Hot Rods Need to shift (finished) body on frame: 40 Ford

I'm back at this after some family care (senior) problems... So plumbed every position, frame/axles spot on, body is off some amount, but as Darin pointed out above, how are the OEM boards aligned? And then there's the left fender opening is narrower than the right by 1/2"+. I'm downsizing the 265/60's and now I'm trying to figure out which leafs? I'm going to start a new thread after hours of searching I find very little info on spring lengths etc. I have a healthy respect for you guys that build these cars.

 

..............Why start a new thread? You're getting some worthwhile information with this one. Good luck going forward........Don.

 

Need to lower the rear, with 24" tires the fender opening is 3" over the tire riding on 2" blocks. 80's S10/Blazer leafs, measured along the main leaf, front of axle is 27.5, rear is 24.5 eye to eye. Eye to eye installed is 52", so the springs are pretty much straight as installed. Standard sized shackles. Great ride, bad tire hop, my friends say the only option is to bag it. One guy says to take the 4th leaf out of the 5 leafs to reduce tension. So how did you guys get your cars down? Factoids: 100% factory steel/frame, 8" 3rd member axle.

 

S10 had a factory lowered option. The rear had one leaf removed. To get mine down 2-2 1/2” I removed a leaf from the pack. It the the 3rd spring from the main.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

If the spring is already flat, and you have blocks in it, and you already have too-small rear tires (24" tires, seriously?), there is nothing more you could do to this setup without cutting. I think whoever mounted those springs probably built a front mount that hangs below the frame too much, and maybe the same for the rear shackles. Time for new mounts.

Sometimes guys make mounts that fit in between the rails in front to get a lowered ride height. Can you do something like this? Do you have the fab skills?

 

agree with alchemy--new springs and mounts and 27" rear tire 235/75/15.Weedetr has a nice setup

 

Are you saying your tires now are 24 " or when you down size because a 265 /60 tire in either 14 or 15 rims are respectively 27.50 and 26.50 tall.

 

I can't get anything past you guys, I fat fingered my phone, I've tried my (27") 205/60/15's from the front and they're a big improvement. The spring mounts are reasonably close to the frame, my fab skills wouldn't include fab'ing mounts above the frame. Yeah the flat springs... I talked to Eaton Spring in Detroit today and submitted a request for a quote. He said based upon dimensions there're not Blazer springs (?)

 

Perfect combo for these cars.
On my old one:

 

Is there any way you could provide some actual pictures of the suspension and back half of the car? Words and numbers are one thing but clear pictures of the situation help a lot.

 

Don't I wish, each time I try to post a pic from my laptop I get an error message saying it's a security issue, reload and try again which doesn't help. I've posted in the help area for a mod to tell me what I'm doing wrong.

 

Saints be praised! I had to reduce the size of my pics. Thank you mod! This is with the 255/60's with 2" lowering blocks. Next, thought I had a seal leak and found porosity at a welded over point which I suspect may have been traction bars in a previous set up, so I'm installing a spare 8" housing. You can see the punishment the tires has caused on the wheel well.

 

60's will do that--looks to be about 1 " forward--what does the other side look like? You should go with a different spring and mt setup to center and get down a bit.

 

OK, that's the right wheel in the center of the opening, other than tire rubs that's what I'm trying to get to.

 

Many spring kits run the upper eye of the shackles through a hole in the middle of the frame. That would gain you two inches. And as I said before, some also have the front spring mounts inboard of the frame rail, which would gain you four or more inches.

I don't know why, but for some reason those springs look 55 Chevy-ish to me? Anybody else think so?

Thirty-five years ago when my dad was putting together a 40 coupe, he tried a few different tire and wheel combos. It sat down really nice, and I think the wheels ended being 15x7", and the tires were probably 235/75 15's. They were in the sweet spot of the opening up-down, and even fit good side to side. But we could still get them to scream on turns when the wheelwell contacted the sidewall a bit. You've just got to live with it on a 40 unless you use some front tires on the rear.

 

Kinda hard to see but the front mount is at the juncture of the frame and the X member, possibly the spring is too long? I swapped out a Blazer axle with discs so I assumed the springs came with it? No ideas.

 

^^^^^^How many bolts are holding that spring shackle to the frame, two on just the outside frame rail? That could be a cause for the rear axle to shift side to side and rub on your inner fender in the picture above.

 

How much did you guys say an Art Morrison frame costs?

 

No--fix what you have--those springs and brackets look odd to me and I have done a bunch of 40's

 

I dunno, but it looks like someone cut and welded the shackles?

Looks to me someone came up with what looked like a easy bolt in with little thought or comprehension about proper engineering.

Not a disaster because the frame hasn't been hacked, but I would suggest a known quantity bolt-in from Chassis Engineering/Heidts to replace what you have. Same deal, but proper. And make sure everything is square at the same time.

 

olscrounger and X38, great looking cars, what kind of suspensions are you running? To your points I suspect the springs, whatever they are, are too long for this application? I'm anxious to see what Eaton Spring proposes though it won't be cheap. I've been at this car for 12 years.

 

@40 Flier
olscrounger has built over a dozen 40’s. Each one I’ve seen had perfect stance and proportions.
If he says “something works” save yourself some grief, bite the bullet and follow his advice.
BTW, another vote for 235/75/15 rear tire.

 

Yes, it's not time to buy new springs for those hokey mounts. It's time to buy a whole new kit with a good stance built in. Do what olscrounger suggests. Most kits are pretty much a bolt in anymore, so the only real fab required might be some brake lines and exhaust.

 

YES.

 

When I did my 40, I used an 8'' ford Granada rear and spring pack with shortened top spring and REVERSED EYES centered in the opening. I also vote yes on the 235/75/15. Ran great. go with oldscroungers advice