Hot Rods Frame Builders how to achieve stock ride height?

Stock ride height with 19" wheels


Stock ride height with 16" wheels



You mention stock body with modern drivetrain, A/C, put on highway miles.
Is it important to you to run orignal, period correct suspension, or do you want rack and pinion, disc brakes etc?
Asking to determine what you want out of the car, what you want to do with it.

Do you want to keep stock wheels?

Do you want to run a later model steel wheel 15" 16" with a modern tire ( not have to buy specialty tires) ?

Wheel choice will determine axle options. Suspension can be a lot of things depending on what you want the car to be.

 

Here is my take on highway speeds. My '37 truck has stock Chevy front straight axle, with aftermarket springs, sits somewhat lower then stock. Rear axle is a late model 10 bolt, mounted stock location with aftermarket leaf springs, 1" or so lower. Stock frame, stock steering ( rebuilt of course ) and stock interior. Engine is a basic stock 250 inline six with T-350 automatic, 3.08 rear gear. The truck will run 80 mph all day long or 45 mph, it doesn't care. I installed A/C so the cab is cooled and heated.

With all that said, driving 75 or 80 mph will scare you in a old car or truck, they do not respond like modern. Steering is quick so even lane changing at speed can be hair raising. I feel most comfortable driving 60-65 mph with no traffic around, with traffic I tend to keep up so as to not have someone on my bumper, but drop back as soon as possible. I do not follow close due to the brakes on the truck, it has a disk/drum set up, but being a light weight pickup, its not going to stop like a Modern truck, I have tried it at, I know what it will do. You definitely can not make evasive maneuvers, slow and gentle. Don't forget about the solid steering wheel shaft, steel dash board, and simple door latches. I have 3 point seat belts.

With stock ride height, it was worse, wind drag is terrible, passing trucks blow you around or try to suck you into them. Then there is the top heavy feeling, body roll is terrible. I have since added a front sway-bar that really helps, but you still feel the lean.

Build the way you want, but, be sure of what you want. Find someone to ride with, ask honest questions about comfort on long drives, and about safety.

 

Model a frames are everywhere.
Add better brakes and a newer rear end.
Done.
That frame can handle a v6
Those cars actually ride good stock.
It’s old. Part of its coolness is looking and feeling different than a new car.

 

How much work have you done on cars? May want to start on something newer and easier first.

 

Here's an answer based on the OP's original and actual question.

Yes you can buy that frame and sit it at any ride height you want. Yes it's easy. No you don't need a bunch of odd and ends to do it.

You decide by measuring a stock set up on the height you like.

So first go to shows etc and find cars you like the height on. Next measure from the ground to the bottom of the frame, do it in 6 places. Both front frame horns, both sides at the cowl and last both rear corners. Next decide tire and wheel size.

Now we have a plan and height to work with. Set up your frame to that height and level from the shop floor, jig table or whatever surface your working off of. Hell you could do it in a gravel alley way as long as you keep the frame level to your desired height.

Next we set the wheel and tire combo up and measure from ground to wheel center, usually deduct 1" from that measurement to allow for tire flex under weight.

Now we have frame height set, we know now tire and wheel height which gives us our axle heights we need to keep the frame at desired height.

Now with that we decide which suspension we are using. Let's say a ford 9" in the rear. So I set the 9" to axle height which we determined above. Once it's set to height I decide 4 link, ladder bars etc. And I start building my brackets for my rear suspension. Notice I haven't said a word about springs? We don't really care yet.

Now I have rear suspension mocked up. Now its time for springs. You mentioned coil overs. Ok now I have my frame to height. My axle to height and my suspension to height. Actually I have 2 decisions to make. 1 do I try to figure out total vehicle weight now or 2- do I build a simple block to hold rear axle to height until I get further along in the build to make a better decision on spring rates?

Once you decide and get springs you talk to the coil over company with your weight, etc and they will recommend a spring, ask their recommended ride height for that spring and coil over. Once we have that we set the coil over at recommended ride height and build frame and axle brackets to hold that coil over at that height and what do you know ? We have a vehicle sitting at our desired height.

Same with the front end. If you go with leaf springs it's the same idea except of coil over height your going off spring leaf deflection.

Done this at least 40 or 50 times. Works great.......

 

I would say similiar to the rest stock front axle stock front spring , I would get their ladder bar rear suspension, but I would probably still get the z in the back for when someone changes their mind down the road on ride height , and just buy longer coil overs to get the rear to match the front, down the road someone could essentially swap out the axle front spring and rear coil overs and get the car down easily

I would think about a rear sway bar maybe as sedans are pretty top heavy and yours will probably be 8” or more taller than the normal streetrod

 

Montana roads aren't that bad. Have you ever measured how low modern cars are these days? They seem to travel those roads with no problem.

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You guys make a mountain out of a mole hill. If you have a P&J frame with the 2” kick up in the back it would be set up to set lower so you’d want a 4” dropped axle. It will sit lower than stock, but look good. If you truly want stock height, you don’t want the 2” rear kick up, and run a stock A front axle. Even with a stock frame you’d want it boxed, A frames were originally designed to flex on the roads of the time. A V6 will push it down the road good, but with the aerodynamics of a barn, it will be working hard at 75 mph. My 31 pickup has a Buick V6 and I’ve cruised steady at 80 but it does struggle on hills and head winds.


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I am not sure where you are starting or where you are going with this? Do you like the cars in post #31? My AVATAR has a 181 cubic inch 4 cylinder Mercruiser Marine engine. Basically a current GM Industrial engine. If you are starting with just a body it is going to get very expensive very quick. Figure out your whole cost before you start. Also call your local DMV and see what you will need to do to make them happy. You would be better off starting with a restored car. As far as a SBC Chevy goes they only require a small box in the firewall if you run the early distributer. Nobody has mentioned that the fenders act like airplane wings making the front very light at high speed (such as 75). With the large side surface area if you pass a semi you might find your self in a different lane. Same goes for a canyon crossing the highway with a wind blowing through it. Mine is most comfortable at 55 and that is limited by aerodynamics and not horsepower. Look forward to more details/photos. Is your body a bare shell or completely upholstered?

I think the '31 slat window is an excellent choice due to the small amount of wood. I also have a '32 4 door sedan which is very similar to yours.

Charlie Stephens

 

I defiantly love that stock height and 16" wheels but going modern 5 spoke steel wheel. like you say easier to find tires. Thank you all for the help. I know I have a long way to go and am learning a lot along the way.

 

this is what i have to start with.

 

So you want to build something like this? How much do you know about frame and suspension work?

 

More similar to the green one up top. And nothing much. Thats why i am here to learn.

 

To sit stock ya just need a stock axle set up.
If you buying a chassis tell them you want a stock style front crossmember. Then add an unmolested stock model A axle assembly . You can add better brakes to the stock axle.
The low hot rod look is achieved by a combination of some or all of these modifications.....
Dropped axle, modified crossmember, lowering springs.
Your after market chassis will not come with a place to mount the stock wishbone. One could be created or extended mounts for hair pins could be made to keep the stock height.
The hair pins would allow caster adjustment that would help with handling.
A stock style rear crossmember with stock spring mounted on the rear axle of choice would keep the rear at stock height.
Add body, drivetrain and enjoy.

 

My 90degree v-6 has all it can do to push my s-10 blazer down the road at 75 mph-and if there is a head wind,forget it
-and thats a lot more aerodynamic than a Model A

 

That s10 blazer is at a minimum 1000lbs heaver and as far as aerodynamic were splitting hairs here. Lol