Customs Don't use 2" aluminum lowering blocks on 1 3/4" springs. Here's why...

This morning I headed for the parts store in the DeSoto wagon, which we've put about 500 miles on since the build (half that pulling our Spartan trailer). When I pulled out of the driveway and accelerated, I felt the car twitch a bit to the left.
"Curious", I thought, "I haven't felt that before".
At the corner, backing off, the car headed noticeably to the right. HARD.
Thought I, "There is something really wrong here.", turned around in the first driveway and came back home.
I jacked the car up, and found to my surprise (well, not really since I expected to find this) that the U bolts on the left side spring were barely finger tight. I took things apart and this is what I found.
The 2" wide 2" aluminum blocks setting on the 1 3/4" wide spring had mushroomed out, AND worn in on the tiny contact patch on the inside edges. The locating pin on the left one was VERY sloppy, having chucked around from the axle trying to pivot accelerating and decelerating. The result was loose bolts on that side as the block wore ever more away, and the car being steered like a forklift from the rear.
It was a pretty quick decision to lose these things. This could have lead pretty quickly to a disaster, that would have been entirely my fault. Since wrecking station wagon number two is not something I want to explain to Hagerty, I'm pretty happy with the car at stock ride height.
Thus endeth the lesson.

 

Yikes!

 

Glad you and your car were not injured.
After I read your post I was glad to be reminded that I was one of those poorboy do it yourselfers. I made my lowering blocks from s**** steel 40 years and 135,000 ago.

 

I’d always thought that the blocks would be solid.
Glad you caught it!

 

That is a special car. Glad you were able to avoid disaster.

 

So this is actually an improper install vs a product issue.

 

Would this have been an issue if they were installed on 2" wide leaf springs? I feel like they only walked around because they weren't making full contact on the outer edges. If they were solid, or if they were on 2" wide springs, I don't think they would have had the same issues. Towing with them probably also added some side to side sway in the rear.

 

It’s not the aluminum, it’s the mismatch or poorly designed block. I put a set of solid aluminum angle blocks under a 38,000 lbs fire engine twenty years ago and they are still in service!






Bones

 

Yup, 1 3/4" springs require narrower blocks, the 2" blocks that everyone carries are wrong. I made my own on my old 54 Chevy just because it was easier. Lowrider suppliers have the skinny ones for the Bombs

 

Mismatch + 'mystery metal'. I don't think that is really aluminum just a white looking block made of s****s that may have included carb bodies, fuel pumps and other things with high zinc content.

 

I THINK they were in the '50s.

Ben

 

Yeah, mystery metal. I have some old wheel spacers here that dad and I have been moving around for 50+ years that never got used because they are so sketchy, same material

 

I cut my lowering blocks with a bandsaw out of a 1 3/4" block of aluminum. Took a long time to do.

 

Should have used a wood cutting blade.

 

Nothing wrong with using aluminum. I have always used aluminum and used either 1.75 or 2.0 solid bar stock and made my own. Your contact patch was probably around .125, not a highly compatible combination of parts.

 

Also how did u-bolts fit with out some reworking?

 

Not sure of your question but I have a local truck shop bend up ubolts when needed

 

Do you think maybe 2 inch wide blocks on 1 3/4 wide springs had something to do with it?

 

I made mine out of solid steel. That being said, I have heard of issues with the aluminum ones that weren't solid blocks ... seems the winter salt gets in there, they rot, then collapse. I realize not a lot of cars on this site spend time on salted roads.

 

U-bolts topically fit snug against the leaf springs.

 

Butch's Cool Stuff carries the correct width for your springs.

https://butchscoolstuff.com/

 

c

I cut thick aluminum on my table saw. 10", 80 tooth triple chip grind. Turn it on cut into a block of paraffin, then cut the metal. Fairly fast and clean cut. Just wear eye protection and long sleeves, escaping chips can be hot and sharp.

 

I would like to suggest changing the ***le to 'Check your lowering blocks.' rather than blaming aluminum.

 

I picked up a pair of lowering blocks at a small swap meet and they look identical to the ones you removed from your wagon, I think I will look for a different type. HRP

 

They are fine when used with the right width spring. How many millions of them have been sold since the 50s?

 

I put a bazillion miles on aluminum blocks.
Never seen that

 

Just use em on the correct width spring

 

Kind of a dog pile at this point, but we've used that style block on circle track cars that take way more abuse than a street car ever will with zero issues.

 

I'm gonna say both. My suggestion is that making my (or your) own from heavy wall steel tubing would be cheaper, easier, and much better. Just offering my experience, you'll notice I didn't say they were janky, cheap **** in my post. Should I have done better, yes, but you and I both know somebody out there is doing the same thing. Maybe they'll see this and think twice. I know I would have.

 

A

Absolutely. They did set on all 4 sides, but you can see from the photo they didn't set fully on the spring. I edited the ***le, to make it clear I am owning responsibility for this gaffe. My point was that I'm sure somebody out there is doing the same thing, the message is, don't.