So tell me about body rack angle???

I meant RAKE angle

So I got the coupe jigged up on my crooked garage floor. It is level side to side according to the frame rails, but my big dilemna is how to set it up end to end. I would like the finished car to have a slight rake down in the nose. There are so many variables that may affect the way the body sits on its own springs (different engine/transmission, its position, etc). I assume that I will have to cut the front springs slightly. I am tentatively planning on running P255/70R15's on the back and 225/70R14's on the front. Would this and the different engine give me the rake I want? What rake do I want? What is typical? Are there examples somewhere? I was thinking 1 or 2 degrees down inthe nose according to the running boards or the bottom edge of the window openings...??? Any advise???

 

Year, make, model, body style ?

 

And what the "different engine" is. Big weight difference between a 215 Buick with a 3 speed stick and a stock 392 with an iron torqueflite.

 

Oops, it's my 41 Plymouth coupe in this build thread:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=538039

327 cheby / tko 600 5 speed

 

Jason,one option is to just lower the front end, probably the easiest. I wouldn't run different size tires to achieve it, just my 2c. It also depends on the engine weight, but this will probably only increase the rake slightly. Considering you have a bit of room between the frame and the body, you could rake the body as well, but this will involve a bit of surgery by bringing several front body mounts up, and lowering the rear mounts. Perhaps quite an involving job. More radical would be to completely change the front set up. Good luck in deciding. Eric

 

I think I'll leave the body position on the frame as per your suggestion Eric.

Since I want to drop the whole car a little, I think I'll try to mess with rear shackles and probably cut the front springs a little.

Does anybody have any suggestions or examples of different body rake angles such as 1,2,3 degrees or similar. I have nothing to go by other than my own miseducation.

 

I build all my hot rod chassis at 3 degrees rake and base caster ,engine angle ,etc. off of that.