Technical Lowering the rear of a '32 Roadster the traditional way

I want to lower the rear of my '32 Roadster about 1 1/2"-2". Does anyone know if guys in the late 40's used longer shackles or had the rear main leaf reversed? Any other ideas?

 

Yep, re-arching (reversing the eyes) will gain nearly 1 1/2". How many leaves are in the spring? I think most guys run about 7-8 leaves. If yours has more....remove a few. These seem to be the easier first things to try.

 

I've heard reversing the eyes, longer shackles, and flattening the rear crossmember. All can get you lower, just depends how much you wanna go...

 

In the really old days, some guys took a torch to heat the spring ends right before the shackle...really dumb as it took out spring temper, but I have seen pictures of it, apparently some early magazines recommended it (though I never saw any)

As noted above, reverse spring eyes was probably the most common, most spring shops could do it...longer shackles also...I have had guys tell me how much fund that was in a high speed turn when the tires started rubbing the wheel wells!!

 

Yeah, the long shackles are fun when the tires turn into a corner and the chassis catches up a few seconds later. If you want squirrely, that'll do it.

 

I have not just seen or heard, I did it. 32 3w in 58 (still have it). Reversed eyes - turned spring over & re-arced, removed some leaves (adjusted for ride & suspension). Slightly longer shackles won't be a problem if you need it. Buy the way, you don't need a spring shop- sledge, chalk & garage floor & 6" block.


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Can I ask about model T springs? I have read about using those to lower an A- guessing because they are just rated for lesser weight? How much do they lower the car and is it recommended or reverse eye a better option?

Or does that just work for Model A, not '32???

 

Not a '32 but I reversed the eyes on my A spring (ft and rr) for My A framed T. Used my Harbor Freight tubing kinker and a chalk line on the garage floor.

 

Do a search here on the HAMB for reversing the arch of a spring using a homemade jig and a bottle jack. Do not use heat and don't use a sledge hammer. It's a very simple process. You can also buy the main leaf from a spring shop already reversed. Check with Posies or Eaton.

 

Called Eaton and Posies today. Eaton was $250 for a main leaf and Posies will only sell a whole spring pack for $450. I think I will try it myself with a bottle jack. Thanks for the help.

 

A local spring shop in your town could also do reversing for you. Or make just a new main leaf with reversed eyes. It would be less cost than the Eaton or Posies.

 

I've done a lot of stuff but I had never reversed a spring before. It was very easy to do. Made a gizmo for a bottle jack and it was quick. If I were to do it everyday I'd get an air over hydraulic jack though. Lol

 

Problem is the t spring is much wider than an A, so you would need a new main leaf. Might as well shed some leaves and reverse the main...
In not fortunate enough to know about the 32, but from what I have seen the T or A spring would essentially be quite the lift kit on one..

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A model T spring is actually slightly thinner than a Model A ( I have one in my Phaeton).

But neither would work since the rear suspensions are quite different between ModelA/T and '32 and up. The earlier cars have the spring OVER the rear end with a large arched spring to clear the banjo. The later cars have them BEHIND the axle and as such use a more normally arched spring on a different style crossmember.

Theoretically (and it has been done) you could simply swap in a Model A rear crossmember to run a spring-over-axle setup, and run whatever variation of Model A or T spring you wanted to achieve the ride height desired. The added benefit is lots of clearance for a quick change...


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I did it on a T rear spring once on a Model A. It was OK for most of a year of daily driving then broke. no catastrophe but not cool.

 

Just reverse the damn thing yourself. Or send it to me. Shipping cost will get it done. Sheesh.

 

It is easy to reverse it, shed a couple leaves for more drop and be done

 

I removed about 4 leaves and reversed the main leaf on my 5w. Did it myself in my shop press. No lowering shackles, no crossmember modifications.
Sam

 

I like the idea of flipping the stock spring, did the extra curve in a 32 spring make ot a little harder to rearch?

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To re-arch the '32, you deal with 4" at a time, from outer fulcrum to inner; bending between both. Move approx. 1.5", then bend again, noting bend amount each bend. At the center, you will cross over to the other side, leaving the center for last. A flat, gentle bend is all that's necessary for the center...adjust the press anvil to the 'front' of the leaf to equalize the final bend at the 'vee'.
Duck soup, really...once you start.
My young wife did mine, in my T roadster, tub, AND both fronts in my F100.

 

When I built my first av8 in 1959 an old timer who had been hot rodding old Fords since back in the 40's showed my how to reverse a main leaf using nothing more than a anvil and a BFH. Worked the back side of the main leaf with the hammer against the anvil back and forth until the spring had a reverse arch that match the pattern of the original arch drawn on the shop floor. Took about 15-20 minutes.

Frank

 

Agree with FAB32, quick & easy, no press needed. With chalk line floor reference you can de-arc as you reverse it. KISS principle.


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I just took a bit of arch out of a 32 spring, and removed a couple leaves, and got MORE THAN ENOUGH lowering. No need to reverse the main leaf. The axle is about three inches from the frame right now. If you reversed the main, you would probably only have an inch or two of travel. Time to C the frame.

 

Some years ago I had a ’40 Ford that had been hot-rodded in the ‘50s and had a de-arched spring in front and long shackles in back. It actually handled no worse than a stock ’40 Ford but there are better methods now, as others have suggested.

 

alchemy, which leaves did you remove? Also, how much arch did you take out? I want to keep it simple. I look at the pictures of the late 40's era '32 roadsters and wonder if they were lowered or stock.

 

"Back in the day"---We only used longer shackles & to get a bit lower---Removed some leaves starting from the top, about the third one down, then every other until satisfied with you results.

 

If you de-arch a spring, it gets longer when measured eye to eye in a straight line. This causes problems with Henry's design.

If you soften them up too much they get longer as they compress. This causes problems with Henry's design.

If you use longer shackles, this also causes problems with Henry's design.

Personally I wouldn't do any of those things to achieve a desired ride height that mostly appreciated while static.

The weight and load transfer thru the shackles @ 45* needs to remain in tension to keep the car stable. Without it the rear end can and will wag on long shackles. On a de arched (read longer) spring the eyes can and will contact the the hangers or perches. When this happens the suspension becomes solid.

 

This is SO easy. Reverse the main leaf (I used a press and it took less than 30 minutes, after drawing an outline on the floor). Then, remove 2 leaves. I removed the 3rd from the bottom and the 5th from the bottom. I also had to shorten the 1st leaf above the main one about 1/2 " on each end, so that the leaf doesn't interfere with the reversed main leaf
Dropped the rear approx 3", still have 3" of travel

 

I think I took at least a couple inches out of the arch, but I didn't measure it at the time. I also flattened the second leaf a little too. I don't remember which leaves I removed, but they were probably from the middle and top of the pack.

There was an article in RnC a couple years ago that showed how reversing the original main leaf will also make it "grow" wider. Look it up. Anybody who thinks that reversing without narrowing is the perfect solution is fooling themselves.

With my flattened spring I still don't have shackles that hang straight down. They may not be at 45 degrees, but they are very respectable. I don't go gran prix racing, so it does just fine for me.

 

It works for me. No handling problems at all. No wishy washy feeling at all. Stock Deuce spring just my home made shackles 4" c-c on the holes as I recall