lowering rear of car w/o blocks (long)
- Thread starter latamud
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xoxbxfx said:From takin apart the origional spring to having the new one ready didnt take more than an hour. Dunno how long the overall time would have been...but it took somethin like 5 hours to take out the origional front leaf boltsI think I could do it again in less than 30 minutes. First try was a charm for me.
FIRST TRY !_!_!_!_!
I need more practice.
John
Opentracker said:
LOL..I was really lucky somoene posted before. I did the 2-3 leaf add on and it just happened to be where I wanted it to be.
Tim
I was inspired by this thread to do this mod on my kids' '65, when two sets of "one inch lowering" springs -- one set a 4-leaf "mid-eye" from Mustangs Plus, the other a 4-leaf 153# Eaton set from NPD -- gave it the 4x4 look.
I looked high and low for those U-bolt clamps like Opentracker has, and finally I gave up and made my own out of some bar stock:
Just a suggestion for those who have the same prob I did to find the U-bolt clamps. I heard after the fact that a spring shop will bend up the bolts for you, but if you've got the materials sitting around and you don't like to depend on a vendor for a one-off part -- in my experience a toss-up with a visit to the dentist -- you can make your own.
I looked high and low for those U-bolt clamps like Opentracker has, and finally I gave up and made my own out of some bar stock:
Just a suggestion for those who have the same prob I did to find the U-bolt clamps. I heard after the fact that a spring shop will bend up the bolts for you, but if you've got the materials sitting around and you don't like to depend on a vendor for a one-off part -- in my experience a toss-up with a visit to the dentist -- you can make your own.
180 Out said:I was inspired by this thread to do this mod on my kids' '65, when two sets of "one inch lowering" springs -- one set a 4-leaf "mid-eye" from Mustangs Plus, the other a 4-leaf 153# Eaton set from NPD -- gave it the 4x4 look.
I looked high and low for those U-bolt clamps like Opentracker has, and finally I gave up and made my own out of some bar stock:
Just a suggestion for those who have the same prob I did to find the U-bolt clamps. I heard after the fact that a spring shop will bend up the bolts for you, but if you've got the materials sitting around and you don't like to depend on a vendor for a one-off part -- in my experience a toss-up with a visit to the dentist -- you can make your own.
Just to let you know, napa autoparts can get you the spring clamps. Basically the exact same thing you built. They are about $5 each. I have 4 on the way, I will get you a part number (and whoever else will do the mod) I figure if you add in what it costs for grade 8 bolts and lock nuts and flat stock...its just a little more expensive to buy them and you dont have to mess with fabbin anything.
Ok, stupid question: If you have all the leafs in as described, there are 6 leaves and the ride height is like Latamuds? How is the ride quality? Can you have people in the back without rubbing?
Ok more than 1 stupid question...
Ok more than 1 stupid question...
You should not have any rubbing no matter how compressed the suspension is.
I like your question, though, because it seems to me that the auxiliary springs will subtract spring rate. When compression occurs, the force is pushing against the arch of the main leaf and all the leafs below it, but it is pushing in favor of the arch of the top auxiliary springs.
I can't tell if the 4-leaf Eaton 153 lb pack in my kids' '65 is softer with the auxiliary leaf than it was before, because I never ran the Eaton pack without the mod. Someone needs to do an A-B comparison. Measure pre-mod compression by having someone sit on the trunk opening (with the shocks out), then do the same thing with the mod. I'm guessing you'll get more compression with the mod.
I like your question, though, because it seems to me that the auxiliary springs will subtract spring rate. When compression occurs, the force is pushing against the arch of the main leaf and all the leafs below it, but it is pushing in favor of the arch of the top auxiliary springs.
I can't tell if the 4-leaf Eaton 153 lb pack in my kids' '65 is softer with the auxiliary leaf than it was before, because I never ran the Eaton pack without the mod. Someone needs to do an A-B comparison. Measure pre-mod compression by having someone sit on the trunk opening (with the shocks out), then do the same thing with the mod. I'm guessing you'll get more compression with the mod.
65mistress said:Ok, stupid question: If you have all the leafs in as described, there are 6 leaves and the ride height is like Latamuds? How is the ride quality? Can you have people in the back without rubbing?
Ok more than 1 stupid question...
