I believe a 9-leaf spring was standard in all but those equipped with the FE7 option. There may have been a difference in spring rates between small block and big block (don't know that for a fact), but according to every bit of information I've seen, the 7-leaf was the FE7 performance option and 9-leaf was standard suspension.

Just about every personal account I've seen of the FE7 option mentions that your teeth will loosen up after driving it for any length of time.

Gunslinger said: I believe a 9-leaf spring was standard in all but those equipped with the FE7 option. There may have been a difference in spring rates between small block and big block (don't know that for a fact), but according to every bit of information I've seen, the 7-leaf was the FE7 performance option and 9-leaf was standard suspension.

no fe7 option in 69... only f41..

are they functionally equivalent

I stand corrected...I think of them interchangeably. I believe they are functionally equivalent. The F41 is listed as "special front and rear suspension" while the FE7 is listed as "Gymkhana suspension".

While I believe they're functionally equivalent, there may be some differences in spring rates since the later cars are a bit heavier due to the impact bumpers.

Either way, they are stiff as all get out. On a rough road they actually handle worse due to the wheels not following the bumps, they skate over the tops of the bumps. On a smooth road they handle like they are glued down.

dont get me wrong .. I like the feel.. im just trying to verify if the car has the f41 option..

are there any other telltale signs other than a 7leaf

I've got the Edelbrock IAS shocks on my '73 and you'd have to fork over a big bunch of cash to get me to change them. Even the wife doesn't mind riding distances now. At $75 each they're a bit pricey, but worth it. That's my $0.02 worth but you might want to check out the article on page 62 of the October Corvette Fever. It explains the IAS shocks, what they do and why they do it.

With the composite spring you need to have shocks that match the spring rate. In speaking with VBP, they recommend Bilsteins as a match for their spring and they specifically mentioned Bilstein sports as the best match. I currently have the white KYB gas which were great for the steel but I am not happy with these on the composite. I plan to change the rears out sometime soon.

I have an 80 with factory Gymkahanna and the original Gymkahana spring in 80 was 9 leaf. This threw me for a curve ball when I was looking for a replacement since prior years were all 7 leaf.