Raising the back of 53 chevy 210.

I only have 2 weeks to do this before the car goes back home, so I'm looking at quick options. The money really isn't there for $400+ to replace the rear leafs and bushings.

It's sitting about 2-3" low in the back right now.

I could tear down the leaf stack and add a leaf, at the cost of ubolts. But what leaf do I add it to it to help it out? I haven't seen many of that width to "borrow" one from.

The other option that I see is adding Monroe Sensa-Trac coil-over shocks to the back. But I'm not sure how much improvement in height that would be.

Thanks in advance!

-Mark

 

How about re-arching the leafs?

 

Air shocks.

 

Could you flip the rear shackles?

 

I really thought about that, but I'm not sure that would work.

Would it?

 

I thought of that, but what about longevity of it? are they even worth it?

 

I seriously thought of this, but that is where the question came of adding a leaf. If I re-arch, why not just add one and skip the arch?

 

Longer shackles, some may say not to use em but Ive never had a problem with em as long as you dont try to make em "too" long.

 

What happens if I just reverse the ones that are there and move them under instead of over?

 

Should work fine I guess,I couldnt remember how those were made.
My cousin has a 53 in his junk yard that was raised pretty high in the back years ago with shackles.

 

I think they used to do it that way years ago. Take it apart and put them back in the other way and see what happens. It's definitely the cheapest way.

 

I guess I could do that. Just would cost for new shackles, as I doubt they will come out easily after 58 years.

 

Your gonna hafta take some bolts out,that shouldnt hurt the shackles if you can just flip em and get the height you want.

However I have seen some shackles flipped without removing any bolts (depending on how its made)by jacking the car up and letting the rear hang down then take a pry bar and flip them under or over.

I done a few old 60s and 70s plymouths kind of this way when I was a teen but what you would do on them would be to flip the shackle forward up into the the frame/body then let the car down and it would be locked into place,bowing the springs to jack the car up in the back but it made for a little rougher ride as the spring had no travel at the shackle

 

That's how it's done! I had a 52 chevy back in H.S. that I would flip the shackles on, flip them up one day and back the next. Very easy deal. I used the jack handle. All you have to do is move the shackle past center nad it will stay there. Just as easy to flip back.

 

Hmm, Cool deal,Im asuming you would still have shackle travel on the old chevs then?

 

Does the axle sit on the leafs or under them? You could use riser blocks if it sits under them or move the axle to under the springs if it sits on top.

 

I'll be giving this a try to day. I'll be under it anyways since I have to drop the gas tank to check out the sending unit.

 

J. C. Whitney has a thingy called "Spring Helpers". About $50 last time I bought 'em. Easy to install or remove, adjustible and they work!

 

Does the car ride oaky now? If it does I would think three times before adding another leaf to the springs. If I did add a leaf, it would be another long one right next to the main leaf. I would much sooner get the springs re-arched before I did that.
I personally wouldn't consider longer shackles. I am a complete freak for vehicle handling, and back in the seventies and eighties when long shackles were in their day, everytime I drove a friend's car with them it would damn near make me sea sick... My cars were always dropped a bit in front, not jacked up in the rear. A longer shackle is simply a longer moment arm to let the car's weight travel back and fourth easier.