Help with my suspension, Cause I don't know what I'm doing.

[Bigsix]

Im with Bigsix.. Try and Find new springs. It will be the less work than tryin to find for make a air ride kit work for your car.

What year is your 323

92, and I agree. I really didn't want to do bags, so I was needing opinions. Problem is I don't have the tools and noone around me can help (I've checked). I was originally going to get new oem springs and have them stretched but everyone said that was a bad idea.

Stretching OEM springs is a TERRIBLE idea. and in your application would not help much if at all. To stretch a spring it gets heated up first, when u heat spring steel to that point it needs to be in order to stretch it, you begin to mess with the molecular structure of the steel and can change its temper causing it to be overly stiff and brittle. Not to mention it will negetively effect the spring rate and will not do anything in terms of increasing the payload capabilities of the springs. I am guessing it will be less than 300 bucks to have a custom set of springs made for your ride from a reputable spring builder. Def. is your best bet.

[CLNSHVNnDRAGGN]

If it were me I would get a set of strutbags from AIM Industries, a small compressor like a Viair 380, a 2-3 gal flat round tank that can mount in the spare tire well, and 4 valves. You'll only need 1/4" or 3/8" line and 1 switch to control the whole rear as one. The reason I would go with this over a set of custom made springs is that once those springs are made that's what you've got. If you ever make any changes that adds more weight or takes some away how will those springs ride? Not only that, you're going to have to go with such a high spring rate to compensate for the weight that it's probably going to ride really stiff and is going to put more stress on the strut towers and unibody.

[SmallTruk]

Is your car struts or shocks in the rear? If it is shocks, you can find a pair of "air shocks" that you can run a hidden line to somewhere and add air to them with a regualr air line to increase your payload... Not the best solution, but a good one if it'll work in your application. There are also a couple places on the net in which you can order custom built coil springs that will fit your specific car, but have a much higher, stiffer spring rate... Thats all I got, hope it of help to you. Ill see if I can find you a link for one of the spring places.

Air shocks aren't going to increase his payload capacity, all they do is allow the dampening to be adjusted. The payload is determined by the spring. Adding 800+lbs and relying on shocks to handle that is a bad idea.

The easiest thing to do would be to get a set of springs made to accommodate the additional weight. Wether you have stand alone springs or struts, you can get a spring with a higher spring rate to fit either. I wouldn't do coilovers, they're made for performance....not heavy loads. You're gonna blow them in no time. Air bags/struts would work but then you need to find a place for the compressor and tanks. Helper bags would work but I'm assuming you have rear struts like most cars so they wouldn't fit.

[Bigsix]

So did you read my entire statement or just a sentence then quote it??..

and yes, air shocks can and have been used as an effective way to add payload capacity, there are several kits on the market that do just that, not to mention a bevy of mass produced units that have a form of air shock on the rear for the self leveling style suspensions, like what came factory on my wifes buick, and countless other GM cars. I also said that in his application it was not the ideal answer but would work. I then told him his best bet was to have a set of custom coil springs made. repeatedly.

Edited May 2, 2012 by Bigsix

[varietyguy]

So did you read my entire statement or just a sentence then quote it??..

and yes, air shocks can and have been used as an effective way to add payload capacity, there are several kits on the market that do just that, not to mention a bevy of mass produced units that have a form of air shock on the rear for the self leveling style suspensions, like what came factory on my wifes buick, and countless other GM cars. I also said that in his application it was not the ideal answer but would work. I then told him his best bet was to have a set of custom coil springs made. repeatedly.

I will do this. If things keep going well this car will be a dedicated spl car and no longer driven. So I really just need springs for this year. I don't really have room for a compressor, My entire cargo area is going to be filled with batts, and amps. I haven't weighed everything exactly but it's close to 1200 lbs going in from the b-pillar to the back.