81 Firebird with 96 Impala LT1 - What Coil springs to use

[Moonbaby]

Okay,

Background:
Friend of mine brought over an 1981 Firebird he just had an LT1 from a 1996 Impala SS dropped into it. He wanted me to give it a quick once over for safety concerns... I did and found all kinds of issues.. i am helping him fix all those but i have run into an issue i have thought about in probably 15 years...

Issue:
A 1981 Firebird with the factory front coil springs (5.0L coils) with an iron headed LT1 installed (carb'd)
Steering is heavy and it feels like the extra weight on the front end is messing up the general feel of the steering...

I figure is is probably because of the extra 200-300 lbs of weight on the front end. (everything else on the front end is already new)

The best solution I can think of is to put 96 impala SS springs on the 81 firebird...

Now the big question: will they fit? Are the front coil springs from the 1981 friebird the same diameter as impala springs?

I figure a couple of the gear heads around will probably know... and if you have a suggestion on which springs to buy i would be greatful as well (right now i am looking at stock 96 impala springs for about 90 for the pair)

[Smittro]

An all iron 305 and an all iron 350 weights are nearly the same with the same accessories.

sounds like a power steering pump issue or a rack issue, going on the age it could be both.

All iron small block chevys are the same blocks with minor differences in bore and so forth.