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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Fort Worth
Posts: 1,409
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Is coil rear ride really that much better than leaf?
Doing a frame off with current leaf but have the available parts to do a coil swap. Is the ride really that much better?
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1969 Chevy LWB - with shaved handles; 3 1/2 front/ 5 1/2 rear drop; (waiting to be put back together) |
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#2 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Kelowna B.C. Canada
Posts: 2,048
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oh yeh, but can't handle as much weight
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#3 |
Formerly yellow72custom
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 7,531
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Plus there isn't wheelhop like with leaf springs....my coil spring truck with worn out suspension rides at least as good, if not better than my mom's '01 S10.
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'72 Chevy C10 Mild 350/TH350/3.07. Ochre/White. Old high school ride. '70 GMC C2500 '62 327 4bbl/SM465/4.56-geared Dana 60. White/White. Project or parts truck. '97 Saturn SL DD. 1.9/5-speed. 40+ highway mpg |
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#4 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Orem, Utah
Posts: 7,921
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I noticed better traction in the snow, too. I'm not sure why.
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I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man. - Thomas Jefferson |
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#5 |
its all about the +6 inches
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Hilliard Ohio
Posts: 2,693
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I notice great traction with absolutly no wheel hop, a great ride, and pretty good in the corners.
As for load rating...they are RATED for the same load as a leaf rear. I would go with the coils myself. |
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#6 |
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Yuma, Az
Posts: 477
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My '70 rides much better than my wifes' '00 extened cab...
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Martin Gibson
USAF Retired 1964(-ish) C10 |
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#7 |
My other Love
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Castlegar B.C. Canada
Posts: 4,085
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Huh, then if they were so good why did chevy stop using them in 73?
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![]() Castlegar B.C.The great white North (Canada Eh!) Hooter_5@hotmail.com First generation Monte Carlo club pictures of my life |
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#8 |
71 DELUX
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Northern CA / Sac
Posts: 1,056
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My 71 C-10 w/coils rides and handles nicer than my 2001 F-150.
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#9 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Kelowna B.C. Canada
Posts: 2,048
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I had a camper on my 71 gmc once with coils, couldn't go over 40 mph, it was all over the road, they might rate coils the same as leafs, but there isn't any comparison as far as I'm concerned
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#10 |
My other Love
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Castlegar B.C. Canada
Posts: 4,085
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My 69 is a custom camper 10, it has leafs and I like it
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![]() Castlegar B.C.The great white North (Canada Eh!) Hooter_5@hotmail.com First generation Monte Carlo club pictures of my life |
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#11 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: DFW
Posts: 765
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the inherent design of coils will perform in a smoother action due to the vertical compression of the spring. the leaf gives a rougher ride due to the perpendicular flexing load placed on the spring pack, and the horizontal movement of the individual springs in a pack sliding against each other,and growing in length as a load is placed upon the pack as a whole. the leaf spring set up will carry a load better due to the shear area availible to distribute the load (pack of 5 springs with a nominal length of 35 inches and a width of 2and 1/2 inches is 437 sq in of area) coils of course (with out refreshing my math) is obviously going to have much less area availible to give resistance to the load put upon them. If your towing, leafs all the way. Street driving,racing,quality of ride, stick with the coil set up(also has the built in traction bar or trailing link set up.)
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The problem with America is stupidity. I'm not saying there should be a capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself? |
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#12 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Lake Stevens,WA 98258 North of Seattle
Posts: 833
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My personal opinion and thats all it is "my opinion".
I bet you couldn't tell the difference by driving them, I know I can't. I have owned both and the 1/2tons ride nice both coil and leaf and the 3/4tons can haul anything, but ride rough without a load. I wouldn't waste your time changing from one to the other.
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Marysville, WA (Dan72cst@hotmail.com) 72 4wd Blazer CST 350/350 72 4wd Chevy LWB 350/350 68 2wd Chevy LWB 327/400 |
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#13 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Shelbyville, KY
Posts: 3,269
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Classic truck did an article recently on the differences. I have 1 each design on LWB 350 trucks. I agree with most of the above except that no one picked up on the major difference and that is the placement of your suspension. Coil springs are suspended within the frame while leaf are actually mounted outside of the frame. this inner and outer mounting provides some very interesting ride differences when you do things like---go around a curve!! My leaf spring truck rides a bit firmer--even though the coil has HD springs and factory overloads. Take a look at the nascar racers and they have a very similar setup to our coil springs trucks. If you are looking for car like quality with racing like performance---coil. If you are looking hauling, trailering, truck like performance, stay with leaf as that is what was installed in 95% of the GMC trucks, 3/4 ton and 4x4s. Changing over is a job that I would not do to improve the ride--either way!!
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#14 |
Wiseass secured himself a BAN
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: MOON!!!
Posts: 2,282
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My 67 rides like a Cadillac.......Smoooooooth
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#15 |
Account Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Virginia Beach, Va. U.S.A.
Posts: 15,320
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My GMC has leafs, rides like a truck.
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#16 | |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Vermont
Posts: 996
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Quote:
![]() ![]() I've got coils with overload leafs on the back of the frame; smooth ride plus a little extra capacity if need be. |
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#17 |
71 DELUX
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Northern CA / Sac
Posts: 1,056
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Yes, both of the LWB's that I've acquired in the last few months have had coils with helper leafs...and both also had towing bumpers and towing harnesses. So it can be the best of both worlds I guess, with the helper leafs. Since the helper leafs are so common, I'd guess that they are a necessity if you'd be hauling or towing heavy loads.
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#18 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Saskatoon,SK,Canada
Posts: 2,476
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.................And if you ever want to bag your truck a coil truck is easier to bag than a leaf truck.
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Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada |
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#19 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Canada
Posts: 695
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I continue to be amazed at how well my old coil spring truck rides - much better than the newer vehicles we own or have owned. It also has the half leaf overloaders so it handles big loads pretty well.
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1968 Chevy - 292 with a powerglide |
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#20 |
Binder Rep
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Salcha, AK
Posts: 1,506
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The '70 has the HD coils and overloads. It used to have a sway bar too, but my brother bent a mounting bracket for me which pulled the sway bar out of it's mounts on the A arms. It still drives really really nice, but it a leans a bit more than it did with the sway bar. Doesn't feel quite as crisp around the corners as before but I still think it's the nicest driving vehicle I've ever been in. Rides like a caddy too. Hauled a 400-500lb fourwheeler really nicely... I'm personally really happy with the coils for a half ton. In the higher weight ratings I guess it's not too big a deal either because they both have to be so stiff.
The '70 is a lwb fleet 2wd with p/s p/b (all original) with 70k miles on the clock. What rating coils do you have? There were light coils, then leafs which are slightly heavier rated,and then the heavy coils which are good for more capacity than the leaves in the half tons. |
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#21 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Green Valley, AZ
Posts: 28
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My 70 is a 3/4 ton with coils on the back. I t has a large coil on the outside and a smaller coil on the inside side by side, overload? I don't if it's original or not. Bottom mounts are welded to the axel. I got the truck in 1980. I have seen these half length over load springs in one of the catalogs but they didn't sell the mounting brackets. Are these the overloads some of the guys are talking about?
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1970 Chev C20, 2wd, LB, 350 4BBL, muncie 4spd, 4:10 limited slip. 2002 Chev 2500HD 8.1L Allison, 4X4. 1996 Chev S10 Blazer, 4X4. 2006 Jeep LJ Rubicon |
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