Stock model A frame Reverse eye new spring from Matt here on the forum. Stock banjo rear end 750 16 tires Seems a little stiff and high with all the leafs. Tires are tall anyway. Fordor body going on it without fenders, banger engine. Hard to decide what to do without all the weight of everything on the frame. I would like to get it close, so I don't have to pull it after the body is installed. If I pull a couple leafs, I assume I need to build up the bottom clamps the same thickness as the springs I take out? Otherwise the brackets will hit the frame and not tighten up on the springs. What is the normal mod here for this?
There are different clip bars for the U bolts .Roadster springs have fewer leaves ,7 I think as opposed to pickups and sedans which have about 10. The plates for coupes and roadsters are taller and fit up inside the rear crossmember to clamp the spring. If you remove more leaves (for a lighter car still), the rejected leaves can be shortened to make spacers which can be fitted above or below the working leaves to adjust ride height. https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/rear-spring-clip-bars
What 97 said. If you remove leaves take from the top of stack not in between such as every other one. I bent a main leaf by taking out leaf above it. Posies told me that the spring should look like a stair step. It is not likely that you will get it right the first time, especially with no load. You could start with 7 leaves like a roadster. John
You could ask "Matt" When you were at this beginning stage, Did decide something like - I want to come down X inches ? Did you measure anything at this stage to give reference at your current stage? Do you have reference to dimensionally compare this To your current height?
Matt said "7:50-16s are super tall and will make a bare frame appear to sit high. Once you get the body on there the spring will settle. If you still have your rear fenders you can mock one up to give you an idea of your actual drop and ride height too " Not disputing Matt at all, just have 10 different opinions from 10 different people. Seems after all these that have been built over the years there might be some sort of a recipe, other than try it and see, then take or add more leafs. Pulling the rear end even a couple times is a pain in the ass, especially with the body and all the weight on. If you look at Matt's thread for selling his rear spring, he has picks of a roadster before and after, using his stock spring. The stance looks nice. Then there is a couple more pics of another ride with 3 leafs removed. Thanks for all the input and I am just trying to learn all I can while doing this. Its my first build. 31Vickey, Yes, I have my measurements at the stage of my pics you posted. I will go double check what I have now and post. I don't want to be on the ground, but don't want the ass up in the air. Front now looks great.
Why not post a pic of something along the lines of where you'd like to end up as far as ride height. There's a bunch of targets, and there's a recipe for each one. Model A frames ride high, most require a minimum Z in the rear to get a both visually pleasing ride height and adequate suspension travel. Also if we need to see other pics from another thread post those up or at least a link.
31 Vicky---where did you get those shock mnts.? i need to move my shock inboard on the bottom because I'm at a severe angle now.
Not mine, grabbed a pic off the net for the rear frame step. Those shock mounts look fabricated to me.
Just measured Rear was 26" frame to ground, now 22" Front was 17.5, now 14.5 I am leaving it alone for now. Heavy wood body. I am thinking too hard on this. Keeping this somewhat of a old build,
Sight the bottom of the frame rail rearward across where the top of the axle would be. Does that look like there's about 3" or so between those points?
Yes, same tires before and after. The pic 31Vickey posted above is mine before I stripped the old frame.
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