My eyes are not real good at telling when something is level or not unless its real drastic - so I use tape measure and level a bunch when checking stuff. My 37 Coupe came to me with totally stock front suspension and rear parallel leaves that were set up way too high, even with the rear axle saddles being so tall they acted like 3 inch lowering blocks. It was tail high and it was so drastic my eyes could see it. I got a TCI parallel leaf kit and installed it -- leaving the saddles that were already welded to the axle in place - and the result was a drastic tail draggin nose high stance. obvious even to me with my eyes. SOOO -- I tore apart the front suspension, pulled a few leaves out of the front spring and put in a 4 inch dropped axle, now I can't tell if its level, nose high, or tail high. It has equal size tires all around - too small for the car but they were free to use as rollers (205 55 15) Rear Frame horn is 14 inches from the floor and front frame horn is 12 3/4 inches from the floor. I have a level laying on the floor in a position that would be under the front seat - it still shows a slight nose high attitude but putting the level other places gives a different read. Where should I measure or put the level to determine what my eyeballs are unable to tell me ? It it is still nose high my next action would be to remove the tall rear end saddles and install the ones that came with the TCI springs to lift the rear about 1 3/4 inches from where it sits now. I live on roads that more closely resemble jeep trails than roads -- so doing a reverse eye spring to bring the front down even lower isn't really an option.
You need fenders and your front sheetmetal and your ACTUAL wheels and tires to get it right. No correct way to dial it in without these parts
Tman -- I'm Just trying to get a checkpoint here on whether I should swap the existing rear end saddles out for the ones TCI provided. Final dial in would of course be done with fenders on and tire size correction. For now I just need to figure out as it sits right now --is it nose high -- is it tail high or is it level. and my eyes can't tell -- so I need a reliable front and rear measurement spot or a reliable place to put a level to figure out where I'm at right now
I just measured my 40, At the rear I measured from the bottom of the frame to the floor right at the part where the bumper bracket goes. 17 inches. I also measured from the front bottom of the frame rail same deal right where the bumper bracket bolts on and 10 1/2 inches. My car sits on a nose down rake
That's the thing. There is no actual measurement. What looks right IS RIGHT! But, by looking at the door, it looks like it is nose down a bit. A good start until you can mock the rest up
Generally speaking, a 2 to 3 degree forward rake is desireable on a hot rod. But, as has been mentioned here already you can't figure it out without the tires you will actually use being installed.
To try and help the OP, try this: the levelest place on a whole lot of curved sheetmetal and frame would be the door window sill. Put a spirit level on that. Now, along with what others have said and knowing what actual stance you want (i.e.rake or tail drag etc.) will affect things, as will the weight of everything bolted on. Even a radiator full of water hanging out the front is quite weighty. It all makes a difference.
The tires I will actually use will be determined by how the thing sits -- if its level or not enough rake I'll do a rubber rake -- if its got enough rake well then same diameter all around with wider 70 series on back and narrower 75 series in front. I'm trying to set it all up with the same size all around just to see what I got -- If I start out with staggered rubber I could be way off and not know it. its really tough when your eyes don't see the angle of something until it gets extreme.
Your car looks very good -- and you've got a nearly 7 inch difference between front and rear -- I've got only 1 1/4 inch difference from front to rear -- sounds like I need to take out those big lowering spring saddles and put in the ones that came with the TCI kit.
you still have a lot of weight to add to the front of your car. I would wait until it is a little more put together, plus my rear tires are 8.20-15's and are 30 inches tall, the fronts are only 26 inches tall so I am getting 2 inches just from the tires
Do ya have the glass in it?! IF not run a straight 2X4 through the windshield and back window. place your level on the board. You're wayyy too early in the build to worry much about the stance. Like the other guys said... hundred pounds in the gas tank.........60+ radiator and water hanging on the front.......NO fenders etc. 6sally6
Way different car for me but I had to mock it like @Tman said, the rest of the body goes a long way to get it dialed. Even if it's just a one-sided mock up with clamps and a few nuts and bolts. I knew my car would have a decent amount of rake and while there was a bit of "let the chips fall where they may", there was measuring and such. But they overall eyeball test is important.
Working on stance without all the parts on it? Put it together then dial it in there are no measurements to dial in your stance. You either know it are ya don’t. but I’m I big tail dragger fan.
Bigs n littles! You can tell an average car from one that has stance. Usually the guy is too afraid to commit to real hot rod rubber and it shows. They are so afraid or stuck in the 80s Ralleye Wheel mindset that they run 7s with the same rubber all the way around. Even my daily driver GMC is getting 5s in the front with prob a 185 and 10s in the rear with 275 or 285s
If interested we can compare my 37 stance to yours. If this is what your after? I can measure whatever you’d like to go by and we’ll make a comparison. That way you may not need to add your parts. you’ll still have to contend with weight distribution when adding the engine etc.
During my brief pro career building, the rake or stance was the first thing we determined and the wheel/tire combo purchased. The typical big and little combo for hot rods. A 560/15 in front or radial equivalent and the rear could rage from 670-820/15 or radial equivalent. It didn’t make sense to build the car backwards. We didn’t build the car “level” then dial in a stance with tires. The stance was established first with all the body components installed. Measurements were taken from there to determine tire possibilities. We had several tire samples to roll under the car to get different looks. Do you want tires tucked up into the fenders, top of tire at the top of wheel openings …….. We could do this without things like the engine and trans installed. We were doing this to establish front spindle height and centerline for the rear axle. With this info we would set up the chassis. Upon final assembly, the minor adjustments needed after all the weight was on the car was simple. Sometimes changing a spring pack, adding or removing a leaf, adding or removing a spacer/block.
form the front body mount where it you put the bolt through to mount the body to the chassis is zero the one behind the b pillar is 80mm or 3 and and 1/8th inch higher than the front body mount hole so put a mark on the outer body at the body mounting hole at the chassis top at 80mm and fire a line to the front hole, that is level neville
If it's got running boards, put them on and stand back and eyeball it. If really fussy, put an angle gauge on the running board.
It never hurts to put a level on the drip rail or running board! Hahaha... but this car is a 98% ready roller! In an earlier iteration, I mocked the rake with a plywood wheel. With all that's added in this thread, I think you could get yourself an approximate set-up.
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