Sorry about the wimpy generic question, but I am in the dark about lowering a car, especially my '62 dynamic 88. I am giving it a very modest, basically stock appearance, with just a tad of Bellflower influence. I want to lower car and add Astro's, plus a thin white striped set of bias tires. Is lowering this car a permanent change? Could I possibly buy generic parts like dropped spindles? Am I required to do some major chopping and welding on the frame/a-arms/etc? Is this question proof that I am dumb...yikes! Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!
Kind of permanent (Unless you buy new springs)...just cut a coil from the springs. If you want to spend a chunk of change, Air bags in place of the springs. Bunch of guys on here with that vintage of lowered GM. Should be chiming in any minute now.
X2 cutting the coils is a cheap efficient way of lowering, especially the 60's gms they have plenty of fender clearance to still turn lock to lock even if you cut too much and you can get them realll low
Thanks for these two answers. Am I going to have trouble with alignment if I do the shortened springs method? I don't mind it sitting low permanently, as long as it isn't too low to drive. Also, any ideas on the spring choice if I was to buy shorter springs?
Also guys: Is it a possible setup to get new lowering springs, and air shocks for the rear in case I need to haul some extra weight? I am just wondering if this would be a good idea or totally dumb. I also just want about 3" lowering max, no more. Any ideas on where to find springs?
Check with Jamco, they're an alliance dealer (methinks) and can make you springs. Yes, you will need to realign the frontend after the drop.
Here is our two cents worth, and believe me, the way we have lowered both a 61 LeSabre AND a 66 Pontiac Catalina, you really aren't going to spend much more than that, especailly if you happen to have a spare mid sized car around that no longer needs it rear springs, otherwise you will need to make a salvage yard run and rear springs off say a Monte Carlo. First you remove both the front springs, cut the first two or maybe two and a half rounds off the top and replace in the car. Then Replace the rear springs with the mid sized springs and there you have it. Now, not because he had to but because he wanted to, he put air shocks on the rear of the car and replaced the front shocks, using the same "stock" size that came off the car. We drive this car all over the country and it hasn't changed the ride hardly at all, we DO have some speed bumps we have to detour, but here is a picture I took of the car while in Haysville, you can see for yourself how permanantly low the car is.
If you're worried about hauling cargo, consider a pair of airbags for the rear. You don't have to have a pump and a tank, just hook them up to a Schraeder valve so you can add more air when you have to haul something, and let some out when you want it low again. My '64 Olds has bags all around, and since it was already set up for coils it was a fairly straight-forward installation. You can make up some brackets, and a pair of Firestone bags, some line, fittings, and a valve shouldn't cost you more than $150 The front springs you can just cut.
Stevie nailed it. Remove all 4 springs if you want to drop all 4 corners. Cut equal amounts off of each spring. One coil is good for about 1.5 to 2" as I recall on most older GMs. I very seldom cut more than one coil.Put them back and set it on the ground, then drive it to the front end shop for an alignment. Its not permanent as you can buy new springs to get it back stock but why would you want to? Use an angle grinder with a stone or cutting wheel to cut them.
The car in my avatar has cut coils in the front and a basic airbag setup in the back. Rides like a brand new car!
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