i've been building this 46 ford coupe for a while now, and its finally starting to reach the home stretch. i recently cut the coils down up front (to lower the car, shouldnt have to explain but i have had to do so three times this week) and im waiting on parts to come in to lower the rear. i could use some advise on my ride hieght though, when does low become too low? the ride hieght will be static, no bags, no adjustments... the final ride hieght in the rear will be 4 inches, and 5 inches in the front, measured from the ground to lowest point of fenders. i plan on driving this car daily, but dont want to be tearing equipment up. any suggestions? would also like to know what you think of the ride height as it sits now, be honest. critisism is alot like a hammer, you can do some serious beating with it, but its a constructive none the less. thanks -jim
Lowest point on fenders is not important. Lowest point on car is. What's gonna hit the ground when you hit a dip in the road? Ya gonna scruff the frame or rip the oil pan open?
Your suspension should have 4" minimum or if you have a flat nothing will drag and cause loss of control. The exhaust is a no brainer. Get used to really reading the road to avoid major damage/contact.
Looks really good where it is. I ***ume the flat tire is to simulate where the back end will be when lowered. And yes low can be too low if taken to the extreme.
consult local laws. in washington if the tire goes flat, the only part that can touch the ground is the wheel. and yes, it can be too low if it drags badly going in and out if places. to low can damage steering and oil pans by hitting things and bash the bumper/fenders into parking stall stops. me, l like them low, look at my truck, l just have to be careful coming and going out of places & when parking. Later
Im Currently building a Hot Rod T-Bucket and i set it up at 6 inches at the lowest all around, and i plan on driving this thing everywhere i can, so at 4 inches in the back might get tough in some wierd parking lots but you just have to drive it knowing its low..
OK so... I'm pulling the drop spindles off the front of my ride cuz its too low. My biggest concern, besides a more traditional tail dragger look, is scrub line. No part of your car should be below the wheel, in case of a blow-out your car wont dig the frame into the ground and veer one eway or the other. Being able to drive the thing without cringing every time it bottoms out is a definite plus.
Safety side covered, it has to suit what driving you do, roads etc. I've had seriously low 50/60's cars that were weekend cruisers aswell as dailys. Great for driving every now and then but a PITA as a daily and dislodging your kidneys everytime you hit a 4" deep pothole gets boring real quick. Plus you look a right knob bouncing around in your seat like your having a fit. Roads in general here are ****e. Maybe mellowing with age but a nice static 2-3" drop on most 50/60's cars seems to do the trick for me nowadays.
Four inches is optimum...if that means the frame is four inches above the surface (and nothing hangs below the frame, then you're good to go...I've been driving all my cars that low for many years and never had a problem (with exhaust, flat tires, oil pan or anything else). My Cadillac sits right at four inches (and you can see it here): http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=329070&highlight=the+best+55+caddy+build and I put on over 5500 miles last summer...hiway and city street miles. But it's like Slammed said: Get used to really reading the road to avoid major damage/contact. R-<!-- / message -->
I thought it looked pretty good in the pics. Maybe you want to rethink an adjustable suspension(air) if you want it lower.
daily driven!!!!! NO AIR!! rides like a caddy..i have reversed eye springs with 2 removed and same with the back end(all posies dropped) and i lengthened the shackles 2 inches as well...been driving it for 3 years or more like this. Never an issue as long as your a smart driver!
Put some air in the back tires and you'll get a few more inches. Hah! J/K I built my car around a 4" ride height. So far it p***es the "jump up and down as hard as you can on the front crossmember" test.
Agree, also think if you have a flat, is the lowest point on the car going to hit/drag? I found out the hard way on mine....not a good feeling.
My T is 4.5 inches to the oil pan, lowest point. Scrub line is OK. 6 years, 10,000 miles, only dragged a couple of times in driveways. I have a scrub plate on the oil pan. But it is just a T-bucket. Bill
thamks guys, the fenders are the lowest spots on the car, the frame has 5+1/2 inches clearance at the cross member. and the oil pan is higher than the cros member. exhaust is ran throught the frame, and exits above the bumper barces, which have skate board wheels recessed into them so they hit before the bumper will. even with all 4 tires completly flat, the body/frame still doesnt touch ground. . . . i just dont want any surprises and would like opinions on how it looks, thanks again -jim
You're on or near the limit, aesthetically, I think. Ride height from the photos looks great. I'd be tempted to take it down a little further, but thats just one opinion, and as chopped51 mentioned as long as you don't rip the sump out you're golden. Great lookin ride, good luck
so, what kind of suspension do you have with coil springs? cut coils can lead to a very rough ride. Before going any further get thw size rims/tires you will be running on it. can just be rollers for now. front tires look too big and rears too small. what kind of rearend and suspension? nice shop. keep us posted.
you are looking good to me ive lowered my 38 61/2 inches all round.i reckon ill have to trim the nose a little and grind a bracket off the torque converter cover.ive more clearance than a stock c5 ive only scrope that in and out of driveways and speed humps which i approach diagonally.braking as you approach speed humps and letting off the brakes at the last moment kindof bounces the car over the humps it works try it
suspension is 68 ford rear axle with leaf springs and a 78 olds front frame stub with coils. i measured spring rate of the springs before cutting and after... they only changed 3lbs total, so stiff ride shouldnt be an issue. Jalopy Joker, the shop is my college cl*** actually, im enrolled in a Motorsports Tech course.
great that you are getting some extra training. if you have problems with tire clearance, even 6" rim/narrow tire, there are narrowed upper A arms on the market. many will not like to hear this but, just measured to ground clearance for front of Wife's '50 Chevy PU with Volare front suspension: front bumper 4 1/2" - front crossmember 3" - rear of front fenders 4". yes, in some situations it does s****e the crossmember/bumper. had a front tire go flat at 80 MPH on freeway heading home from the Winfield&Watson Show with no problems. Except it was late Sunday in a small town and had to spend the Night there to get a new matching tire Monday.
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