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Hot Rods My rear end is too high! LOL

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by harlowj, Oct 29, 2019.

  1. deathrowdave
    Joined: May 27, 2014
    Posts: 5,071

    deathrowdave
    Member
    from NKy

  2. panhead_pete
    Joined: Feb 22, 2006
    Posts: 3,725

    panhead_pete
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Did you check this? As soon as I saw the pics that looked like a place to explore before going further.
     
  3. harlowj
    Joined: Dec 11, 2009
    Posts: 27

    harlowj
    Member
    from Alabama

    Here are pics after putting 4inch lower blocks
     

    Attached Files:

  4. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 37,835

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    You really need to de arch the springs or get different ones. Do you see how the u bolts and spring plate are lower than the rim? This is called “scrub line” . Every thing is fine until you get a flat and lose control of your car..... think about it.
     
  5. Blue One
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 11,521

    Blue One
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Alberta

    o_O 4 inch lowering blocks ? That's insane. I would never even consider driving a car with 4 inch lowering blocks.
    Can we ask where you got them ?
    From Disney maybe ? :D ( Can we say Mickey Mouse ) :D

    That's an awfully big Band-Aid.

    You should have returned the TCI stuff and did the rear suspension the right way.
     
    olscrounger likes this.
  6. Just a thought. Loosen the front spring bolts, and the shackles, lower car to ground. Make sure that shackles are extending rearwards. With the springs loaded, snug up the bolts. The shackles may have been holding the spring in its relaxed state, and thus maintaining the arch. And yes, it's quite common to use a 2" or so lowering block to "tune" the ride height.
     
    X-cpe likes this.
  7. Blue One
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 11,521

    Blue One
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Alberta

    Common to use lowering blocks ? Even so I would rather go with the Posies kit and no lowering blocks. :cool:

    front.jpg
     
    swade41 and olscrounger like this.
  8. Mimilan
    Joined: Jun 13, 2019
    Posts: 1,255

    Mimilan
    Member

    There is a correct way to get the car down, and 4" lowering blocks isn't it [even though many people have done it before]
    It will require a bit more effort and thought than simply bolting-on pieces .

    The angle of the leaf springs on this car is WRONG and will cause the rear to be unstable [roll oversteer]
    This usually causes people to chase the problem at alignment shops when it is actually the rear ear causing the problem with the car.

    1: The first thing I would recommend is to de-arch the springs a minimum of 2" and bolt them back in
    2: Throw away those awful bolt on rear hangers, and carefully lower the car down with a 1" thick piece of wood between the frame and the spring eye.
    3: Use a ruler to mark a line vertically from the centre of the rear spring eye, and also measure to drill for the shackle hanger.
    You want the rear spring eye to be as high as practical which would require the pivot to go through the frame rail [as posted here earlier]
    rear shackle.jpg

    The whole idea is to get the spring "pad" to move vertically or arc forward during compression [resulting in roll understeer ,which is inherently more stable]

    If you look at the drawing below [it has sliders instead of shackles , but the effect is the same]

    In this drawing, the spring will lengthen along the datum line ,BUT the spring pad will arc forward as it moves upwards [cancelling each other out]
    You want the wheelbase of the vehicle to remain static OR slightly shorten during suspension compression [causing roll understeer]
    Leaf Spring Angle, Correct.jpg
    Roll oversteer [the opposite] feels like "standing up in a dinghy" It requires constant correction in the steering. And causes uneven swaying in a straight line
    Roll understeer usually requires slightly more steering input on corners,but corrects itself in straight lines

    One last thing! The spring pads on the rear axle might need correcting for pinion angle
     
    Hnstray likes this.
  9. Flip the main leaf over, take out half the leafs, put some blocks and you'll be set.
     

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