Best way to get my '56 Pontiac wagon in the weeds?

I just scored this mint '56 Chieftain Wagon and I'm looking at whats the best way to do a static drop in the front. I've read on here that you can flip the kingpins and cut coils but other people say not to do that because of alignment issues. Other people have told me that theres a 'pocket' rivited inside the frame where the coil sits that can be exhanged out??

Whats the best way to go about this? any help or direction is appreciated!!

 

Best way is to find a ditch that isn't too deep and drive it out there into the weeds.

A lot of the fellas used to flip the up rights. Depending on the car it can lower it a ton or lower it a little. I have an old car here with a king pin suspension that I looked at with the idea of flipping the uprights and it would have lowered it about 4".

Cutting a coil is good but unless you cut too much off if it it is only going to be good for about 2". You may look at the lower A arm and see if the spring cup is removable. if that is the case you could pop it off and space it out an inch or so then cut a coil of you wanted to. We also use to cut the lower spring pocket and make newer deeper ones with tubing and plate then weld them in the place of the stock one. I would suggest that you find someone with good welding skills to do this but we were young and dumb and didn't know that we didn't weld good enough to pull it off.

 

Park it in the yard and let the air out of the tires

That would do it

 

Okay then, shouldn't that read "in da weeds homies"?

 

Depending on what you mean by "in the weeds" you could probably just get away with hacking some coils in the front and lowering blocks in the rear. Also a lower profile tire seems pretty obvious but might not be the look you're after. It seems like you're just looking for cheap and easy otherwise bagging it would be the ticket for all-around use. Statically lowered cars can be limiting without massive skid plates to protect the belly

 

well hay, I'm down wit dat.

At least he doesn't want to know how to bag it or put a late model suspension under it.

 

Yeah I know, I'm being an ass hole, but I just hate that expression.
Paul

 

How about lower than a snakes belly in a wagon rut.

 

No clip or anything - just looking for an easy and fairly cheap way to do this.

Does anyone make dropped spindles for these cars?

 

Probably not any more at least not for the Poncho.

 

The one I had took 3 coils to give it a moderate rake.. Still road great though.....

 

Cut 3 coils and it still drove nice? Got any pics? how much did that drop it?

 

photoshop!

 

Fatman has dropped spindles for that frontend if it is an American '56.

 

Fatman sells a dropped upright, the factory spindles would need swapped over along with new kingpins. Cutting coils and rear blocks would be the simplest. Dropping the control arm pocket is essentially the same as cutting coils but without affecting the spring rate.

 

Who makes the control arm pocket?

 

They would have to be made, this is an American Pontiac than?

 

Yup it's an american Chieftain wagon. Kingpin frontend.

I'm now wishing this was a Canadian car with the balljoint frontend.

 

What about airbags ?

4TTRUK

 

There's an old article out to convert to 58 Pontiac control arms which are ball joints. I did this initially on mine along with 63 spindles-I wanted tapered bearings over the 58 spindles. With the currant brake conversion offerings from Scarebird it really doesn't matter now I think, unless there a spindle centerline differance between 58 and 63?

http://www.pontiacsafari.com/L1Garage/BallJointConversion.pdf

The height differance on the spindle on that set up was an instant 2" drop from stock. Plus I cut 1 1/2 coils it sat really low. The ball joints , arms and spindles aren't cheap but the sevicability was better and with making a mount for the upper control arm it could be set up with better angles and adjustability on the alignment. The lowers were a bolt on.

 

I read that article, seems very expensive and alot of work, instead of that route i think a clip would be better, not to mention it wont be easy finding some of those parts. I think im just going to either cut the coils or get some dropped coils from Eaton

 

look for some dropped spindles a nd shortere front springs rear same way less leaves or lowering blocks this is old tech ez sheeemy

 

I had 3 inch drop springs made for mine and put 3 inch blocks in the back. Sits right, rides nice. You may need a longer shock for the back with the blocks, not sure how things look in the back of a wagon.

 

Step 1) Dont cut the lawn for a month,
Step 2) park it on said lawn.

Has the added advantage of keeping unwanted realtors at bay...

Aw rats, Pork got there first...as usual.

 

Allright so 3" blocks and cut coils it is!

Thanks guys

 

You are too damned easy to please.

 

Lower than whale shit.

 

2 coils cut in front, 1 1/2 blocks in rear,shaved bump stops, 205/75 r15. rides great, rarely bottoms out. i have to deflate the tires to get them out of the wheel well. you're gonna have a real hard time if you use 3 inchers.

 

clip it and post the build! stock suspension is garbage IMHO! gonna cut mine when the time comes, try and build around the stock steering box and have decent route for exhaust.

 

As far as the longer rear shocks with the blocks. On my 55 the factory shocks were 20.5" extended. I went to o'reillys and they gave me a monroe 31000 as a replacement shock. I had to compress the leaf spring quite a bit just to get them to bolt up. The monroe 31000 range is from 12 to 19.5".

I found a longer shock with the same upper and lower mounting as the 31000. The monroe 31094 or napa 94080 is 13.38 to 23.125" long. Which in reality is only a few inches longer and I don't think would hurt anything. Plus I think it would help drop the rear end furthur down when lifting from the frame to get the tires on and off. I am currantly using a longer shock than this without blocks and don't have any issues. It was off of a newer ot truck I modified the ends some to make work.