lowering a 55ford

just got the 55 out of storage and its time to lower the front end. Has anyone here cut the coils on one? if so how much did you cut? Also would i be better off using a different method for lowering the front. I would like to get it down anywhere from 1-4 inches depending on whats best.. 1.5 in the front would be nice but 4 in the front would be the best. Anyone that can help me out with some info it would be much appreciated.

Baggs

 

I'm presuming you have a 55 car, so all you have to do is cut a coil and a half and grind the rivets that hold the spring perch to the lower control arm and bolt a piece if 1" key stock between the two using grade 8 bolts. Should lower it about 3".

 

really...have you done this? how is the ride after cutting them. Do you have any pictures of the install or anything like that. Yes it is a car. sorry forgot to write it in there

 

please also..im a little new to this...what do you mean by key stock?

 

I cut 1 coil on my 55 Wagon, it rides fine most of the time but is a little rough on bad streets. When I bought the car it had spacers on the lower A frames with stock springs, I cut a coil and it was pretty much undrivable(sure looked *****in though), I took the spacers out and that pretty much cured it. Its probably 2 to 3 inches lower then stock in front and I have 2" blocks in back. Probably can't see enough but my avatar is the car. Good Luck.

 

so if i cut one coil out that should pretty much get it sitting like your wagon? ive seen the wagon before and i love how it sits. The coils that are on your car...are they pretty tightly wound..as in is there not alot of room between each coil or are the spaced apart quite a bit? I only ask this because the ones on my car are pretty tightly wound and cutting one coil just doesnt seem like it will drop it that much?? just curious.

thanks

baggs

 

one more thing...could you explain what kind of spacer was on the a arm? i just got this car and im learning more and more as days go by so dont light me up too bad for asking simple questions.

 

The springs in my wagon are just the stock springs that have been in it all its life. The only car I have ever been able to cut more then one coil on was my 59 El Camino. I was hoping maybe you had seen my car, one coil should do it. The spacers are put in the lower A-frame and you have to drill or grind out the rivets in the A-frame and put a spacer the length of the A-frame and it spaces the bottom of the A-frame approximately 3/4 to 1"
lower. Cutting one coil is a better way to me then the spacer route. I have a set of the spacers if you decide to go that way. I don't know where you are located, but you could
PM me and we could get together somehow, somewhere, sometime.

 

alright sounds good to me..yeah i really like your car looks really good with the wide whites and the steelies. well hopefully ill run into ya sometime and mine will be sitting much lower. thanks for the input.

baggs

 

Back in 56 I cut the front coil springs 1 rung and put 4 inch blocks in the rear on my 1955. It rode fine and I had no problems at all.

 

i am located in hugo..

 

I cut 1 1/2 coils off my front end and have 3" blocks with de arched leaf springs and reversed rear leaf shackles. All told my car is 5" lower in front and 7" in the rear. I rides a little rough on bad streets (with only 2 inches travel in the rear) and changing rear tires is a *****, but not as bad as some trucks I've been in that we only half as low as my car.

Also, if you can, go to an off road place and get the cast steel blocks. these are WAAAAY better than the cheap aluminum blocks that you would get at Pep Boys.

 

Thanks for all the input guys i really appreciate it...i was really worried about gettin some **** for not knowing that much...im still pretty new to the hot rod scene and this site has helped me out alot..

baggs

 

Do you have any pictures of your car after you lowered it??

 

Before you go and cut your front springs , if you go on ebay and look up 55 Ford , there is a few guys on there that sell the lowering blocks for the front end ! I would do that before I would cut the springs !
I also have a 55 Ford Fairlane and that is the way I will do mine . That way you still have the spring travel . Just my 2 cents !

 

i searched ebay for them and couldnt find them

 

Do you sometimes get the idea that you're the only one who can see your post?

 

If the '55 in your avatar is the same '55 in question, then I sure would like to see some larger pictures of it, as I'm sure everybody else would also.

 

funny how that works

 

Here is the item number --220413854948

 

This is how it works......the "key stock" is square bar, maybe 1 x 1? The spring pans are removed from the lower A-arm by cutting off the rivets with a grinder. Then the square bars are re-installed (with 1/4 Grade 8 bolts) as a spacer to drop the lower end of the spring - lowering the car.

 

yes that is the car that im talking about..the picture up in the avatar is phot shopped to look lower and there are some other computer modifications in that pic...but i do have some that are pictures of how it looks for real. ill get some up on here soon. i did post some earlier. ill find the post and repost it.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=629539&d=1238363920

see if that works. that is a pic of my wifes grandpas cars..the green one is the one that im driving and hoping to own soon. Here grandpa p***ed away a year ago in march. Her grandmother said i can buy the car when shes ready to sell it. but i can use it as my own whenever i want which is pretty cool

 

her grandpa also has a rare 58 olds 98 2 dr hartop that is all original...paint and everything..and it looks as good as those fords.

 

Those are some nice Fords. I love the Aqua color on the 2 door post car.

 

thanks.. i love the victoria hardtop...but its pink...the victoria is a nicer body and interior...but both are immaculate. The vicky has a 312 y block in it..but the post has a 390 fe which is much more fun to drive

 

Worked great for me!Actally I bought the kit from Night Prowlers.Mine rides good except the rear bottoms out since I put 4" blocks in the rear.

 

there was a post on here about a year ago about using ford aerostar coil springs. I went to advance auto and bought new coil springs for a 1990 ford aerostar and they are a direct bolt in same spring rate and everything, just about 3 inches shorter. the ride is very nice and i only paid 48.00 for 2 springs.

 

I wish I would have known some of this stuff, or have thought to ask it, before I sold my '56 wagon.

 

Here's a pic of the wagon I sold.