Technical Caster and Panhard bar

I have a question about my front suspension.
Built an A-Ford Speedster (which is allowed on the road but is actually used most on the beach) with fairly standard parts. What I changed is a 1" dropped front crossmember and removed some leaf springs. As a result, it has dropped quite a bit with still reasonable suspension.
But because I still mounted the original wishbone in its original location, I have too much caster!
Now I want to split the original wishbone so I can move the mounting points up and reduce the caster.
What is the "ideal" caster? Around 7 degrees? Or is there a difference for different usage?
I use the original steering. Do I need a Panhard bar?

Thanks, Bart

 

How much caster do you have now? You can Pie cut the wishbones to adjust Caster. I like 5 degrees positive Caster.

 

Each stet up different ,
More caster for higher speeds ,steering heavy.
Did you check @ ride height on ground.
if you know thats
The caster you want you can cut bones to cast you want & use slip tube inside plug weld & weld back up smooth out.
Panbar optional when setting up pan bar same thing set / adjust @
ride height

 

I still have to take an exact measurement, but it is well over 10 degrees!!

 

I just did a thread where a couple of front end guru's recommended 4-5 degrees for street driving.

 

Is it the numbers that bother you, or how the car handles? Stock steering box location no panhard needed.

 

Its not (only) the numbers that bothers me. Straight line is OK but its the steering thats going tough.
Thought if I made the caster less positive the straight line would still be ok but the steering would improve.

 

Drop the rear to correct the caster You can never go too low.

You are correct with your ***umption about too much caster. This is problematic when a vehicle has a lot of weight removed.
The caster will lift the vehicle instead of straightening/correcting the steering.
Caster is irrelevant to the speed you travel.

Check the shackle angles on the front spring! when you remove leaf's and the spring flattens out the shackles are more vertical.
Too much caster and too vertical shackle angles is a recipe for "death wobble"

Add a Panhard bar if your shackle angles are too vertical [and leave the shackles as-is to prevent bind in the suspension]

 

I had 10 degrees on my coupe and it gave me death wobble. I adjusted it down to seven degrees - as much as my Heim ends would allow - and the death wobble was cured. I think 4 - 5 degrees will be more than adequate.

Another car I own, a tub with a buggy spring and cross steering is awaiting a Panhard bar to eliminate erratic steering caused by the swaying spring shackles.