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Technical Front Lowering Kits for '50 Ford

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Kelly Burns, Jul 13, 2020.

  1. Kelly Burns
    Joined: May 22, 2009
    Posts: 1,440

    Kelly Burns
    Member

    As I’m about to embark on lowering our ’50 Ford, I was doing some recon work, I’m going to fab my own front blocks, and maybe my own rears, I was looking at the front lowering kit that Butch’s Cool Stuff sells. I noticed the kit only comes in a 2” drop for several makes, but a 2-1/2” for ’39-’48 Chevy’s. Is there a reason for only offering 2” ones? Is it because it’s an average drop and no justification for investing in casting other sizes or is there a greater reason? When I order my material (bar stock) I can get other sizes just as easily as I can 2”.
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2020
  2. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    If you take a look at your lower 'A' arms, when 'dropping' the lower coil pan 2" below the 'A' arm frame, this part of your suspension becomes the lowest part of the car.
    Any more than 2" approaches collision with uneven road surface, aka 'Ride Height', or 'ground clearance'. (this is legally referred to as 'Scrub Line')
    Dropped spindles will result in similar quotient.
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2020
  3. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,670

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member

    IIRC, Aerostar springs will drop your Shoebox 2.5-3", so that's an option if you're rebuilding the front end (or do both if you really want it slammed). Do a search, there's been some threads on the subject with good info.
     
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  4. Kelly Burns
    Joined: May 22, 2009
    Posts: 1,440

    Kelly Burns
    Member

    @Atwater Mike, thanks. I've yet to crawl under it and look, plans are to tonight. That makes perfect sense, my mind never went to the scrub line.
     
    Atwater Mike likes this.

  5. Kelly Burns
    Joined: May 22, 2009
    Posts: 1,440

    Kelly Burns
    Member

    @Hot Rods Ta Hell, I'm hoping for a 3"-4" drop, I'm planing doing some spring work, I was just hoping to grab as much as I could with the spacers, but now I see I'm getting 2"!
     
  6. lowrd
    Joined: Oct 9, 2007
    Posts: 405

    lowrd
    Member

    I've never dealt with them, but I think JAMCO has some pieces you might want to look at too.
     
  7. An issue to keep in mind. When you space the spring bucket down your moving the upper A-Arm up the same amount. This causes the Top of the Spindle Support to tilt inboard. The further up you go with spacers the further in things move. Now at some point the Spindle Support needs to come back outboard to get the King Pin some where close to where it lived in stock form. You accomplish that with a Torch however you can't change the new swing arc of upper A Arm to Spindle Support. The more you increase this arc the crazzier the action at the Big Round Thing in your hands is as you travel over bumps and rises of the road. Yep, you can get used to it if you pay attention.
     
  8. Kelly Burns
    Joined: May 22, 2009
    Posts: 1,440

    Kelly Burns
    Member

    Just got off the phone with Shoebox Central, they are strongly against the use of the lowering blocks.
     
    guthriesmith and warhorseracing like this.
  9. No doubt about that. So what did they recommend?
     
  10. flatheadpete
    Joined: Oct 29, 2003
    Posts: 10,478

    flatheadpete
    Member
    from Burton, MI

    I'm saving my pennies for Shoebox Central's front drop kit. Spindles (uprights), and their camber correction pieces for the upper a-arms. I have a new-in-box set of Moog Aerostar springs that'll go in, too. Right now I have cut Aerostar coils and it rides like crap but sits great!
     
  11. Kelly Burns
    Joined: May 22, 2009
    Posts: 1,440

    Kelly Burns
    Member

  12. If you lower the rear much more than 2" you will have to deflate the tires to put them on or take them off. Plan to carry a floor jack and a compressor with you in case you have a flat.
     
  13. There is an option. Narrow your rear Axle 2" per side and run a deep reversed wheel. Tire and wheel nearly fall's out of the wheel house.
    nikki.jpg
     
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  14. flatheadpete
    Joined: Oct 29, 2003
    Posts: 10,478

    flatheadpete
    Member
    from Burton, MI

    unnamed.jpg
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jul 15, 2020
    Kelly Burns likes this.
  15. Kelly Burns
    Joined: May 22, 2009
    Posts: 1,440

    Kelly Burns
    Member

    As far as spacers go, not using any at all. As far as lowering the car, using his 2" dropped kit. A totally respectable suggestion.
     
    Pist-n-Broke likes this.
  16. Resized_20200529_142739.jpeg
    Aerostar front coils & 3" lowering blocks rear.
    I have 14" rims on now, have 15" rims that will eventually be used.
     
    flatheadpete likes this.
  17. I installed 1" lowering spacers in my 51', ended up removing them, the lower A-arm was setting just to low. But I also had cut Granada coil springs which made it even lower. I ended up with just the cut coil springs, it dropped it a lot, I was happy with it so I left it! I cut 2 rounds out of the Granada springs.
     
  18. tim troutman
    Joined: Aug 6, 2012
    Posts: 844

    tim troutman
    Member

    25 years ago I have put the butches style blocks in a 50 ford with results I felt were good . Not long ago I made some blocks for my 55 bird. started with 2 inch material when I set the car on the ground way to low. front tire were kicked in hard at the top looked like it dropped the car about four inches .I tried to cut them in half with a band saw. they were not super straight had a buddy mill them down strait. ended with about 3/4 inch. I do not know how but it seems it lowered the car close to 2 inches. took it to get aligned didn't need anything 0715202023.jpg
     
  19. Kelly Burns
    Joined: May 22, 2009
    Posts: 1,440

    Kelly Burns
    Member

    Its interesting you say that, I read somewhere in another post yesterday, maybe by @Pist-n-Broke , that the measured height at the fender was greater that the spacer height. I posted a reply as to what I have done so far in the link below, and its a pretty good thread, not necessarily my post. I'm using 1" x 1/4"w square tubing to fab my spacers.

    https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/lower-a-1950-ford.49132/page-2
     
  20. Village Idiots 032.jpg I used Aerostar springs on the one I had. Sat perfect and rode great. It had bags on it when I got it, but, not a fan of bags. Then I used Chevy S10 springs, cut two coils, but it was too stiff. So I went with the Aerostar springs. Easy install, no cutting no modifying, besides shorter shocks.
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2020
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  21. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,670

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member

    The net vehicle drop will be more than the front spacer height. 1" lower control blocks will actually net you about 2" drop. The reason why is because the blocks are lowering the coil spring pocket, effectively 'decompressing' the coil springs. Once the spacers are installed and the weight of the car is back on the suspension, the coil springs will be less compressed, pose less resistance and effectively lower the car. The plus is that the ride will be better than cut coils.

    The " 2 inch drop" spacer kit is not actually comprised of 2" thick spacers, as it would be with 2" rear leaf blocks or 2" dropped spindles (spindle built 2" higher than stock).
     
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  22. Crayons
    Joined: May 31, 2019
    Posts: 122

    Crayons
    Member

    I made 1" spacers between my lower "A" arm and spring perch along with cut coils on my 54 Merc. Had 5/8" clearance between lower "A"arm and frame. Drove to Paso Robles (2000 miles round trip ) banging on nearly every crack in the road ! Got home, ripped out the lowering blocks and replaced springs with Arostar ones. ...haven't looked back.
     
  23. Kelly Burns
    Joined: May 22, 2009
    Posts: 1,440

    Kelly Burns
    Member

    @Hot Rods Ta Hell thanks for the information/knowledge! With that and my guestimate, I will be lowering it in the 4" to 5" range, which I feel our car sits high to begin with, so I may have it right where we want it. "If" I have to get new springs for the front, it won't be the end of the world.

    @Crayons how much did you cut your coils, just curious, I know its not an apple to apple comparison. I don't know if you saw, but I wacked mine 1-1/2 coils.

    Capture.JPG
     
  24. Kelly Burns
    Joined: May 22, 2009
    Posts: 1,440

    Kelly Burns
    Member

    Front is done, turned out to be right around 4-1/2"

    Where is everyone getting their lowering blocks?

    front.jpg
     
  25. Kelly Burns
    Joined: May 22, 2009
    Posts: 1,440

    Kelly Burns
    Member

    Can anyone tell me what size locating pin for the axle pad is? Thank you!
     

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