Been trying to figure out the best way to lower a 40 Chevy business coupe with original IFS. I can cut the coil springs, lower the spring plate on the bottom a arm with spacers or make a lowered spring pocket for it, or my actual question is this. I have read on here from an older thread about using 53-54 chevy car spindles and spindle supports (uprights) and that will lower it 2". Is this true? Has anybody done it this way and it actually lowered it 2"? Just looking at pics from 49-54 car spindles there is a difference in them and a 40 as far as height but it don't look like 2" worth.
49-54 uprights mount to a control arm at the top and 39-48 uprights mount to the upper shock. I don't think they will interchange. I used 54 Chevy spindles on my original 41 Chevy front end and lowered the car 1/2". I also took 1 coil out of each spring and lowered it another 2".
Lowering by adding spacers to the A frame will keep the original ride and used on some Fords into the mid 50’s. To have one look good you need about 4” total since those cars are pretty high from the factory. If your brave since the 40’s have a nice stock boxed frame I would look to Circle Track suppliers for both adjustable upper and lower a-frames and their mounts. This will necessitate a different steering box but every thing would be modern and adjustable. I believe your complete suspension is either riveted or bolted in. If your planning on removing it weld a 2-3” tube across the front to hold what you have to start. This one had the IFS when new but removed in 1962 for a straight axle. You can see the front cross tube.
40s have a arms also. They mount to the shock on one end but mount exactly the same as the others on the spindle support. They will fit, I'm looking for someone who has already done what I mentioned and can say how much it dropped it.
4" drop is what I'm looking for but I hate to do it all with just spacers. I just got done putting a rack and pinion on it but I'm not interested right now in a full custom suspension. It's possible I could do spacers and make a pocket for the spring. I'll have to study on it since no one seems to know how much the spindle supports and spindles will drop it.
Post 8 in this thread https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/how-to-tell-difference-in-early-chevy-spindles.1287028/
Yeah I found that the other day but it doesn't tell me what I need to know. I'm starting to think the fella that said you can drop them 2" is full of it because it appears the 40 uprights are the same as the 53-54. So the best you can do is maybe a half inch with 53-54 spindles.
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