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lowering front of a spirit

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70amxvegas View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 70amxvegas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: lowering front of a spirit
    Posted: Feb/14/2020 at 11:41am
Looking thru these posts, I do not see why you would not have the same issues by putting shorter (6 cly) non cut springs it will do the same thing ? I pulled my springs out of my 70 and they were cut and 13 inchs tall. The so called stock springs from ESPO were 14.5 inchs tall and my car of course rides high. I plan someday to cut half a coil and drop it a inch or so.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote amcfool1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov/23/2019 at 1:08pm
hi, well, it's a done deal. Took 1 coil out of 82 EAGLE springs, and put them in my 79 Spirit. Drop is about 1 5/8" , a little more than I wanted, but, I have to admit, the car LOOKS better, about 50mph faster just standing still:). While there, we also installed a set of Opentracker Racing's ball bearing spring perches. (The 1979 original bushings were crumbling into rubber dust.) Took it for a good ride today, no noises, no issues, and the front rode smoother and quieter. (btw, car has  KYB shocks all around). So, for now, I guess it's all good. Again, this is a sunny Sunday car, not a DD, so we will have to wait and see if there are any long term ill effects. Just have to pay attention to curb heights now! Also have to get over the feeling of constantly driving downhill!:)
Thank you again gentlemen!
gz
george z
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Red Devil Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/05/2019 at 12:28pm
Originally posted by PROSTOCKTOM PROSTOCKTOM wrote:

Originally posted by Red Devil Red Devil wrote:


2) make lowering plates with caliper bracket mounts integrated into the plate so track width doesn't increase.  
How you are going to accomplish this?The actual spindle shaft bolts onto the spindle assembly with 4 bolts. The reason you can lower (or raise) the car is by bolting the lowering plate where the spindle shaft once bolted on and then bolting the spindle shaft on the outside of the plate in another location higher up. It is impossible to do it without increasing the track width the thickness of the plates used.Tom


The caliper bracket bolts to a spacer that is sandwiched between the spindle and steering knuckle.   If the drop plate had the mounting holes added for the caliper bracket, then you don't need to sandwich an additional plate.   Someone had posted one they made, IIRC, for KH calipers?  Required c'sunk holes for a couple of the bolts to clear.

Edit: Found picture, but sorry, don't remember who made them to give credit?



Hope this helps,RD

Edited by Red Devil - Jun/05/2019 at 12:36pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote PROSTOCKTOM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/05/2019 at 12:24pm
Originally posted by amcfool1 amcfool1 wrote:

1) get new rear leafs with a slightly higher arch - Con-expensive

There is also option #5 that no one has mentioned.  You could have the rear springs re-arched.
I took a 64 Fairlane to the spring shop here in town and had them re-arch them. The guy asked me how much higher I wanted the car to ride and I told him 2" when I go to pick it up the car is sitting a lot higher than 2". He tells me me to go drive it and if in a week it hasn't settled down to the 2" lift I wanted to bring it back and he'll redo them. About 4 days later that car settled down to an exact 2" lift and never changed a bit in the next 10 years with a good running 408 Windsor working them. Cheaper than buying springs and you can get them adjusted with ease.

Tom
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote PROSTOCKTOM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/05/2019 at 12:17pm
Originally posted by Red Devil Red Devil wrote:

2) make lowering plates with caliper bracket mounts integrated into the plate so track width doesn't increase.  
How you are going to accomplish this?

The actual spindle shaft bolts onto the spindle assembly with 4 bolts. The reason you can lower (or raise) the car is by bolting the lowering plate where the spindle shaft once bolted on and then bolting the spindle shaft on the outside of the plate in another location higher up. It is impossible to do it without increasing the track width the thickness of the plates used.

Tom
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Red Devil Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/05/2019 at 11:22am
2) make lowering plates with caliper bracket mounts integrated into the plate so track width doesn't increase.  If going to the effort, maybe design for a better caliper (... not a fan of the later Bendix slide calipers).
4) measure current geometry.  Without measuring, how do we know the lower control arm is at optimal height and cutting 1/2 coil will cause issues? 

If you are lowering the car, generally you should have higher rate springs and suitable dampers to reduce suspension travel; otherwise, more chance of bottoming out and hitting e.g. speed bumps with exhaust - especially if you have headers.   Need to consider the suspension system - not just one part of it.  Adjustable coil-overs might be a consideration ... but maybe out of your budget.   IIRC, the Control Freak front coil over setup has much higher spring rate than stock for better handling, but the adjustable dampers allow tuning so the ride isn't too harsh.
 
Hope this helps, RD.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/04/2019 at 10:52pm
you could 'cheaply'/experimentally use clamps to lower, and see if it does what you want. if it does, THEN chop half a turn. if not, pop 'em out and no real damage done.

something like that.

1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5
http://www.ramblerLore.com

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amcfool1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/04/2019 at 6:26am
thank you, gentlemen, the goal is to just slightly level out the car, not go racing. Parsing all of the above, I see 4 options, best to worst...
1) get new rear leafs with a slightly higher arch - Con-expensive
2) fab up some drop plates - Con- have 1" wider front track
3) install 4 cyl front springs -Con- hard to find, not correct.
4) cut front coils 1/2 OR 1 coil -Con- improper suspension geometry

The car will be a weekend cruiser, not a DD or autocrosser, so a stock type ride is what I'm after.
After cleaning my spare coils, and a bit of headscratching, I have a hard time seeing how cutting just 1/2 a coil could alter things THAT much, Its really not that big an alteration. But we will see.
Thanks again, gz
george z
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/04/2019 at 12:32am
that's funny cuz it's true! lol


i think there's mixed motives/goals in this thread. talk of lowering mixed in with talk of handling improvements.

lowering (or raising) an inch by cutting/clamping springs achieves the goal of lowering the car. it may add stress to all of the components, but maybe not enough to worry about. if you're after a lowered look then it's good enough.

but improving handling over stock is a different story. i can't imagine a single professional chassis tuner not saying: bring the car up to solid, like-new stock condition and tune from there, methodically, one thing at a time.

40 year old parts are worn parts. all springs under load sag. rubber bushings go bad even in low-miles cars. the rubber might not be popping out but i doubt it's concentric under constant load, and it's brittle and not compliant like new. 30, 40 year old "new" suspension parts the rubber is bad. 

i'd just be clear on what you want to do. i was very happy with my raised '63 Classic wagon. it rode fine, in that soft boaty-way a lot of that era did. and if the parts didn't last as long, well, i had no other 63 classic wagon to compare it to and it never failed me. i didn't autocross it, but i drove (slowly) on a lot of mild jeep trails and hundreds of thousands of highway miles. 

just be clear on what you're expecting (or be willing to enjoy your experiments. i did!)



Edited by tomj - Jun/04/2019 at 12:39am
1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5
http://www.ramblerLore.com

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/02/2019 at 11:55am
LOL - everyone is walking all around my points and questions save for tomj
Clamping coils is not different than cutting them in my questions/concerns. It STILL changes drastically the camber changes when driving, and still tips the top of the shock to the inside hard. 
My 73 had broken front springs - the effect was lowing the car. Guess what - it snapped one shock off and the other was totally worn out - the piston had a quarter worn off one side and it was no longer functioning. The springs were broken in a way that was the same effect as cutting half a coil off. Camber was bad, tires were worn just the same as if the camber and toe were both off (which of course they were - DUH - car was lowered)

The issue with my 68 was wheel hop on acceleration - autocross was fine as far as braking and steering/cornering. A couple of guys broke things trying to catch me. That car was LIGHT.
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