by K-CAR_WAGON » Sun Jul 25, 2010 5:50 pm
Coil springs wear out over time, and the car tends to sag in the rear. The rear springs on my wagon were replaced once. Changing to a stiffer spring with affect the ride somewhat. In general, putting in stronger springs than the design will raise the car height. My 1983 parts book has alot of different number for rear springs (2dr & Convertible -standard, 2dr&Conv - Heavy duty, 4dr - standard, 4dr heavy duty, wagon - std, wagon -HD). In general Chrysler original parts match the springs to the car application weight and expected load. Aftermarket parts tend to list much fewer variations with a few original part numbers mapping to the same aftermarket number. The Chrysler book also lists a different part for the regular rear axle than for a car with a special heavy duty package. I am not sure what the difference is. I am not sure whether you need the heady duty axle to put in heavy duty springs. Maybe HD springs have a differnt bottom spring circumference? Or maybe it is something else that has nothing to do with the springs. A Chrysler dealer mechanic probably knows. Or a local shop that specializes in springs and suspension (non-chain store) could probably tell you and give you a recommendation.