Front springs moved to the back? Pictures?

[sdg3205]

Hey folks,

Does anyone have a picture of their car with the front STOCK springs moved to the back and used with the STOCK rear Girlings? I've got an extra pair of good front stock springs I was thinking of trying. My only fear is it might be too low. If its a drop of 1.5 inches (given fronts measure approx 14 in and the rears measure approx 16.5 in) that might be just right though.

I've got Martin's front springs with stock Girlings and love them.

Cheers!

[louielouie2000]

My second DeLorean had the Chop & Swap done to it, so this will give you an idea:

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/10232_1228773075881_6384975_n.jpg

I've got more pics I can post, but this one gives you the clearest shot of the gap between the rear tire & quarter panel. Combined with the very low front, the car bottomed out constantly over speed bumps (even when taken at an angle), driveways, etc. That's why the current owner of my car switched to Eibachs- better ground clearance.

[sdg3205]

Thanks! If you have any of the whole car that would be great. That doesn't look too low to me.

[DeloreanJoshQ]

Are the factory front springs stiffer than the rear springs?
Has anyone tested the spring rate of the two?

[sdg3205]

I was talking to Toby yesterday and he said there are definitely different spring rates. I believe the backs are stiffer.

[eagle-co94]

I think that ride height in the rear looks about perfect. How did the car handle? I found that someone installed the spring spacers on 1045 so I'm pulling them off to see where the car will sit before going forward. Now that I've got spare springs from 891 I might try that.

[louielouie2000]

Thanks! If you have any of the whole car that would be great. That doesn't look too low to me.

I'll post some more when I get home tonight. :)


I was talking to Toby yesterday and he said there are definitely different spring rates. I believe the backs are stiffer.

The rears are definitely stiffer; they have to compensate for the 65% rear weight balance. Supposedly the Eibach's also followed the Chop & Swap formula of making the rear springs softer & front springs stiffer. I'm not sure how true that is, though.


I think that ride height in the rear looks about perfect. How did the car handle? I found that someone installed the spring spacers on 1045 so I'm pulling them off to see where the car will sit before going forward. Now that I've got spare springs from 891 I might try that.

I thought the car handled like any other DeLorean, and believe me you, I drove that thing more aggressively than any other DeLorean owner I've ever come across. My chop & swap car was my daily driver for years in all weather conditions. There is this unshakable dogma in the DeLorean community that chopped springs and/or chop & swap cars ride & handle terribly. I've driven & ridden in many dozens of DeLoreans, and I honestly could not tell the difference between my chop & swap car & any other stock DeLorean. Granted, cars with modern shocks ride & handle worlds better than any DeLorean still sporting it's original Girlings. But if we're comparing a chop & swap car with Girling shocks to a stock car with Girling shocks, you truly won't notice anything other than the fact the nose is in a downward position, and the front end feels vastly more planted at highway speeds.

[louielouie2000]

Here are a couple of pics- ignore younger, dorkier me. :tongue: The front end wasn't normally quite this low... not sure if I had a bunch of tools packed into the trunk, if the pavement under the car was uneven, or what:

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/26829_1373490933737_4109160_n.jpg

We had to push our cars into the ballroom at DCS '04:

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/12944_1270848247734_2225751_n.jpg

Second car back here:

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/12944_1270848327736_7481938_n.jpg

Second car back, once again:

http://babbtechnology.com/pics/events/nc_tech-2-2005/lined_up8.jpg

Most everyone agreed- the front end was just too low, which is why the car is currently sporting Eibach springs.

[louielouie2000]

And a newly unearthed pic Chris Burns somehow found of me & my car!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/935752_10200729541057320_287930569_n.jpg

[eagle-co94]

So if the stock fronts are moved to the rear, what exactly happens to the fronts? Cut a coil?

[Ryan King]

Ive done it. It was a mistake. The shocks take a lot more brute force as they are not fully extended. I also had issues with scraping.

[sdg3205]

So if the stock fronts are moved to the rear, what exactly happens to the fronts? Cut a coil?

That's the original idea, but $200 for good front lowering springs is a good deal. If you do this, move the stock fronts to the back then you've lowered your car for $200... Pretty good deal if your comfortable with the idea.

[eagle-co94]

I picked up the DMC UK (I think) front springs while I was in Germany. I brought them back with me and they're still in the box so I'll probably move the stock fronts to the back and then install the new fronts, but I figure I'll check all the options first.

[Nicholas R]

I picked up the DMC UK (I think) front springs while I was in Germany. I brought them back with me and they're still in the box so I'll probably move the stock fronts to the back and then install the new fronts, but I figure I'll check all the options first.

Back in 2008 this was my plan. Unfortunately at the time, I tried for weeks to get a set of the springs and they weren't available. Since I was doing the work over the winter and was running out of time, I ended up with eibach. I'm interested to know how the UK's work out.