1969 copo camaro front springs

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

We have an original blue coil spring tag from a low mile Yenko Nova, the part number is for the L65 350 with a/c. Obviously, the COPO Novas don't have the a/c, but the springs are designed to hold the extra weight. Without the extra weight, the Novas sit high-nosed. We think those springs were selected because Yenko chose the 'heavy duty cooling package' on these cars, and believe that this package actually part of the a/c package; 3core rad, 7blade fan, big clutch, ect.. and stiffer springs. We believe this cooling package addition was part of COPO 9737 for '70.

A lot of people replace the 5leaf rear springs with the generic ones, which makes the rear sit way too high. This makes it look like they have the incorrect front springs when it's the rears that are wrong.

Thoughts?
M

[Edited by YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY (02-04-2002 at 10:35 AM).]

[John]

Thanks for everyone's input. I know that the "goose-neck" radiators came on the "Big block with a/c packages...But when I saw a "Big block a/c camaro...even those did not seem to sit the way the copo camaros sit. My Hugger Orange Yenko camaro sits up in the front and has the (5) leaf spring on the rear. I just wondered if they would have ordered heavier springs to hold the front end up and transfer more weight to the rear for added traction...since these were meant for drag racing.

[Chevy454]

The COPO cars have the heavier springs, but don't have the extra weight of the a/c stuff to drop the nose down to where most of the other cars reside. I'd like to think that the reason for the heavier springs was due in part to true purpose of the cars (drag racing), but I wonder if an engineer just decided they should get the heaviest of the suspension components, without giving it much thought. But, like someone mentioned before, it's a pain in the butt trying to find springs that give the correct ride height, as a lot of the restored cars I see sit WAY to high (for me, anyway!). I never did care for the way my LS-6 sat (way too high) and it wheel-hopped like crazy because of this as well.

I can say, though, that a nose high attitude is a DEFINITE plus on the drag strip!

[Edited by Chevy454 (02-04-2002 at 07:06 PM).]

[JoeC]

The ride height should match the AIM specification. You can have a 400 lb spring or a 600lb spring and still have the same ride height. On a coil spring It is a function of spring winding, wire diameter size, and length of the spring. If the ride height is too high it may be the wrong spring.