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Rear springs (QA1)

4K views 22 replies 6 participants last post by  madamorr 
#1 ·
Anyone know what qa1 coil overs fit the rear ended if a 95. Also is it a direct bolt on or requires modifications?
 
#2 ·
The rear suspension of these cars is a coil AND shock absorber system with separate mounting points.

A coil over is a strut system with the coil and shock absorber forming one component using the same mounting point.
You would have to fabricate a new mount that can handle all the weight and stresses on each rear wheel.


I am not sure why you want to re-engineer the rear suspension but I urge you to read the suspension stickies and then come back with some information as to what you want your suspension to do. Some people want a soft ride some race. Mine is to give good handling and prevent damage the bad roads can cause.
 
#3 ·
I understand that but I’ve came across some pictures where advertise the qa1 coilovers. So I was asking for opinions. A shop out of Texas claims there’s no modifications needed and says I can buy the parts directly from them. But then I realized there is a few different coilovers the company makes for my car.
 
#8 ·
Contact Josh at Three Pedals. He can advise you on the best route for your Impala. He is a vendor for QA1.

Michael
 
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#12 ·
You might want to consider their terms and conditions.


https://www.qa1.net/terms-conditions


THE BUYER UNDERSTANDS AND EXPRESSLY RECOGNIZES that racing parts, specialized street rod equipment, rod end bearings, and ALL parts and services sold by QA1 are exposed to many and varied conditions due to the manner in which they are installed and used. BUYER ACKNOWLEDGES that QA1 does not have full knowledge of the intended use of the goods, and BUYER WILL DEFEND AND INDEMIFY QA1 upon demand against all claims, actions, liability, loss and expense (including investigating expense and attorney fees incurred in litigation or because of threatened litigation) for any loss, damage or injury, either to a person or to property, resulting from the direct or indirect use of any QA1 products or inability by the buyer to determine proper use or application of QA1 products. With the exception of the limited liability warranty set forth above, QA1 SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIMS, DEMANDS, INJURIES, DAMAGES, ACTIONS, OR CAUSES OF ACTION WHATSOEVER TO BUYER ARISING OUT OF OR CONNECTED WITH THE USE OF ANY QA1 PRODUCTS. MOTORSPORTS ARE DANGEROUS; AS SUCH, NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION IS MADE AS TO THE PRODUCT'S ABILITY TO PROTECT THE USER FROM INJURY OR DEATH. THE USER ASSUMES THAT RISK.


Could not find one place on the site that said any part is "street legal " or for "road use" Just talk about "street rods" parts. As usual "buyer be ware" Some companies do not stand behind their products, some expect you to protect them if they have legal issues.
 
#13 ·
I've found that to be pretty typical for anything safety related such as suspension components, brake upgrades, dampers, etc. In my opinion it's a similar situation when buying F.L.A.P.S. C.R.A.P. When it fails they'll gladly replace it but if your "globally sourced" tie rod breaks and you careen into oncoming traffic causing an accident, I don't expect much/any support from them either in terms of liability either. I'll take my chances with a domestic part from a small company than a global sourced part from who knows where which is primarily run by accountants. Just my thoughts/opinion on the matter...
 
#14 ·
Spring rate is a minor variable in ride quality (along with tires/pressures) - damper settings are the major variable.
Fix Until Broke


I will leave this to the experts but will give you two practical examples:


NASCAR makes "spring adjustments", they use wedges in the springs, and make track bar adjustments during a race. There is no mention of dialing in the shocks during a race.


I was researching a car a couple of days ago and found the shock adsorber was common to several very different cars. IE four door car and several different two door sports cars. The springs for each car was very different.
 
#19 ·
Fix Until Broke

I will leave this to the experts but will give you two practical examples:

NASCAR makes "spring adjustments", they use wedges in the springs, and make track bar adjustments during a race. There is no mention of dialing in the shocks during a race.

I was researching a car a couple of days ago and found the shock adsorber was common to several very different cars. IE four door car and several different two door sports cars. The springs for each car was very different.

Some clarifications. They do not use 'wedges'. They put wedge into the car. Meaning they dial a coilover up or down to put more force on a particular corner to compensate if the car is loose or pushing. This is a before and during race adjustment. They did however also dial in the shocks too, just not during a race as the track itself hasn't changed (bumps/dips, etc.) And it's more for the stiffness of the spring used that isn't being swapped out during a race.


Shock absorber, if referring to the QA1 shock, very true. But it's adjustable. If you look our the replacement shocks for caprice, other than the 1516/1517 bilstein, they also are just as common on many different cars.


If the car is something more than a daily driver, the coilovers certainly have their place.
 
#16 ·
You dial in your ride height and then are stuck with the spring rate at that point even if it is to soft or too hard. Do I have this right?
Z09B4U





May be I did not express myself well, Other forums have complained that the QA1 "recommended" spring rates are not to the taste of the buyers. Then in some cases there are not any other choices they would like.



