Subject: Alfetta GT rear springs

[Jay Negrin <jmnegrin@domain.elided>]

Biba asks -

<<Whilst dismantling the Alfetta's DeDion assemblies, it turns out I
have the choice of the stock '75 coil springs (12.15 mm diameter - 7
coils) or the springs off the '79 (which came with 13.5 mm diameter - 7
coils). The latter is much tighter wound and consequently are a lot
shorter.

What I'm asking, which should I install (though, not necessarily what
You would install)?

I've always felt the Alfetta's rear was just a tad 'loose' and does
understeer. I do like a car which is pretty neutral and certainly does
not suddenly go whoosh and suddenly you're looking at where you just
were.

However, I Absolutely Abhor a jiggly ride. CA has it's share of poorly
finished concrete freeways. I imagine even in a Caddy, there is some
sense of road irregularities.

I am installing 195 x 65 14 Yoko Avid H4's. I will also be installing a
set of used Koni gas shocks which will now match the gas Koni's on the
front. The majority of the time I'm the sole (sigh) occupant and only
occasionally is the car loaded with heavy stuff.

My gut feeling is to install the Konis on their 'lowest' setting and try
the heavier springs.

I'm planing on doing the installation in the next few days, so if you
have any thoughts...

--snip-->>

I installed GTV6 springs in the rear of my 76 Alfetta GT.  I also did
the torsion bars in the front.  I did this shortly after installing 15"
wheels and tires, so that mitigate my comments a bit.  The 15 inch
aluminum wheels/tires are heavier than the light-weight Campy alloys in
14x6 that I had.

The ride is noticeably stiffer, jiggly if you wish.  Not intolerably so,
but noticealbe.  My fiance thinks its too noisy, but the exhaust is
largely responsible for that.  I think the stiffer spring and T-bars do
not work as well with the Koni gas shocks as did the original
springs/bars.  My feeling is that I am a bit underdamped for the spring
rates.  A better combination, strictly in terms of handling/perfomance,
would be a slightly "stiffer" damper, maybe also spec'd for a GTV6.
Just a guess on my part.

Anwer anything, or just muddying the already murky waters?

Jay Negrin
ARO So Cal
76 Alfetta GT

PS - Biba - If you are at the AROSC Annual Meeting in Long Beach this
coming Sunday, I'll see if I can arrange a ride for you so you can
figure it out for yourself, if "too"  jiggly.

--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided