With only 250 lbs on the front end, the front shackles should be almost level with the ground. Your spring is too long. A shorter main leaf will fix it. My car has almost the exact same parts as yours but I have the full weight of a Pontiac V/8 and I used a "Welder's Series" flat crossmember and the flat spring from Chassis Engineering.
If you don't mind the buttons on your spring (I think I see them there already), you could call up Posies and order one of their super low springs. They will need to know the distance between the perches on your axle. I'd bet Pete & Jake's also could get you a good low spring. Give them a call too. When the car is all done and all the weight is on it, and you've driven it around a couple hundred miles to settle it, that front spring should hold the shackles at a 45 degree angle, or slightly less. Your current spring is already too long since the shackles are at a 45 now and you don't even have the weight of a full engine in there. I think Speedway's spring is too long.
Reading Rocky's post I think he nailed it and is seeing what others are seeing, that spring is too long. but I am also thinking you need another 400 lbs on the front end of the car. 250 lbs isn't even a fat guy's worth and a small block Chevy weighs 575 and a big block weighs around 685 http://www.hotrodreference.com/893/common-american-v8-engines-weight-comparison-chart/ You have to have the weight that the car is going to run down the road with pushing down on the springs to know how high it is going to set along with the correct size tires. Those truck tires are throwing things off. If you have the engine and trans you are going to run set them in place even if you have to prop them up a bit without mounts to get the correct weight on the front. I have a feeling that since you have a lot of Speedway pieces you have this crossmember which is a Model A style crossmember that lowers a 32 one inch but is the right height for a Model A https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-1932-Ford-1-Inch-Drop-Front-Crossmember,6747.html Do I stand correct? If so disregard the comments that say you have the wrong crossmember. Still put the right size tires on even if you have to stick a pair of bald low profile rollers on those wheels and then put the proper weight for the engine and trans you are going to use on it and then stand back and look.
OBTW one of my former students and still good friend is dyslexic and has still built two of the nicest Chevys you will ever lay eyes on. A 70 Heavy Chevy big block Chevelle and a pro street 55 Belair. Those little wiggly red lines under the words mean you need to right click on the word and get the correct spelling too. You can't believe how many times I have to do that even though I won more than my share of spelling contests in grade school.
If you don't change the front cross-member, do check the caster once the chosen tire sizes are installed. ^^^^^^^good to know on spell check!
here is a pic of my friend's 31 with a flatter spring. If memory serves me correct it has three leaves and was made for him at a local spring shop. It is finished now and he has driven it without any concerns. It is a flathead powered rod as well with cross steering. He uses a Jeep circa '81-'85 manual box fwiw. I can ask him about the spec on the spring if you would like to compare. He uses the OE A crossmember.
Correct spring as said. And right tires will fix the stance. As I see the photo you have a taller tire on front than rear. And the most important part if YOU like the stance that matters a LOT more than what your buddy thinks.. Who are you building the car for, him?
That looks like the engine out of a “Brick”Lin SV-1! Just watch pulling too many leafs out of the springs. After my first test ride I had to put some back in because the rear wishbones were hitting the frame, and the rear end pumpkin was hitting the floor. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
When I first built the car, I had a ton of problems with the front end. Rode like a lumber truck and had the dreaded low speed "death wobble". Solved the ride problem with the Mono-leaf spring and adjustable spring perches. The mono spring eliminated the friction between a bunch of leaves, and the perches eliminate any binding of the spring shackles with my 6 degree positive castor. To answer your question...the ride improved 100%...it was worth the $ to make the changes. PLUS it got the front end lower. The "death wobble" issue took a lot of work to fix....but we'll save that for another thread. Hope this helps
You should always start with the wheels and tires you intend to run on the car. Then set up everything from there.
The crossmember is not helping. A flattened A crossmember (or even a '32 one reworked I guess) would be almost flat across the top, allowing the spring to sit up higher in the pocket, lowering the front of the frame. The current crossmember is working against that.
But I bet you have to spell your name correctly when you endorse them.... LOL Or do you cheat and have direct deposit? Again, LOL
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