Wanna' get the butt LOWER!!

Hi folks,

I would REALLY like to get the rear of my '51 Ford lower. I have the stock springs and shocks, and grandpa already put in 4"(I think) lowering blocks. I've got plenty of room above the axle, so I'm not too worried about bottoming.

Has anyone gone to a mono-leaf rear? How have you liked it? Where'd you get it?

Should I get my stock springs re-arched instead?

I don't want to notch or "Z" the frame or anything major like that, I just want to get the behind down closer to the ground.


Searching is not giving me the answers I want, so I'm asking for input and opinions.

Thanks,

dv

 

i would have the springs re-arched , i did that on a `49 Ford woodie and it sat plenty low in the rear. i would think 4" lowering blocks should have you low already

 

If you have room just de-arch your springs, or have someone do it for you. That is what I would do.

I have an opinion that I want to say even though you don't want one. This has no reflection on you but if I start a thread someone will be seriously offended.

So here goes, I think that folks that post on line that things are not going so well, eithet their car broke or their wife's car broke, are just pretty damned lame. Just fix the SOB and get on with life.

OK opinions aside if I had the room I would just de-arch the spring. With a 4" block I amy also think about a kicker shock like they use on an off road truck. It will help stabilize the rrear end housing.

 

With 4 inch blocks you still have plenty of room before you bottom out the suspension? Take a look at the shackles at the rear of your leaf springs - if they are below the mount they need to be flipped around so that they are above the mount. They shackles should hang, not stick down from the mount.

Any time you jack up one of these cars all the way, the rear shackles tend to flip over and that raises the rear of the car about 3-4 inches.

Jack up the rear end of the car until the shackles are pointing toward the front of the car, then take a big-ass screwdriver and pry them forward until they "flip" up. Then let the car down off the jack while keeping an eye on those shackles. I'll bet a dozen donuts that's what's wrong. 4-inch blocks should put you pretty low.

If that's NOT the problem then your next step is to get the leafs re-arched like 36-3window says. A decent spring shop can lower it by a specific amount.

 

Ditto.

4" blocks should be a near slam to the ground. Watch your scrubline. Better to go with 2"-3" blocks and re-arched springs.

***Also in my old 53, I had to jack it up, from the frame, just enough so the tires are barely off the ground. Flip the shackle, then I would loosely put small pieces of 2x6 (2') under the tires to keep it lifted and the shackle flipped. Lower the car and drive off the 2x6s.

Why?, well usually you'd get one side to flip, then go to the other side to flip it and the other one would be back down again...

 

David
Mine is 4" drop springs and 3 inch blocks. I had to raise the tunnel from the rear of the front seat to the rear seat. But it is low if I go 4" blocks and a full tank of gas it would hit on the speed humps on my street. Hope this helps.

 

I'm thinking the same thing that Atomiccustom and Saxon just said above. That there is a great possibility of the shackles being flipped if you have 4 inch blocks in it and you have "plenty of room to lower it more. 4 inch blocks should only leave you maybe three inches between the axle and the frame if not less.

 

Thanks for the tips, I'll jack it up and check the shackles. I didn't think to check them the last time we had the car in the air. I'll measure the blocks as well.

Thanks again.

dv

 

Ya don't need to lift it to have a looksee. Just pop your head under the car. hope that'll fix it for ya.

 

And if the shackles are in the correct position and you still want to go lower then getting your leaf springs re-arched is the way to go.
Part of the problem is we can't see the back of your car in your avatar! Do you have a photo showing the whole car from the side? Or better yet, taken from underneath the car showing the leaf springs, blocks, and frame?

I forgot to say this: if you're just jacking the car up to look at the shackles you can jack from the rear end but if you need to flip the shackles you have to jack from the FRAME so the springs can sag down as the car goes up. Sorry.

(And actually you should just be able to peek under the rear bumper to see the shackles without jacking it up at all.)

 

I'm with beaner, it's very easy to de-arch your springs yourself, maybe loose a leaf or 2, and it's free!

 

I tried monoleaf ($$) springs once and got things lower with, blocks, etc.

 

It's gotta' go up in the air anyhow - I'm chasing an electrical short and need to check the wire routing around the brake pedal and all that.

dv


Here's a pic.

 

Lookin' at the side view picture, I'd bet Atomicustom and saxon are dead right. (If the blocks really are 4"). Been there....