sbc sagging front end

[onesmartidiot]

Hey everyone. Ive recently purchased an 89 astro. I bought it off a friend, who took it for a trade on his truck. The guy before him put a 350 in it, and if you look at the profile of the van, the front is tremendously lower than the rear. Im guessing the added engine weight? This same buddy had a ss s-10 that we put a 305 into, and i noticed after the swap, his front end was sagging like crazy.

I dont want to "lift" the van. Personally, on our p30 motorhome, it has air bags in the front coils. I cannot find a setup for the astro's suspension to do this. Nothing fancy, no on board compressors, just 2 bags with two air lines. Or if anyone knows a better treatment, let me know

thanks

-giz

a pic so you know what i mean

[astro355]

Get stiffer springs off of a GM V8 truck or G30 van.

[Positive P]

Get stiffer springs off of a GM V8 truck or G30 van.

There you go I was going to say the same thing. He would know he has the V8 swap.
Really though a G30? Why not a G20 with the V8? Either way it'll fix your front, no need for bags, eventually they could blow out from being used constantly, most air helper-springs are for situation specific. If you need the added help, air them up. Hence the name helper-spring.

[astro355]

Sorry, when I looked it up, the part numbers for a G20 and G30 are the same involving a V8 engine.

[Positive P]

Hey I forgot to add, that's a pretty nice looking van OSI.
Yeah I thought that on the springs..
Good thing too, I'm grabbing those G20's next week when the yard opens back up.

[Gary]

And the corrected answer is you neeed to contact Dan at www.overlandvans.com

He has the balljoint spacer,springs,asso parts so at sometime in your lifetime,you will be able to align your frontend.

Dan has surely more yrs into the Astro's and the safe way to get-er-done.

[Positive P]

It's funny that you say that.
I recently contacted Dan, about my AWD brakes on the 2WD question.
The answer I got was, "Wow bro, can't help ya there. Dan"
Are they not "The Suspension Guys" for Astros and Safaris?

[astro355]

Huh?

I can't quite agree with that, Gary. You are implying that you can't align a customized vehicle unless you buy expensive new parts. That my friend is just not true. I guess I just have to chuckle a little that you would bring up safety and alignments after the last time we 'discussed' a certain steering modification.

[Gary]

Yepper-the facts are long known there is only 150lb difference between the 4.3 and the V8.Does kind of sound like the front springs where bad to begin with before the swap.

[astro355]

Yepper-the facts are long known there is only 150lb difference between the 4.3 and the V8.Does kind of sound like the front springs where bad to begin with before the swap.

Well, the thing is that GM (and other manufacturers) must have thought for some reason that 150lbs extra over the front wheels was a big deal. Any vehicle GM made that came with different engines (such as a V6 or a V8 option), came with different springs. Stiffer springs were used with heavier engines. There is a difference between putting 150 lbs in the passenger compartment and putting 150 lbs over the front wheels.

[Matrixx]

Wow, Dan is selling the company:

http://www.overlandvans.com/0408_forsale.html

I wish him the best.

[Positive P]

Wow, sorry to hear that.
Hopefully the wrong person doesn't get it.
That's too bad. But I do agree with his decision, his health if far more important.
I hope all will be well with him, and his family.

[Gary]

Wow, Dan is selling the company:

http://www.overlandvans.com/0408_forsale.html

I wish him the best.

Yes-it has been for sale for awhile now.Dan surely made great designs to get the company to where it is now from the time he bought it.I am planning to speak to him soon and I will post a update about him.

[AstroAustin]

This isn't recent news. I've asked him about it. He doesn't seem very anxious to get out of it. That for sale page has been up for about a year now.

[Positive P]

Really, I don't think I've noticed it before.

[Gary]

To get back on topic,I am alittle confused about the need for different springs due to the V8 swap.I have read dozens of threads about V8 swaps and don't recall anyone changing out the springs.Might be that at the same time guys where either lifting their vans or lowering them or had a AWD van and they tighten the bars.I did read a thread about a guy that bought Moog progressive heavy duty springs and where a real bear to put in.But he put them in because he was going for a lift.

[astro355]

Ok? The OP mentioned that he wanted to change the front springs because they are sagging. He then mentioned that it had a V8 in it. So naturally, one would tell him to put stiffer springs in it.

[Gary]

Ok? The OP mentioned that he wanted to change the front springs because they are sagging. He then mentioned that it had a V8 in it. So naturally, one would tell him to put stiffer springs in it.

So just to be clear about this subject of V8 swaps,did you have to swap springs with you V8 swap?.

For him,as I said,there are Moog heavy duty progressive springs.They are a bigger coil and a tigher coil towards one end.

[astro355]

Yes, I did. The ride height was fine before the swap and it dropped around 1 1/2" after the swap. It also had a little bit more of a bounce to the front. So I just got some junkyard springs from a G30 and problem solved.

[Gary]

Ok-cool,thanks for the post.