Lowering a 1959 Cadillac or GM

I am looking for suggestions on lowering my '59 Caddy. I dont want to give up ride quality and want to do it right. Maybe about 2".

Anyone here done a similar GM car with coils all the way around?

Thanks,
Hyfire

 

I know there are a few companies that make lowering spring's for 60's chevy's, like Impala's and such......i doubt they would work for the Cad, but maybe there's a way of contacting the company making the springs for them to see if there's an application.

 

I lowerted my 59 buick which is similar. I took the rears out and replaced with a 6" shorter spring. I took the fronts out and cut a coil. I like the ride. TP

 

We used Eaton Detroit springs on our '57 The rear leafs are 2" and the front coils are 1 1/2" lower. If I recall correctly they are their hot rod springs.
http://www.eatonsprings.com/products.htm

I thought they were great to deal with and I like the stance of the car.

 

Air Ride

 

jamco makes dropped coils for 59 caddys

 

bag it

 

Readjust the ride height setting on the air valve linkage to the factory air ride. HA- fat chance of that!

Even in 1966 I couldn't get all necessary misc. valves from the dealer to reinstall the air ride on my 58 Bonneville. Not to mention the guts to the air pump. It was typical for mechanics to remove piston conrod assemblies when the air ride was removed, because the air pump was integrated with the power steering pump (concentric shaft and married housings), not unlike the power steering/generator setup of tri-five Chevs). A common misconception about the factory air ride was that the air bags split or blew out, it was far more common for the height control valves to fail and drop the car to the ground (especially after it had been sitting for any length of time). The steel cans the air bags seated into were prone to rusting out with age (from water in the compressed air), also.

I say all this because piecing back the factory air ride might be a viable alternative (depending on cost) to an generic aftermarket setup.

Seriously though, the quick and dirty and cheap is to chop a coil off the springs (start with less if the coils are all the same diameter) with a cut off disc in your handy dandy die grinder. If you use a hot wrench it's possible with them still in the car, but probably far easier and safer and more accurate if you get a spring compressor and take the time to remove them from the car and use the die grinder. If you don't go to radical, you shouldn't even need to remount your shocks or trim the bump stops. Chopping a coil will stiffen the spring rate about 10%.

 

Throw heavy stuff in the trunk, you know, traditional. =)

 

Here at Jamco, We can make a set of lowered springs for nearly any application with any engine / model combo.

 

Jamco can help you or if you want you can do an air ride system I have a 59 caddy and that is what I installed about 4 years ago.

 

He speaks!

~Jason