Springs or Shockers ??

[Ron41]

Hi all, i hope someone can advise me on this one please.
I only have to have one person sitting in the back seat of my car and if i drive up into a normal driveway [not steep] it sounds like the bottom of my tow bar scraps along the ground, it doesn't happen when i am by myself only when there's some weight in the back seat.
Is there some way i can tell if its my springs, shockers or both ?
thanks for any help given

 

[VSO.38]

Sounds like your springs are sagging abit mate.

 

[ephect]

could be a bit of both, but i'd change ur shockers..

personal experience, i had standard fe2, were 'old' shocks, n i had to change them as one of the welds were bout to snap, guard used to sit half way thru the tire, when in D it would nearly sit level with the rim, a smig over.. looked tough but when i replaced them n kept the springs the same, it now sits above the tire n doesnt sag much at all with the new shocks

 

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Thats unusual ephect. Shocks only dampen the spring rebound, they shouldn't affect the ride height. Unless you have IRS, new shocks will make them sit up a bit more at the back.

 

[wayvr]

get stiffer springs.. shocks only made to keep the wheels on the ground

 

[Ron41]

Thanks everyone for the replies, i've owned the car from nearly new & i have never changed the springs at all, back shockers were replaced about 7 years ago.
Is it better to get stiffer springs ? wouldn't they give a harder ride though.

 

[ephect]

Thats unusual ephect. Shocks only dampen the spring rebound, they shouldn't affect the ride height. Unless you have IRS, new shocks will make them sit up a bit more at the back.

damn ur cluey! yeap IRS in the rear.. spewing bout ride height now.. used to look soooooo good!

believe it or not, u'd be suprised how much the shocks effect it! could be the difference between 0.5-1inch in ride height..

 

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

For some reason it does on IRS. First thing people say is the springs when the arse is dragging on the ground but I've found doing the shocks fixes it. The VQ Statesman was bad for it too and there was another car, can't remember what it was though, European I think. Remembered as I hit "post". It was the Datsun 180B, it used to sag heaps on the rear when the shocks were stuffed.

Ron41, putting standard springs in will make a huge difference as yours are 10-12 years old. You don't need to go stiffer springs if you don't carry constant loads.

 

[Ron41]

Thanks mate, appreciate the help :thumbsup:

 

[Ron41]

I just thought of the new gas conversion i had fitted recently, the gas tank in the boot would make extra weight on a permanent basis, so i would be probably better off in the long term getting the stiffer springs.