The kit the OP linked to has 250 (medium) springs. IF this means 250Lb/in this is on the stiff end of the scale for b bodys. I could not find the soft or hard springs. My point was that QA1 may not have a good spring choice for our cars.
 
#17 ·
Ah, misunderstood what you were saying-asking.

While my B body does not have coil overs , every car here in the shop does. Bins and bins of springs for some of the cars in 10 lb increments.

Now, if I was just smart enough to pick the right ones :)

Are QA1s the hot ticket, right choice for an Impala ? No clue
 
#20 ·
Found the spring choices 200. 250. 300.

In their pdf they explain spring rate but do not use the units in their charts.

in the chart below the range is 18 27 37(wagon) which is 105, 155, 210Lb/inch


Moog suggests 173Lb/inch

Moog doesn't suggest a 173 lbs/in spring. They have a 173 lbs/in spring with a free length that when installed in a caprice provides close enough ride height and stiffness. They also offer a 133 lbs/in spring for the softer FE1 suspension cars. Both springs fit many applications just like shocks. A very abbreviated list: I myself am running the 199lbs/in rear springs with a stock rear sway bar. Prior it was the stock SS spring with a 1 1/2" sway bar. Handling's been about equal. The stiffer springs ride firmer, but handling is also crisper.



 
#21 · (Edited)
Moog doesn't suggest a 173 lbs/in spring. They have a 173 lbs/in spring with a free length that when installed in a caprice provides close enough ride height and stiffness.
91ss


Actually they do:


https://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/products/chevrolet_caprice_1995


Moog does recommend the 5419 173Lb/inch for "heavy duty sedans"


Since the OP did not quote any previous threads on QA1 I will cherry pick some.


This one is about their adjustable shocks:


https://www.impalassforum.com/vBull...anyone-use-qa1-tc1661p-their-rear-shocks.html


I USED to have them,
AutocroSSer
+1 I wasn't impressed when a $140 shock wouldn't last more than a few months before it'd start blowing out of of the top of them.
Buffman
Well +2 on "I used to have them"
AllenIDOXLR8
+3 on I used to have them. They don't hold up well if you use them in the Winter and the warranty did not cover them.
Erik


Here is some discussion about the front coil overs.


https://www.impalassforum.com/vBulletin/17-suspension/1302689-coil-over-shocks.html



https://www.impalassforum.com/vBulletin/17-suspension/240269-bolt-coilovers.html


I wouldn't recommend coilovers on our cars. The lower shock mount area on the A-arm is designed to take the shock absorber load, but not the combined dynamic corner loads of the shock and spring combined.
The Bolt-On Terror


I read where someone tried the coilovers and they will rip the screws out of the lower arm. Unless you can reinforce the attachment point and mount them from the top side with a through bolt, I would not use them.
Fred Kiehl

You don't want coilovers in front that are "bolt on". Time to head under your car and see how THIN that sheetmetal is where your shocks bolt to the lower control arm.Imagine that dime-thin metal and 2 bolts trying to hold the car up at rest (remember, 1200 lbs PER SIDE).Now imagine you actually wanna drive the car.Any questions?
Or do you want me to put you in contact with a ROD member who found out the hard way what happens when it fails on the freeway
AutocroSSer


i have seen the qa1 setup on a few different cars now,and they havent had issues. Looking at the design,i would be a little hesitant to run them myself.
juicedimpss




To recap for everyone I question the warranty, I do not like the mounts, there are only three spring choices(firm, hard, and brick) Without doing the research for today's market I would guess coils and a adjustable shock could be purchased for less than the QA1 kit. If the coil was wrong there would be many more options open to get the correct spring rate.
Getting the ride height that one wants requires some work but the choice of spring rate is important.

Bins and bins of springs for some of the cars in 10 lb increments.
Now, if I was just smart enough to pick the right ones :)
95Wagon
 
#22 ·
91ss

Actually they do:

https://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/products/chevrolet_caprice_1995

Moog does recommend the 5419 173Lb/inch for "heavy duty sedans"
What I was saying is they didn't have engineers working to figure out that 173lbs/in is the correct rate for the car. They just found an off the shelf spring they make with close enough values for stiffness and height to work. So that's what they recommend. The spring existed way before the 91-96 caprices came out. If interested, it would have a 0.1 inch higher ride height than a stock TRJ spring typically used in the heavy duty suspension. But would be .3-.7" lower than the RK and RX spring in the chart respectively.


All the links you point to are true. But anyone expecting factory reliability and longevity would be mistaken. These are purpose built dampeners not meant to replace a factory setup in a normal usage car. Just as inappropriate as picking solid or spherical ends for control arms for a street car. Racing applications with limited 'weekend' usage at best is a different story.


A very common mistake is that 'race car' parts are better than stock. It all depends on it's use. Everything is a compromise.
 
#23 ·
For the OP, I like the tru-coil rear springs from Speedway motors. They have a stock height 175lb/inch rear spring.


I am running the 200lbs/inch and like them.

Michael
 
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