Hot Rods Lowering by cutting leaf springs?

I'm thinking about dropping the front end on a straight axle leaf spring sedan 1-2". The car only has three leafs in the stack, so removing one may be too drastic. I'm wondering if I cut off a few inches on the two lower leafs, it would accomplish what I'm going after here. Any thoughts? Its already a reverse eye leaf-pack and the shackle is a short as it can be, so that's not an option. Swapping the axle to the other side of the leaf pack is not going to work either...its just too tight.

 

How about some pictures first.

Something doesn't sound right because with 3 leafs it should be damn near flat already.

At settled ride height you should have about 2.5" between the bottom of the spring pack and top of the axle. If you think you can take 1-2" out of that it must be riding pretty high, much higher than 3 leaves with reversed eyes.

 

And unless the car is REALLY light, or the leafs are really heavy, three leafs sounds a bit weak. Too easy to bottom.

Mike

 

Is the motor in the car?

 

Ill try to get some pics up soon. Its a '31 Chevy sedan, so not your normal set up. The SBC is in the car and the spring pack is close to flat, slight arch. Car rides nicely now, no bottoming whatsoever. I just bought this car off my Dad and am kicking some plans and ideas around. Its got a bell super drop, I thinking the only thing to do here is go with more of drop in the axle.

31Vicky, I'm trying to envision what your describing here but not sure I get it.... my axle is under the spring pack..

 

I was speaking "ford"
Single transverse spring in a spring over configuration.

 

Really hard to get a Chev leaf setup riding low! How about Z-ing the frame rails? Just a thought...

 

Re-arch the spring packs, (higher) change the axle pads to the bottom, so the springs ride beneath the axle.
If the drop in the axle is too deep, the spring packs/U bolts may be below the scrub line, so do your calcs carefully.

 

Check my posts, 3 is too few leaves. I have rearched mine by separating the leaves and reshaping in my shop press. I'm running 6 leaves from a '39 Chev pickup reshapped. I also have a '64 429 Caddie engine which is slightly heavier than yours and have stepped the frame 5" and have a '52 pickup axle mounted above the spring. I have 3 1/2" between the top of the axle and the frame which is heaps.
I have used this setup on 3 different cars in the last 30 years. I think it rides better than a buggy spring

 

Can't you reverse the eyes of the springs?

 

You need to get a deeper drop axle. You are as low as springs will take you. A stock Chevy axle already has some drop, ( about 2"?) to get a Chevy low you need more of a drop than a Ford. Drop axles for your car should be in the 5"-6" range

 

OP says his car has a "Bell Super Drop" axle..........sounds like a Ford style front end setup on his Chevy.

To the OP: while I can understand your thinking, ironically, The shortened leaves will be stiffer, not softer. the unshortened leaf (leaves) will be less well supported and carry proportionately more of the weight. That may lower the front end a bit, but at the risk of degraded ride and possibly deforming and/or breaking that leaf.

 

Thanks guys. I just bought this car and was just starting to come up with some ideas for my options. All you guys have good suggestions and things for me to take into consideration. I have a dropped axle, which I was told was a Bell. I cant get a deeper dropped axle without having a scrubline issue. It has two parallel leafs (4 stack, non reversed, sorry for the misinformation) on top of the axle with about 3-4 inches of travel to the frame bumper.. I think I can get another inch of drop without getting into Zing or notching the frame. The car is essentially finished and has a nice paint job, so I didn't really want to blow it apart and start cutting it up. I found that posies has a '49-'52 ford pickup front leaf pack with the right measurements and one end is reversed eyed. That may be my only option to fool with for now.

 

Just be aware that the reverse eye ford springs may upset the caster and you will probably need to use a caster plate between the axle and spring. 1937 - 39 Chev front leaves have one end with a reverse eye.
The other option is get a couple new main leaves made up. Using the reverse eye only beings it down approx. 3/4". Keep your eye on the shrub line.

 

Pics From our hamb brother Kerry.

From your description it sounds like yours is opposite - 4 leafs on top of the axle.

Maybe you can get out of the box a little - put some arch back into the spring and then put the axle on top.



I really wish you'd post a picture of your set up. If A deeper drop will give you a scrub line issue how low is it now that you want it even lower.

 

Here is a picture, I just bought this car off my Dad...we have been working on it since I was a kid. Sold my Bel Air to fund this one, but we wanted to keep it in the family. It still has a bit of that 80-90's streetrod flair to it, Id like to give it a more traditional look. Im at work, but Ill try to snap some pics of the axle later. I did not consider the possibility of screwing up the caster...good point!