How Low can I go?

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   On my American with the 4.0L I used 3/8" thick steel. The drawing that is floating around here gives you a 1 5/8" drop.  I spec'd it out and another member made them and drew up the drawing. So if using that "map" you will move your wheels out 3/8", but the sky is the limit. several people have made them much thicker to use late Model Mustang wheels.

I have 15X7" GM rally wheels with 4 1/2" backspacing and dual bolt pattern with OLD almost flat police caps on them. With this offset I still have good clearance to the trunion, however the American has the smaller trunnion; You'll want to be careful with wheel offset.  205/60R 15" tire.

They other thing I did; which I have caught heck about here, I bought Prothane bump stops the ones that have progressively larger rings and are about twice as tall as stock. Since you aren't changing the geometry (if you only use plates) the travel remains the same and you can stuff the wheel/tire package up into the wheel opening pretty far. The progressive bump stop, stops this from happening and still allows plenty of travel.

Oh, for springs I did not want to guess and wait for any settling. I bought a set of used Roque V-8 springs. Nice ride. plenty stiff enough to make it handle good.

This is as low as I want to go with the crappy roads we have right now. they actually tar'd and graveled OVER POTHOLES. The potholes are still there, but you can't see them with the fresh gravel.

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Wrambler Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Jul/02/2007 Location: West Virginia Status: Offline Points: 4199	Post Options Post Reply Quote Wrambler Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul/28/2014 at 8:37am
	On my American with the 4.0L I used 3/8" thick steel. The drawing that is floating around here gives you a 1 5/8" drop. I spec'd it out and another member made them and drew up the drawing. So if using that "map" you will move your wheels out 3/8", but the sky is the limit. several people have made them much thicker to use late Model Mustang wheels. I have 15X7" GM rally wheels with 4 1/2" backspacing and dual bolt pattern with OLD almost flat police caps on them. With this offset I still have good clearance to the trunion, however the American has the smaller trunnion; You'll want to be careful with wheel offset. 205/60R 15" tire. They other thing I did; which I have caught heck about here, I bought Prothane bump stops the ones that have progressively larger rings and are about twice as tall as stock. Since you aren't changing the geometry (if you only use plates) the travel remains the same and you can stuff the wheel/tire package up into the wheel opening pretty far. The progressive bump stop, stops this from happening and still allows plenty of travel. Oh, for springs I did not want to guess and wait for any settling. I bought a set of used Roque V-8 springs. Nice ride. plenty stiff enough to make it handle good. This is as low as I want to go with the crappy roads we have right now. they actually tar'd and graveled OVER POTHOLES. The potholes are still there, but you can't see them with the fresh gravel.
	Wrambler 69 AMC Rambler 4.0L, 5 speed 2015 Grand Cherokee Limited 2019 Chrysler 300

Kenosha62 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Apprentice Joined: Jan/24/2009 Location: Sacramento Status: Offline Points: 104	Post Options Post Reply Quote Kenosha62 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul/28/2014 at 10:49am
	Gee Wrambler, I figured we in Cali had a lock on all the crappy roads, you can actually feel the difference when you cross the state line Great info and thanks for the link to the custom spring folks.

RamblinMan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Sep/26/2007 Location: Port Charlotte Status: Offline Points: 1237	Post Options Post Reply Quote RamblinMan Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul/28/2014 at 11:37am
	The thing I worry about with 3/8" plates is that the bolts are 7/16". 7/16" bolts in 3/8" thick plate seems like a strength compromise. Since the plate is threaded in two of the holes, I like to have at LEAST the same thickness of thread as the diameter of the bolt. I'm comfortable with less for through-bolting material, because the nut gives you the strength. Just picking nits.
	The Right Reverend of Blessed Acceleration

uncljohn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Jan/03/2013 Location: Peoria AZ Status: Offline Points: 5394	Post Options Post Reply Quote uncljohn Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul/28/2014 at 12:42pm
	I have no experience in lowering something with trunions. But the bottom line with springs generally is by cutting coils, it is aprox. 3 inch per coil. Reading information on Trans Am efforts initially cutting coils was at least one method used to develop what has been referred to as the Trans Am rake. A couple of advantages of cutting coils? The price is right, they are already on the car. Doing so does not change the front end geometry as the wheel tracking distance does no change. Also, the act of cutting coils in addition to lowering the car automatically increases the spring tension so buying heavier springs is not a requirement. The only thing to remember at least on the ones with ball joints is cut them from the top, not the bottom and use a cut off tool, not a torch. Heat is death on springs. How far is good? That depends on the car, on a trunnion suspension you have to keep it functional. The problems with that to me are unknown, other than I know it has been done. On the later ball joint, I have inadvertently gone down 6 inches, and simply because the standard AMC front height is nose high and I think it looks lousy and as I was looking for the California rake being down was good and I liked the look. I had just gone too far and ran into steering linkage problems. There is a story as to why for everything , but installing springs pulled from a Concord that appeared to be OEM and removing about 2/3 of a coil brought things down about 2 inches, looks are good ride is OK and no side affects. I prefer the simplicity of cutting a coil I've put hundreds of thousands of miles on cars that way and see no reason to change my mind.
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