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I need help with rear springs for my Meteor

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Del Swanson, Jun 17, 2011.

  1. Del Swanson
    Joined: Mar 27, 2008
    Posts: 708

    Del Swanson
    Member
    from Racine, WI

    I need to replace the rear springs on my '63 Mercury Meteor 2dr hardtop. I thought they were the same as Fairlanes but they aren't, and they are turning out to be made from unobtainium. I can have springs made, but I'd rather not have to pay the $600.00+ per side I was quoted. Does anyone know of any place that is still manufacturing these or has N.O.S. springs?
    Thanks
     
  2. Greasy64
    Joined: Nov 1, 2008
    Posts: 198

    Greasy64
    Member

    Should be the same as Falcon? Are yours rebuildable? Just throwing up some ideas.
     
  3. Del Swanson
    Joined: Mar 27, 2008
    Posts: 708

    Del Swanson
    Member
    from Racine, WI

    No, I guess they are unique to the Meteor. I could have them re-arched but I've been told it doesn't last. I could have just the main spring made, but that's half the price of the whole stack. They are even different between the 4 door, the station wagon, and the hardtop.
     
  4. slickhale
    Joined: Dec 19, 2010
    Posts: 772

    slickhale
    Member
    from Phoenix

    seems odd that they would be unique to a meteor, i would double check to verify the difference if there is one. since its a unibody i cant see the length or width being different, might just be the no. of leaves or spring rate thats different.
     

  5. Del Swanson
    Joined: Mar 27, 2008
    Posts: 708

    Del Swanson
    Member
    from Racine, WI

  6. wombat barf
    Joined: May 1, 2011
    Posts: 366

    wombat barf
    Member
    from oklahoma

    I don't know but Fairlanes and Meteors were pretty much Ford's bastard children of the early 1960s. Sometimes they just cleaned out their parts bins to cobble the things together.

    The valves in my '64 Fairlane's heads were redone for the 1st time in 1996 and the mechanic who did the job was an old school drag racer named Arch Teague who said the valves were all different date codes with a few going back to 1961.

    When you do a front end rebuild on a '64 Fairlane the parts guys will sometimes ask you if your car was built before April of 1964 - I got no clue why. O'reilly's, Autozone, Napa, etc don't even list a bottom ball joint and the only A-arm lower bushings I found were two piece affairs. You can't even get front shocks for the things but 1985 Dodge 1/2 ton shocks can be adapted fairly easily.
     
  7. Del Swanson
    Joined: Mar 27, 2008
    Posts: 708

    Del Swanson
    Member
    from Racine, WI

    Thanks for the info
     
  8. Da Tinman
    Joined: Dec 29, 2005
    Posts: 4,222

    Da Tinman
    Member

  9. havi
    Joined: Dec 30, 2008
    Posts: 1,876

    havi
    Member

    Meteor's have a half inch longer wheelbase than the Fairlane counterparts. So yep, they are different. $600 seems high for a set though. But it's been awhile for me.
     
  10. Del Swanson
    Joined: Mar 27, 2008
    Posts: 708

    Del Swanson
    Member
    from Racine, WI

    I tried this site but my computer's antivirus wouldn't let me on.


     
  11. Del Swanson
    Joined: Mar 27, 2008
    Posts: 708

    Del Swanson
    Member
    from Racine, WI

    I was quoted $600.00 per side, not per pair! I agree, it seems like a lot!

     
  12. Doctor Detroit
    Joined: Aug 12, 2010
    Posts: 1,051

    Doctor Detroit
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  13. slickhale
    Joined: Dec 19, 2010
    Posts: 772

    slickhale
    Member
    from Phoenix

    is the spring longer or is the locating pin in a different spot? seems like if your looking for the cheapest way you could drill a new hole in the spring pad on the axle to change the wheelbase and use fairlane springs.if the spring is longer its prob just a different shackle.
     
  14. havi
    Joined: Dec 30, 2008
    Posts: 1,876

    havi
    Member

    Springs are longer by a good couple inches or so. I'd have to look in my manual to get the specs.
     
  15. MeteorMan
    Joined: Dec 5, 2008
    Posts: 373

    MeteorMan
    Member

    Sounds familiar and getting all your front end parts can be challenging too!
    I was looking for a deck lid for my '63 Meteor and figured it would be the same as the Fairlane...it's not.
     
  16. 54RAT
    Joined: Dec 21, 2006
    Posts: 52

    54RAT
    Member

    My uncle took his spring pack apart, and added a couple of leafs from another spring pack, and it worked well for many years.
     
  17. You paid more for a Merc back then so you got more car!
    The same misconception happens to a lot of Cougar owners thinking they can buy Mustang springs when the actually are longer and use Torino/Montego spring perches.
     
  18. w2zero
    Joined: Aug 7, 2007
    Posts: 34

    w2zero
    Member
    from Ruston

    The 62 and 63 Meteor shared the same platform as the 62-65 Fairlane but the Merc had differences in the front and rear suspension that they called Anti Harsh. That involved some changes to the strut rod in the front and to the front eye of the rear spring as well as extra bushings and links built into the mount for that spring eye. The spring itself differes from the Fairlane in that the Merc has a 1" bush on both ends where the Fairlane has 1" bush in the rear and 2" in the front Berlin type eye. The springs are also only 2" wide which limits the swappage from other cars. Check with JC Whitney or ESPO Springs n Things as well for new springs. Some just say the hell with it and install wider springs by modifying the front mounts and using wider shackles in the rear.
     
  19. havi
    Joined: Dec 30, 2008
    Posts: 1,876

    havi
    Member

    Here's what I was looking at...
    Fairlane:
    [​IMG]

    Meteor:
    [​IMG]

    I'll say I didn't physically go out and measure either of mine, but I can if needed.
     
  20. rodknocker
    Joined: Jan 31, 2006
    Posts: 2,265

    rodknocker

    You should ask someone with a fairlane to measure from the front of the spring to the perch hole, if its within a 1/2 inch, I doubt you'd notice that in the wheel well, the rear shakles should swing out for the extra length.
     
  21. w2zero
    Joined: Aug 7, 2007
    Posts: 34

    w2zero
    Member
    from Ruston

    The Fairlane spring is aprx 53-5/8" eye to eye and the Meteor spring is aprx 55-1/8" eye to eye. Not a good match. If you can locate a 62-65 Fairlane being boned out, you might want to remove the whole spring assembly and front hangers since that is the major diff with the Meteor. Not entirely sure that the front hanger will mate up to the bolt holes in the Meteors rear torque box but worth a try.
     

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