slammin it

ive got my 53 sittin low in the back. and since the weather sucks and there is snow everywhere and i have no garag,e i have no time, or place to do my front end. since ill be doing it in the next couple of weeks, anyone know a simple way to get the whole car to sit lower, the lowest possible way without bagging it? i know de arching the spings and bigger blocks, its got 3 inchers right now. i need to find the lowest way but still have it so its not damaging the car over speed bumps. my last car was so rusty the shocks broke off and it rode like hell. i dont want that anymore, no mroe bottoming out left and right. if it comes to that i might have to, but thought id throw it out there for suggestions.

JR

 

6" in the rear should put you on the axle. so try about 5" then add air shocks so you can lift it as you need. in the front just cold cut one coil at a time. if you think you are going to go low and not scrape you need bags. also speed bumps and lowered cars dont mix

 

yeah,that the exact reason why my shocks broke. speed bumps at idle are rough. i will most likely go for 5 inch blocks and maybe take a leaf out. but in the front, three inches. hopefully, it will happensoon.

JR

 

i cut two coils, put 3" blocks in back, all leafs there. frame is 5" off the dirt. my floor jack is 4 3/4". Seems like a good place to stop for now. I rebuilt my rear shock mounts, the old ones worked through. I used a door kick plate and some 1/8 angle plate that I think is used for shelving. It works and is twice as thick as stock so it should last.

 

5" of block will probably put you below scrub line. i would run 3" and adjust springs , either by de arching, or reverse the eyes. removing spring leafs will probably make it to soft and bottom out more.its not the quickest way but it is the best way.

 

i think im gonna do 3 in back de arch springs, and 3 in front. thanks for all the info guys. anyone else?

 

Doesn't Posies or someone make an aftermarket 2" dropped rear leaf spring set? I've got 2" dropped uprights, and 3" dropped coils in the front of my '54, and 2" blocks in the rear. I'm also trying to get the rear down more.

 

whats reverseing the eye?

 

You dearch the spring until it's flat then rearch the spring in the opposite direction. it makes the eyes go in the opposite direction. Sometimes you have to trim the first leaf to clear it when you reassemble the spring pack.

There is a trick to speed bumps with a lowered car ( or any car for that matter). never take 'em straight on. if you hit them at a slight angle one wheel at a time you can get over them a lot easier even with a lowered car.

I'm thinking if I wanted to lower the back more than 3" I'd probably de arch the spring, I usually don't try to use any more block than I have to it puts a lot of stress on everything. On the front I very seldom cut more than 1 to 1.5 coils when you start cutting too many coils you end up with no spring other than your tires. But that's your choice or mistake to make.

 

let the air outta the tires
that'll get ya low low

 

c notch the frame. buy shorter shocks.

 

I remember reading an article on reversing leafs somewhere... It was step by step with great photos and instructions. I'm going to try and look for it but if anyone else knows what I'm talking about just yell at me cause I kind of want to re-file this one in my own library... Thanks.

 

cj (johnny bondo) sold that car like a year ago. hes got a rodaster now. no more low and slow.