Technical 1939 Ford too low in front. spring spacers question

I got the front of my '39 Ford coupe too low in front. i used a 4" dropped axle, Posies reversed eye spring, stock shackles. It has 4 1/2" between the grill and the ground.i had to use a 23" diameter front tire to clear the fender. My question is how to raise it about 2". I could get a spring with standard eyes and gain the 2"., Or can I install more spacers between the front axle and front crossme mber? It has 1" of spacers now.

 

Switch to a stock front spring, it should gain you the 2" you want
Actually I like 8" at the chin which makes it safe for driveways and parking face in toward curbs.
If you need more than the spring can provide use larger tires.
My lowering is just the posies low spring. Lick


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

X2 on a stock spring. The spring you have now is too flat anyway, no arc at all, how is the ride?

 

I agree with the stock spring, or you could add some arch to the spring you got. Spacers is just a bandaid, they will got you home but not to your destination and home again, if you catch my drift.

 

You can just add the stock main leave and that should raise the front end approx. 1 1/2". I can not tell from the picture but it appears there are no cotter pins thru the castle nuts, I went thru my entire care and install close to a dozen cotter pins or lock nuts where the previous builder "forgot" to install some sort of safety device!

 

Do Not I repete Do Not use spacers Bad Idea. Use spring to get up or down. I have personal experience with spacers and trust me, do not use them! Don in In.

 

Stock spring is the best way to go. What size tires are you using?

 

i'm curious as to why you need a 23" tire to clear . what wheels size/offset and how wide of an axle are you using? is that the narrow Poises spring to use with a Superbell axle?

 

get a leaf without the reversed eye--ubolts don't look right--not enough thread showing for cotter pins.

 

That's a good question about the axle. I am running a Magnum 4 in. dropped axle with Posie reverse eye spring and 15 in. early Ford 15 x 5 1/2 inch pick up rims with 5:60x15 tires and the wheels clear the fenders. The Magnum axle is 3/4 in. narrower than the stock axle. Brakes are 1939 Lincoln Bendix from MT Products. A 4 inch dropped axle alone will lower your front end 2 in. A reversed spring will lower it another inch.

 

Why is it too low? Clearance issues with the tire? Just curious. Could you post a pic of how the car sits?

 

That spring does not look to be the proper length! The shackles look like they are way below the 45 degree angle. I know it has the car weight on it, but it still does not look even close to correct. This would happen if the spring is de-arched, as it appears to be.

 

Make sure you have the right spring for the application, Posies makes one for split wishbone and one for stock.... stock spring is longer. If you have a stock length spring in a split bones car, it will sit too low..... ask DirtyDan, I think he had that issue on his '36.

I have the opposite problem running a Chassis Engineering spring. It drives great, but sits a couple inches too high for my liking, I was hoping it would settle some, but its only dropped about 1/4", so I'm going to de-arch it a little.

Based on my unscientific research, I believe that the posies springs are a little softer and give an overall lower ride height than the CE springs.

 

Thanks for all the help. It is a Lucky7 axle, 4" drop. I used the Speedway disc brake kit with the 4 1/2" bolt pattern. It is a 46" axle.33 1/2" spring perch distance.29" spring.a stock spring is to wide now. I think the speedway kit makes the front tread wider. I thought going with a 46" axle would give room for the tires too. The rims are 2004 Mustang 15" x8" rims, with a lot of offset . the outside of the wheel is abput 2" from the fender lip in the straight ahead position. Speedway has 2 different front disc brake kits for this axle. One makes the tread 2" wider than stock. I ordered the other kit(does not widen track), but think they sent me the widder one by mistake. Clear as mud? I just put more spacers between the frame and axle to see how much height it needed. I drove it 3 miles that way, and it is VERY soft sprung. So it is not enough spring in the first place. The wishbone is split. I am ready to go back to stock spring, stock axle and the hell with stance!I am thinking a non-reversed eye spring will get it where it now is only with no spacers between the axle and frame. thanks for reminding me about the cotter pins in the clamp. After i take something apart and back together so many times, I loose track of what I did or didn't do. Old age sucks!

 

Too low?,can you actually get too low?

What's the problem? HRP

 

Building a 33 coupe for my son and that is what he keeps saying, how can it every be too low!!!

I still think something is not correct with the spring, the shackle angles don't look right at all and nether does the arch, plus you say it is too soft on the ride. Measure for a non reversed eye spring. It should be fairly difficult to install the spring and require a spring spreader. The shackles should end up at a 45 degree angle. If you can take the spring in and out without a spreader it is defiantly the wrong width.

 

looking at the ubolts and the spring I only see 7 leaves-but no threads out of the nuts--is there spacers on top?? Shackles too vertical-spring looks to be about 1- 1 1/2" too long--and too flat too-get a non reversed eye spring shorter and with a few more leaves--mine have 9 leaves. Have never had/used a spreader but there is much tension to get them in and out. Be careful-have done many of these and every one has needed to be "adjusted" after initial install and being driven a little-have added leaves/removed leaves-etc. etc-mine has had the front spring out several times over the past 6-8 years.

 

Listen to the man that has built a bunch of 40's ^^^^^^^^ . HRP

 

Want your old axle back?
I tac welded a few brackets on it but it's not hurt.

 

It is NOT too low, same as several I have done like that.
It appears that the wheels are the problem.
Scrap the wide wheels for standard width.

 

tried calling Unlucky7 , no response yet.

It has about 1 1/2" spacers above the spring as it sits now. so if I take them out, it is very low.

 

olscrounger, thanks for the help. it is 34" between perches, so I believe use a 29" spring. It has a 30" spring now. I think speedway has them listed. Henry

 

You are referring to the eyes on the perches and not the holes through the axle for the 34 inches, correct?

 

Henry-
1. Do exactly what Tim (olscrounger) recommends, don't listen to anyone else
2. Quit buying Speedway crap, go to quality manufacturers like Chassis Engineering for the right parts
3. 8" wheels will never work in front.
4. Re read item 1 above and do exactly what Tim recommends!
Good luck!

 

x2 for listening to olscrounger.

 

I had a slight problem with ride height when my 40 was intially done.
I am running a magnum 4 inch dropped axle and a posie reverse eye main leaf repacked with the stock leafs and Firestone 16- 5.00/5.25 front tires. Had to run the Firestones so i could get steering clearance.

Running just the posie reversed eye spring as supplied from Posie's with the dropped axle made it, dare i say it too low and not functional.

 

what Johnale said is correct

 

I have a 4" dropped axle, a "regular" Posies spring and 205 X 15 X 70 front tires. It is roughly 24" from fender to the ground. Shackle angle seems about right and ride is OK.

 

I looked again...som ting wong! Spring too short.