Lowered the Starchief, now the driveshaft is rubbing

That sounds exactly what I would like to do... but rivet the hell out of it instead of welding (for now).

 

What shocks are you using? Right now I have the body off my 57 starchief and I set the rear up with 3 inch blocks and there is no way a stock length shock would work. Mine had air shocks on it when I bought it but they ****. Ended up looking through the back of the shock catalog and findind the correct length, travel, etc... Only modification I did was enlarging the upper mount hole. Now the body is stiil off so I am unsure of how it will ride or if it will rub but good shocks should help a lot. Either way I love how it sits!

 

I'm using whatever shocks were already installed on the car. If I remember correctly, they are some sort of Monroe gas charged shock, but I was very surprised at how far they compressed. I thought I was going to need new shocks for sure.

Also, and maybe some others can chime in on this, but I didn't realize how much of a pain in the *** it was going to be to remove the rear tires! Besides doing the two-step jack boogie to get the car off of the ground I need to jack up the rearend, unbolt my shocks, let the rear droop and still have to get someone to (gently!) pry out on the body quarter panel to get the wheel and tire in or out. I can't wait until I get my skirts installed, but then that will be a whole other step added to the process. I had originally wanted to drop the rear 4", but if I do that with a block I don't think it will be possible to install/remove the rear tires.

 

I would cut the area out on the crossmember and run a plate accross and box it in, the back one rubbing is nothing a bfh couldn't fix. It's under the seat and the only one that would know is you.
Yea , taking tires on and off the back really ****. Anything wider than the 7.10 15's it really cut the room down to get them on and off.

 

Yeah, I tend to get carried away with this topic and I admit it. There are very few cars I like lowered. Some fat fendered cars and 49-51 Mercs. Most of em really just look plain stupid to me. I realize its probably a minority opinion.
I sure will be glad when this trend goes away

 

Bags, brotha...

 

Don't be affraid, just get the sawzall out and do what you got to do. I had to raise the tunnel way up when I bagged my Olds.

 

Here Here! I agree totally!

 

Trend? Well lets see, here are a few pics ranging from about 1955 to present day. Looks like the trend has been around for quite some time.(sorry to get O/T from the post)

 

I have 4 inch blocks under my 57 chevy. Had the same problem ref to
not being able to remove tires. Tried letting the air out of them and that worked pretty well. The best thing I came up with is 5 inch wheels and
an S-10 4X4 rearend. With my skirts on you cannot tell that the rims
are so small and the tires come right off without letting the air out.

 

cut it up and don't look back.

-danny

 

Sounds like a plan. How small can one go, dia/wall thickness?

 

Maybe your into speed, not style...

"from "twofosho" profile"

2001 Mustang coupe (daughter's car)
1993 Mustang conv (was her's)
1990 Dodge 3/4 ton 4X4 PU (everyone's gotta have a PU)
1990 Mustang conv (wreck bought from the salvage pool)
1989 Mustang conv (driver)
1988 Mustang conv (driver)
1984 Mercury C

I understand why you don't get it!

I did here on the news this morning that gas prices are going back down to .15 cents a gallon, people are burning there rock n' roll records and Pat Boon has a new top ten album.

Lowered cars are not a trend, it's a style you L7's!
where have you guy's been the last 50 (give or take) years....

 

I looked at the pics of your ride again. I must say the ponchos are smooth *** cool. It looks like the shaft was rubbing the worst at the back. The post of using wedge shape blocks will fix a lot of that as you need to correct the pinion angle when lowering that much. I use a drive line shop for this type of thing. They have the right **** and know what to recomend for the job. If you ever cut a old factory shaft down you'll **** when you see how thin it is!! I've never measured the tube on a stocker but it's thin as hell to start>>>>.

 

I just wanted to throw up this little update.

Here is the new driveshaft tunnel my brother-in-law fabbed up and welded into place. Since we were running short on time, I told him I would fibergl*** over the tunnel to seal/weatherproof it so he wouldn't have to run a bead along the entire outer perimeter.

Here it is, sorta, during the "lets-rip-off-the-headliner-and-try-to-strip-the-ceiling-to-bare-metal" party I had one night. Unfortunately, the only other participant to THIS party bailed really early. Talk about one ****ing hard *** job...


I spent the next night after work cleaning out the car, and here is how it looked with the the seats back in the car(the backside of the front seat was a little dusty in this pic).


And then, after installing an Ipod and two amplifiers I drove it to SM for the "Paso"/West Coast Customs show... stoopid me, the stock generator pretty much told me to "**** off" when trying to charge all that. A second battery didn't help even,,

So anyways.... I planning on bagging the rear of this car over the summer. Depending on how "soon" I get done... if I can shake out all the bugs I'll be at the Primer Nationals. If I finish a lot LATER than that, I'll be at the local Special Olympiics benefit car show.

However, I am getting a set of '72 Chevy rear 'truck-arm' suspension arms from a local junkyard. However, I'd really appreciate some help/info in fabbing up a C notch, panhard bar and probably some shock mounts... not too mention airbag mounts.

Anything from steel thickness, to (CHEAP) kits to plain ole advice is VERY appreciated.

Thanks!

~Bryant

 

It's not a trend and its not going away.
The 2" lowering kit in the rear of my 60 Comet is a NOS item made in the 60's.
Luckily I found the kit or I would have had to have custom u bolts made.
I have the original box the kit came in.
They've been lowering these old cars since they were new and I don't think you're gonna see a change in that anytime soon.

 

Like Paul Harvey used to say........"Now you know the rest of the story"
7 cars and oldest is an 84.

 

"two-step jack boogie"......I'll have to remember that.
Yeah my 60 is a PIA to remove the rear tires, even with the skirts removed, and it only has 2" blocks and some slightly sagging springs.
The shape of the wheelwells on mine doesn't help either.

 

WOW! That thing is SICK! Hit me up if you need a hand!

 

Chaz, sorry to say brotha, but this "trend" will never go away. You will be long gone before it is

 

They're never too low unless they're dangerous to drive. It looks good...