Lowering my '56 Olds...need opinions please!

It's finally time...Some time in the next few weeks I want to lower the car. I know there are kits available, but can anyone lend a few tips on which one to get, or maybe any helpful hints I can use when I go and do it.

And speaking of kits, I can't decide if I should go with the 2" or 3". I figure an inch can't make too much of a difference, but then again I haven't done this before so any input would be helpful to me.

I am posting a pic of the car at the height it sits at now, so you can see where it's at (and yes I know we need to mow the driveway, haha). Thanks in advance!!

 

Blocks in the rear u can get them at auto zone for $30.00 with u bolts the front just cut one coil off! Pretty simple and cheep! U can do it in two hours!

 

thats how mine was done lowering block and cut coils

 

A few bucks and a little bit of time will really help the look of your car.

As has been mentioned, cut coils and lowering blocks are the way to go.

But before you get to cutting, decide what you want the car to look like when it's finished. Perhaps a little historical perspective from an old goat would be helpful.

If you're going to run fender skirts, you will want the car to sit lower and level. You do not want it lower in the back than in the front. The motor boat "look" was 'way over by the time late model "semi customs" became popular.

If you are going with the open wheel style, your car can sit either level or with a slight nose-down attitude. Both were correct and popular during the semi-custom era of 1958-1961.

Four-doors were typically level while two-doors could go either way, level or nose-down, but there were lots of exceptions to this general rule.

Judging by your photo, your car currently sits a little higher in the front than in the rear. You'll need to compensate for this when you adjust the height.

If it were my car I'd go 3" in front and 2" in the rear. This will set the car just about level, with perhaps a slight tilt to the front. This will greatly improve the looks of the car but will not impede driveability.

Be sure to set your goal, then check your progress by measuring from the top of the fender wells to the ground on both sides as you go along. Most of these old barges suffer from sagged springs, front and rear, and you'll need to compensate for this as well.

Your car has lots of potential. I'm anxious to see how it looks when it's a little closer to the ground and with an all new attitude!

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the info so far everyone!! Missysdad, I didn't even realize the slight stance the car already had until I posted the photo and looked at it. I'm definitely not going with fender skirts (I say that now, but I have been known to change my mind as fast as Chicago weather changes), so that's not a problem. Either way I still think I want it to be even across the board. I will definitely post pictures in this thread of the new stance when it's finished.

Still need some more people to weigh in on 2" or 3"....Good thing my reply serves as a BTT !!

Thanks in advance again for your help !!

 

I think 3" blocks in the back and cut 1 1/2 wraps off the front coils would look pretty bitchin. I definitely agree with missysdad on the sagging springs especially in the front so I would measure the fender to ground first and compensate according to what those measurements tell you , just make sure the ground is even where you measure it . I noticed your drive way is asphalt, it tends to not be as true as concrete due to the fact that asphalt is raked flat and concrete is skreeted off of usually level form boards....its a hard call on fender skirts cuz the rear wheel well on your car has bitchin character

 

what he said. that's what i did on my friend's blue & white 56 you commented on a while back. she also had an aftermarket set of shackles out back that let her get another 1/2" lower outta the rear.

 

Thanks for all the help guys. I'm going to measure and see where I'm at (on level ground), then go from there. And luckily I picked up an extra pair of coils from a '55 Olds so I can always go back to original or try a different height with them.

Thanks again for the input!!

- Jen

 

I would go 1 coil and 1 1/2" lowering blocks. I will post a picture of my 55 olds and that is what I did and it came way down, I drive this car every day and its a challenge to get in and out of normal driveways to service stations. so 3" lowering blocks would really get you down, and I have about 3 1/2" clearance at the front just behind the wheel from the ground to the chassis with only one coil cut.

its easier to recut if they don't settle to where you want, but you can't put it back.

here is before one coil is cut.











and after.

 

Wow your Olds is gorgeous!! See when I drive it feels like I'm up in a 4x4, and I look at it next to cars that are lowered or can lay frame with bags, and then it looks & feels tall. But when I see it by itself it's not really that high up, but I really need to measure (it's on jackstands in the garage right now or I would have done it already). I was previously leaning toward the 3" but now I think 2" might be the way to go.

Thanks for the continuous help. As a new girl on this board, I really love the outpouring of good ideas, opinions, and helpful hints. This is exactly the kind of experience I was looking for here. THANK YOU!!

 

if you're gonna lower it, Lower it! i've done enough of these cars to know that 3" out back & 1 & 1/2 coils outta the front is what it takes to give them the right stance. it's pretty lame when you have to convice your buddies you actually lowered your car...

