L-body rear lowering springs

[ScottD]

I know I can buy these new through FWD-P, but they are $145, so I wanted to see if anyone has them used. I put KYBs on my 86 GLHS and don't see myself getting the Konis rebuilt anytime soon, but the KYBs make the rear sit up a bit and I'd like to drop it down. If you have a set let me know. Thanks!

[Turbodave]

Scott, make sure you've got the rear spring perches on the KYB's correctly, if they are upside-down they will raise the back of the car about an inch. The directions that come with them are useless, but the perch is kind-of a universal fit deal , it should go on with the bigger diameter end pointing down.

[contraption22]

For a little more than the money you would spend on those lowering springs, you can get Ground Conrol coil-over conversion for the rear, with any spring rate you want, and adjust the ride height to your liking.

[iTurbo]

In addition to the perch orientation, the ride height will also depend on which KYB part # you are using. I bought a set of KYB GR2 for my Omni, and also some Gas-A-Just I found on eBay which were actually a part # for '82 L-body. The GAJ spring perch sits lower on the shock tube than the GR2. With the GAJ, my car sits perfectly level with the stock springs. Not sure if KYB makes the GAJ for L-bodies anymore though.

[Pat]

Just put some bricks in the trunk. :-)

[turbojerk]

Just put some bricks in the trunk. :-)

....Or a body!

You could also go cruising for some fat chic's...

[ScottD]

Dave - You are definitely right about the instructions being worthless. I am pretty sure I have the perches on there with the larger diameter side at the top. That made sense how to put them on, the instructions didn't tell me diddly. I will take them back out and flip them, that's not a tough fix, even in this freaking cold weather. Thanks for the tip!

Pat - My fat butt is enough weight in the car already.

Troy - Fat chicks?????? You must be confusing me with JDAWG ....

[ScottD]

Ok, I had the perches reversed. In looking at them it is easy to see why I did that, the way I had them on there made sense. I should have taken pics before taking them apart. I don't feel stupid for making this mistake (for once), but thanks Dave for the tip. Maybe this should be made a sticky under the suspension section? I would imagine this is a common mistake since I've seen lots of posts complaining about increased ride height with KYBs.

[gvare001]

I made the same mistake on my SC, but I got to say that the look is not terrible. It gives the SC a little SRT-4 flair, and maybe adds a little traction to the front wheels.

[Turbodave]

Ok, I had the perches reversed. In looking at them it is easy to see why I did that, the way I had them on there made sense. I should have taken pics before taking them apart. I don't feel stupid for making this mistake (for once), but thanks Dave for the tip. Maybe this should be made a sticky under the suspension section? I would imagine this is a common mistake since I've seen lots of posts complaining about increased ride height with KYBs.

Scott, I've already got pictures taken for this reason and I'll add this to the suspension FAQ next time I get the chance.



Correct installation

[ScottD]

That's great Dave. Thanks again so much for pointing that out. KYB's instructions really leave a lot to be desired!

[gvare001]

You know I installed the perches the right way, and it still raised the car. I'll take some pics tomorrow to show.