between $90 &$125. I have a great old school suspension guy to do the job but he want me to acquire the springs. He estimated the labor at $100 per corner which sounds fair, especially for the fronts. Anyone disagree? Thanks, RIVNIK(Drew) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 Coil spring Specialties in St. Mary's, KS. They're familiar with stock and lowering springs for Rivieras. http://coilsprings.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 There are specific installation instructions in the shop manual; how the rear spring ends should point and the use of a block. If you didn't do it yourself and follow those instructions try that first. And inspect the bushings they may have twisted beyond their limits. A couple torn ones can give you a list. Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodayguy Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 I bought a set of 1-inch lowering springs from Coil Springs Specialties, as Ed suggested above. Very happy with them. The car still looks "stock" but has a subtle lower. Warning though: Might cost more than $100 per wheel to install. I spent a lot more than that with my mechanic because the old stuff would not come loose without a lot of time, effort, elbow grease, and hammering. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelman Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 As you are replacing springs anyway, the old ones can be cut with a torch and make removal a lot easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telriv Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 I for sure wouldn't use a torch!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 3 minutes ago, telriv said: I for sure wouldn't use a torch!!! X2. There is a lot of kinetic energy stored in those springs just waiting for a way to get out without regard to where it's headed. You might consider using a torch to collapse the spring, but cutting it is a good way to get hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 5 hours ago, bodayguy said: I bought a set of 1-inch lowering springs from Coil Springs Specialties, as Ed suggested above. Very happy with them. The car still looks "stock" but has a subtle lower. Warning though: Might cost more than $100 per wheel to install. I spent a lot more than that with my mechanic because the old stuff would not come loose without a lot of time, effort, elbow grease, and hammering. What tire is on the car in the picture with the lowering springs? I really like the width of the white sidewall. Ed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
still looking Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 (edited) 11 hours ago, RIVNIK said: Greetings Riv lovers I need advice...... Ive been putting up with an annoying problem long enough. When I bought my 65 the ball joints & bushings needed replacing so I had the springs replaced at the same time. That was 24 yrs. ago but only about 1500 miles. Unfortunately the car went into hibernation soon afterward, where it sat 15 yrs.,much of that time w diagonally opposing flat tires. When it was reawakened for restoration I discovered that the Riv sits at an awkward slant, 1 1/4" higher on the pass. side in front & 1" higher in the rt. rear. Ive tried to remedy it from time to time w rubber & metal spreaders w little improvement. A mechanic friend says it is impossible to determine the offending spring/springs without taking them off so I may as well replace them all, considering the work involved. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated , including how much they should cost & the best place to buy them. I want to keep the stock ride height. I find AC/Delco on Ebay from between $90 &$125. I have a great old school suspension guy to do the job but he want me to acquire the springs. He estimated the labor at $100 per corner which sounds fair, especially for the fronts. Anyone disagree? Thanks, RIVNIK(Drew) If you decide to go with lowering springs, I have a Jamco 2" set that was literally put on, observed, removed and then the car was bagged. I can let you have the set with 4 shocks (no bumps) for what I bought them for $350 + shipping. I believe Jamco has them for 499 + shipping. I have not placed them for sale here yet but intend to soon, getting pics and such. Edited February 5, 2017 by still looking (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KongaMan Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 In addition to the springs, there are a lot of rubber pieces that can affect the height, stance, and handling to varying degrees: rear control arm bushings, track arm bushings, spring insulators, lower control arm bushings, body mounts, etc. After 50 years, any original parts might well be considered suspect. Granted it's a fair amount of work (and the money can add up), but if you really want to get it back into shape, you might consider inspecting (and replacing when required) all of those before having new springs fitted. The risk of not doing so is that you get around to replacing those parts later only to find out that either the stance or height has changed from where you wanted it because the springs were spec'd using measurements from worn/compressed parts. If you're going to replace the springs, don't forget the insulators. You might also consider if you want stiffer springs as well. That is, think about upgrading to GS springs for something a bit closer to a "modern" feel. And as noted earlier, you may have a bushing that's torn or taken a set after 15 years of being cockeyed. Then, if you're already wrenching on the front end and have it mostly apart, it would also be a great time to move some shims on the upper control arm rod to give yourself some positive caster, which will help if you've switched to radial tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodayguy Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 8 hours ago, RivNut said: What tire is on the car in the picture with the lowering springs? I really like the width of the white sidewall. Ed Ed, they are the Coker 1.3 inch whitewalls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 7 hours ago, bodayguy said: Ed, they are the Coker 1.3 inch whitewalls Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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