 

I have 3 inch blocks and removed 3 leaves in the rear of my 57 pontiac. I cut 1 inch from the bump stop and have air shocks mounted to the frame. Don't use air shocks with upper body shock mounts. Aired down it sits about 1 inch from the bumpstop I always keep at least 20-30 psi with this I can have rear passengers with out problems. With a full load of luggage and camping gear I of course run more air. I don't have any axle wrap problems I kept my two main leaves. The rear set-up rides great but I wish it was lower the rear tires I am running are very tall. I will need frame mods to go lower with current tires. I do want to add ladder bars, floating mounts, panhard bar, and a sway bar for better doughnuts but I am waiting to upgrade when I replace my trunk floor and I will do a frame notch at that time also.

As for the front I cannot tell you but it rides great and has no body roll. Its lowered about 2 1/2 inches and not even close to enough. I will add dropped uprights in the future and I will keep my current springs. In my opinion a longer weak coil rides and performs better than a short stiff coil. Short coils rebound to fast and are hard to control with shocks and in my experience ride harsh. I like weak coils with stiff shocks. Don't forget huge swaybars. But the practice here is short cut coils. I would suggest to keep your stock coils and drop the front with drop spindles from fatman.

Remeber you can play with tire sizes to change ride height. Low riders will run 175/R/13 to go low on wide rims to strech them out. I am running 205/70/15 up front but I m running a quite tall 235/75/15 in the rear, the reason I would like it lower, but the engine and trans love them on the highway and I get good mpg. It's all about tuning and finding performance bliss. The last owner had 185/70/14 front and rear and it sat on the ground but I didn't like the tire/wheel combo and I am not going to put shorter tires on the car.

These statements are only MY opinion and if you translate them to what you think I meant then they become YOUR opinion.

 

im gonna lower my wagon just a touch pretty soon as well. im going for a mild custom look but its a daily driver and i have a steep driveway so i dont wanna mess around going too low.

im taking pointers from the comments left, thanks!

 

Hey,

do you have a picture of your friends '56 you spoke of, would be interested to see how low it is, and I guess do you know the size tyres on the car too.

 

she babies this thing, so i'd catch hell if it scraped all over the place. the roads up here suck & she don't bitch. so to me that's scientific proof it's not too low

i'm pretty sure the tires are either 215/70/15s or 225/70/15s, not too big of a difference either way.

 

cheers.

any chance you can measure to the top of the wheel arch on the front and from the ground to the underside of the body just before the rear wheel arch? I'm interested to see what the comparison is I got 24 1/2" on the front and on the rear 7" we have similar tyres I think mine are 205/75x15

 

cut one and a half coils and 3 inch lowering blocks, done.

 

Well, there you go.

This is about as perfect a stance as I could imagine. Low enough to greatly enhance the looks, but not low enough to cause driveability problems.

Looks like this stance would be plenty fine without skirts as well.

 

Righteous looking car, Flatoz

 

lowered 3 in the rear the lake pipes make it look lower

 

Wow, what a BEAUTIFUL OLDS!!

Lots of potholes, speedbumps, and road construction around here, so I am still unsure of the height I want. Taking it off the jackstands today and getting the measuring done. Then I will go from there. When it's all said and done I will post some follow-up/completed photos on this same thread.

 

sorry I was wrong when I said 1.5 iches it was actually lowered 3 inches in the rear my old ford was 1.5 inches

 

8FLEET9 IS DEAD ON! I have had many a sled, 49-59, and 3" blocks out back and cut 1.5 coils in the front and you are there my friend.with most cars this gives you the "perfect stance for a sled" being slightly lower in the rear that compliments the factory lines of 50's Iron!
here is my current 51 Merc "The Suicide Sedan"

 

your driveway needs mowed .
sweet ride , do you need the rest of the trim ? Got it all .
pm me if ya do .

 

BUTCH OF BUTCHS HOT ROD SHOP fame from the 70s-90s sells a kit to lower your front end 2-3 inches its cheap and you don't cut your coils..this kit works on most early to late fiftys cars ..he has an e bay store butchthecustomguy, check it out......

 

Butch is now back in full swing under the name Butch's Cool Stuff... He sold the rod shop to a few guys that didn't make a go of it. He has all the lowering stuff that you need. Butch has an all new website coming out in a month or so.

 

my dads 56 has cut coils in the front and 3" blocks in the rear.

 

wow thats a bitchin car man! i got my 53 olds and im running with a problen also on my rear susp. i got a set of 2inch dearch leaf springs and 2inch lowering blocks, with stock shocks but it rides really stiff,do i need shorter shock?i like the stand that it has right now..

 

whitey3518. what kind of shocks are you using and are they short shocks?

 

Another 56 slammed with airsuspension.