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Originally Posted by 67 Camino
Factory front GM A body springs range from 15 to 18 inches free height. You don't want more than about 500 psi for a street car or it will be too stiff.
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Just for the sake of clarification: spring rate is in lbs/inch, not psi.
Also, 500 lb/in is actually pretty darn soft on these cars. I was running 550 lb/in on my small block which was *too* soft. I'm now running 625 lb/in springs, and they're still too soft; I'm going to step up to 750 or 800 lb/in and see how they feel. The ride with the 625 lb/in springs is firm but not jarring, but they're still too soft and the car "porpoises" a bit on fast right/left transitions. If you aren't abusing the car in the corners they're just fine, and probably a little bit firm by many people's definition, but they certainly do not provide a harsh ride. Pairing them with decent shocks is also very important, a lot of cheaper shocks out there don't have adequate rebound control.
If you're just going to cruise the car with some occasional spirited turns and want good smooth road manners, I would suggest running about 500-550 lb/in springs for a SB car. I can't comment on good spring rates for a BB car. Rear spring rates between 150-175 lb/in are where the A-bodies seem to function best.
Also, an easy way to lower the car and also be able to adjust your height WITHOUT cutting coils is to hit up a circle track supplier and buy Afco spring jacks that sit up in the frame and then use Afco springs. You can get the springs in a wide variety of rates (cheaply, too) and then adjust the height via the springjacks.
Troy