Over a year old and still a good post.
hmm, good question. I built my car to handle, but I was also prepping it for driving it across the country last summer. If you look at the photos in this thread, my orange car and my yellow car are one in the same. With that said, the lowering of the orange car is with a new set of 5 leaf springs with a #2 and #3 installed, so actually it was 7 leafs in my case. That was how I drove it across the country, with about 300 extra pounds in the car, trunk, rear seat and my 110 lb passenger inluded. Every bump, dip, nook and cranny was felt though the rear end to the bump stops and the exhaust. When I hit my destination I emptied the car, by myself if I hit a small dip the tail pipes would still get sandwiched, BANG!. The pics of the yellow car as shown in this thread are of the set up described minus the smaller of the two added leafs. It raised the car about 1/2 inch and have not had a sngl bumpy incident, even with a passenger. Each setup will be different. The only real formula to this is try it, if its too low, remove a leaf from the top side(negative arch). If its too high, add another leaf to the top side(neg arch). Trial and error. Free mod, safer than 3" blocks.
Great thread! I am getting ready to rebuild my suspension ans would like to try this, but I am a bit of a visual person. I saw the pic that someone posted from MS Paint, but I need to see a real pic. I need to see how the new leafs on top are actually attatched to the original leafs...
They are held together with the bolt that goes through the middle of the springs. Take that bolt out and the springs come apart. Put back the springs you want, in the order you want and put the bolt back it. That's about it.
I had 4-leafs with 1" blocks in my car and had fantastic wheelhop.
Removed the blocks and wheelhop was a little better, but car sat too high.
Went to mid-eye Maier 160LB 5 leafs and wheelhop is gone, but I still think
the car sits too high. I'm not sure what to do b/c I track the car and it really does
work very well. I already hit speeds that really are too much for a 3 point belt
and no roll bar. But I'd like to lower it further for the right stance.
I'll try to post a pic:
Removed the blocks and wheelhop was a little better, but car sat too high.
Went to mid-eye Maier 160LB 5 leafs and wheelhop is gone, but I still think
the car sits too high. I'm not sure what to do b/c I track the car and it really does
work very well. I already hit speeds that really are too much for a 3 point belt
and no roll bar. But I'd like to lower it further for the right stance.
I'll try to post a pic:
Okay, so this is still a good post even after all of this time! Maybe one of you with more experience than myself will have an answer to this question. I am putting 15 x 7 wheels with 225/60 tires on my 66 V8 convertible. I regularly carry passengers and don't want wheel rub, but I don't want the car to look like a jacked up 4x4 either. I want a good stance. What springs (4 leaf, 4 1/2 leaf, 5 leaf) and eye position (standard, mid-eye or reverse eye) would all of you recommend so I can get it right the first time and NOT have to use lowering blocks?
hijacked thread lol
so you just remove some of the leaves until you get a ride height that works? Then clamp them back together? That sounds easier than it should be, and would make the spring rate softer. It;ll get you in the weeds, but it'll still be a soft spring
so you just remove some of the leaves until you get a ride height that works? Then clamp them back together? That sounds easier than it should be, and would make the spring rate softer. It;ll get you in the weeds, but it'll still be a soft spring
I've been trying something new with the leaf spring rear. Just for fun, I cut some off the back of each leaf on my new $100 car.
It's a 68 Ranchero and it sat way too high in the rear. I'm to busy to take it apart so I thought, why not cut some like we do on the front. It worked.
These photos are of our 65 Ranchero I just got done doing it too. It lowered the rear about 3/4" with no loss in ride quality or added noise.
I used a pry bar to separate the leafs and used a cut off wheel. Super easy and free. I'm sure it takes away some of the spring rate but that's OK with me.
I only cut the rear, I dont think cutting the front is a good idea.
I'll be doing this some more for sure. It saves a lot of time.
THis is how much I cut off. I cut a lot more off of my 68 Ranchero.
It's a 68 Ranchero and it sat way too high in the rear. I'm to busy to take it apart so I thought, why not cut some like we do on the front. It worked.
These photos are of our 65 Ranchero I just got done doing it too. It lowered the rear about 3/4" with no loss in ride quality or added noise.
I used a pry bar to separate the leafs and used a cut off wheel. Super easy and free. I'm sure it takes away some of the spring rate but that's OK with me.
I only cut the rear, I dont think cutting the front is a good idea.
I'll be doing this some more for sure. It saves a lot of time.
THis is how much I cut off. I cut a lot more off of my 68 Ranchero.
I think you just gave me something to do this weekend. I've had reverse-eye springs for years and they never settled, and they're stiff to the point that the rear axle hops on bumpy corners. I've just been too lazy and cheap to get a pair of 1" blocks to even out my ride height. Shouldn't the rubber sliders go back in, though?
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