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I am looking to throw some QA1 Coil Overs on the front of my 69 Cutlass. I replaced the shocks and springs two years ago and I am not happy with the ride height. Also, as you know, she can be a real boat.
First step, I'd like to go with the QA1 Pro Coil Overs.
I see a distinction in one set being for small block application and one set being for big block. I'd imagine the big block application is aimed less at BOP and more of weight issue for "true" big block cars?
My 455 has an aluminum intake, headers and no AC. Should I go with the small block set up? I dont know if it matters but I'm currently running "the right stuff" disk brake conversion kit.
If it isn't a weight thing, let me know.
Also, I've heard some minor modifications need to be made to the lower control arms. Any insight on that?
It can take some tries on ride height and quality. The spring R&R is a headache but not *that* bad. Once you have a baseline it can be pretty quick to raise the car using spacers.
Sway bar and shocks will change the boat-iness much more than the springs. You can get standard shocks that are adjustable if you want that route.
It's a weight thing. "Small block" kits usually have 450 lb/in springs while "big block" usually have 550 lb/in springs.
Get the "big block" kit. The 455 is not a lightweight.
Are you still using the stock lower control arms? Coilovers put all the weight of the front end on the shock mount - a tiny area with two bolt holes - instead of the spring pocket. It might be possible to reinforce the stock arm with some plates or something to make it work, but usually you'd also put in aftermarket lower arms that have a correctly built shock mount to take the weight.
You will likely hit the typical issues with the A-body front suspension design. The knuckle is just too short. So tall knuckles or tall ball joints - and all the associated changes - are usually the next step.
"Minor modifications", eh? There is no way I'd ever trust the full weight of the car on four 5/16" shock bolts with speed nuts. If you want coilovers, get lower control arms designed for them.
As far as the SB/BB spring thing, I'd go for the stiffest possible, but that's me. It's personal preference. With a coilover, the height is adjustable, so the spring is more about ride and handling.
I say "minor modifications" simply because that's how others have described it. Even QA1 shows the coil overs going into a stock step up...
That said, I certainly agree with your concerns. I'll most likely replace the lower arms as well.
You may want to look at ridetech coilovers as well. The ridetech lower control arm (strong arm) uses a single horizontal bolt rather than the original 5/16 vertical bolts. It looks like QA1 may be coming out with a version like this as well, but I am not sure if they are out yet.. The shock adjustment is at the top of the shock mount rather than at the bottom of the shock like the QA1. Price is a consideration though. Lower strong arms are close to $900/ pair. Upper strong arms, over $600/ pair. Coilovers about $900/pair
It's a weight thing. "Small block" kits usually have 450 lb/in springs while "big block" usually have 550 lb/in springs.
Get the "big block" kit. The 455 is not a lightweight.
I was thinking forget the BB vs SB thing and get the specs on the spring rates to make your own decision.
From previous discussions, a factory BBO is around 65 pounds heavier than a SBO. With an aluminum intake (35 pounds) in place of the factory iron intake (65 pounds) that difference gets a bit smaller. So a focus on spring rates is more important than the company's package descriptions.
I run the Ridetech Strong Arms & coil overs, with 900# springs and 2” drop spindles.
Ridetch will tell you their coil overs weren’t designed to allow a lot of change in ride height, I’ve got my 442 @9.50” at the front rocker, stock is 9.81, won’t go any higher, but will drop another inch or two.
IMHO
1. Call Viking and get better coil overs and springs set up for the actual weight of your car and not BB or SB crap.
2. You have to remove the welded in nuts so the shocks will fit flush in the pocket.
3. You're welcome
I had the QA1 coil overs on the front of my 442 for about a year. The ride sucked. It was a harsher ride (w/550 springs) and didn't corner or launch very well even when I adjusted the shocks. Took them off and went back to the springs with some high end adjustable shocks and I'm so happy I did. The improvement is dramatic. I would strongly suggest sticking with springs and investing in high end adjustable shocks instead. I know coilovers are the big thing right now but most have a short skinny spring to begin with and if you lower the car more (which is the reason most get the coil overs in the first place for the ride height adjustments) you end up making a 10" (or even shorter spring) shorter and shorter which could cause issues with adequate travel. If you squash a spring and shock all the way down it can’t do its job properly. As you lower the car you are reducing the amount of compression left in the shock. Ideally the shock should be roughly centered in its stroke at ride height. Contrast that with a long thick coil spring that has been holding up 4,000+ lb cars for hundreds of thousands of miles for decades and decades and I think it's hard to argue that the standard coil spring can take a beating. If you can find a ride height that you’re happy with with a spring and still be able to adjust the shock to your liking with compression and rebound (that is supporting no weight and is perfectly centered in its stroke), why not just stick with the old reliable? A 14” coil spring is going to have lots more travel available and with no weight or compression on the shock, everything can function properly. I'm certainly no expert but the before and after on my car removing the coilovers and going back to springs was a really noticeable improvement.
March 7th, 2023, 06:33 AM
