Well, I should have noticed this much earlier, but I'm seeing an issue with the rear QA-1 shocks on my '71 Pro Touring Chevelle. They are installed using a pair of 1" Hotchkis lowering springs. When the suspension is allowed to hang freely (like when I'm working on the car while on a lift) and the shocks extend all the way, the rear coil springs are dangerously loose...so loose that they could easily pop out.

Thinking that perhaps I ordered the wrong set of shocks, I verified the part # from my invoice to the Jeg's catalog and indeed they are correct for GM A-body cars using the "T-bar" style top and eyelet bottom.

The car is using a brand new MOSER 12-bolt axle housing.

Here are some possible solutions bouncing around in my twisted mind:

1. Remove the shock T-bar mounts and have a machine shop add more threads to the piston. Then cut off the correct amount of the piston and re-mount the T-bar. This would effectively shorten the amount of shock travel.

2. Fabricate a lower mounting location on the axle.

3. Install a pair of limiting straps (nylon webbing with steel tabs at each end) to limit the amount of shock extension when the suspension is unloaded.

So, until I solve this quandry the car cannot be driven due to the safety issue of retaining the coil springs. Is the Moser axle perhaps the issue? Maybe the mounting location for the shocks is somehow too high? In any event, if someone out there has some input that I haven't thought of, let me know.

Thanks guys & gals!

On my race car I have the same deal, using shorter springs when jacking the spring can come out (when we are changing a tire we dont want to have to lift the car up real high), or when we are racing and have contact and catch some air, we could lose a spring.

What I have done is welded some tips of some hood pins (the last inch or so that still has the hole in it) to the frame where I can use the pin to retain the loop from a 1/8" steel coated cable that wraps around the axle housing. To remove a spring you just have to pull the pin before jacking.

I solved my issues by buying a pair of Camaro QA-1 shocks, which have a 2" shorter travel. Now the springs are completely retained when the suspension is hanging down all the way. I swapped "tops" from the Chevelle shocks onto the Camaro shocks. Worked perfectly!

I have the same issue with my Hotchkis springs in the rear. But they won't come out without lifting them slightly (which is simple to do when the rear is hanging freely). Been running the car in this state for 2.5 yrs and zero problems. Unless you're jumping your car Dukes of Hazzard style, it's unlikely the rear will be unloaded enough for the springs to "jump" out. I've driven my car through some crazy driveways where one wheel is tucked deep in the wheel well and the other side looks like a 4x4. Again, no problems.

Looks like you solved your concern though.

Thanks for your input here Alan. Sounds like you have a similar situation...I can tell you though, before the shock swap...if I compressed the springs with my hands they would have EASILY popped out of the top perch. There is a huge comfort level now that they're secured at full shock travel. Thanks again!