Searched high and low but never found much of an answer. The pic below is for my current 65 Coronet A/FX project with the car level. Trying to keep the rake level to slightly down. Putting the mounts directly on the frame has the front higher than the rear. Will this amount cause any issues? Will it make the spring stiffer than it already is? These are Speedway springs and the steering will be in front of the axle.
Are you using a beam axle or a Speedway tube axle? It should be fine as it is if the height is what you want. The slight angle won’t affect the ride. Most everyone removes or adds leaves based on their vehicle weight. That type of front suspension isn’t known for it’s superior ride quality. You can add tapered shims to the beam axle to get the correct caster angle or adjust the caster angle before welding on the pads if your using a tube axle. I’ve always shot for 6-8 degrees with the car complete and ready to drive. Looks like a great project!
The height of the front vs. rear mounting points wont make much difference unless you get them way different. But you can't set up much in the way of mounting points just using the main leaf, and hanging static. What I do is mock everything up ***embled, with tires and wheels. Leave the shackles off the springs, and use various thickness wood blocks between the spring eyes and the frame. Then let the weight down on the suspension, and decide if the stance is where you want it. Once it's sitting as you like it you can measure the blocking at front and rear, and make up the mounts. At the shackle end you'll add up shackle length, and frame mount to determine total height. At the fixed end it's just the mount height compared to the blocking used during mock up. Once you've got mounts made up, and weight back on the axle, you can adjust kingpin caster, and then tack weld the spring perches to the axle. After that it's just taking it all apart to weld things up permanently.
Thanks for the replies, I should have mentioned its a drag only car w/ tube axle. I'll be able to set caster later when welding it in. Was concerned that coming down after a wheelie if the spring would try to flex in unwanted ways due to it not being perpendicular to the axle travel.
What he said about using the wooden blocks and loading up the springs is a good method. I usually clamped (or tacked) the stationary mounts where I thought they should go, put the wooden block (thick enough to simulate the shackle length) at the shackle end, then load it up. The axle will move slightly toward the shackle end and then you can then tell if you have the wheel/tire centered in the wheel opening. If it doesn't look right, you can move the front mount as required and do it again until you get it where you want it. A little too far forward might not look bad, but too far back looks like a mistake in measuring. Again, I don't think that slight angle will cause any adverse effects.
Depending on the height of the frontend, it will dictate where I center the new axle. I've found as the front gets higher the axle needs to move forward to look correct. Staying at stock wheelbase length tends to make the front wheels look too far back. Both of my g***ers I've located the front axles 1" forward, and mine aren't as high as most guys want them these days.
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