Technical Cutting coils...

I'm only guessing,you didn't understand my note? I was referring too putting low side wall new type tires on old car suspension*. The new low side wall tires{ Called rubberband tire by most of us} Have very little flex/very hard tire,no matter what dr.
If used on any car that was not designed from the factory to use low side wall tire,*then in a turn the front tire gets in put from caster an camber making those stiff tires lift part of there tread off the road=less grip an loss of control of both steering an braking in turn! Plus they ride hard an I think look like **** on older cars. Hope that clears it up for you !

 

I'm with you. Lowered cars look great. But the quick isn't always the way to go. If the rear springs are sagging? They will continue to sag. Buy cutting the front coils will not improve your stance or the ride. Handling goes away also. When you have the funds you should spend a few bucks and do it right.

 

you clear nothing up you are way off base on the function of modern low profile tires. first off what 60's independent front suspension isn't adjustable for neg or pos camber. radial tires like pos and old bias like more neg. the lower sidewall doesn't roll on sharp turns along with good modern shocks keep the tire planted to the pavement. hope this clears it up for you

 

Usually, when somebody who has been doing this for as many years as Dana speaks up, it pays to listen. Dana has more than a few seasons of racing under his belt and has lot's of first hand experience in applying suspension tuning and tire theories to actual cars in compe***ion, and has the trophies to back it up. I'm, just sayin....

 

Most old cars, which came from the manufacturer wearing bias-ply tires, are now wearing radials, with some mounted on OEM rims. Why? They drive better, last longer, etc. For those reasons, Coker Tire, possibly others, offers radial tires that look like bias-plies. Do you think that all of those old cars riding on radials have modern suspensions? Either a lot of people are wrong, or some are lacking common sense. I also wouldn't compare a 1963 Thunderbird to any race car.

 

The adjustments needed for rubber band front tires an big Die. rims ,on older cars,are not* with in what can be done with older car suspension. The hole front would have to be cut out ,an replaced with one from a car designed for them. At that point it could work. If done right,but the front would not be a danger in turns. Every time I see some fool put those rubber band tires with giant rims ,on a old car,it looks ugly an foolish too me an most other car guys as well.. Except for the guy who dropped maybe $1000 or so, on ugly rims an tires that ride ruff an are a danger to drive.<That guy will likelly try to defend to the death his screw up.

 

VERY good idea!!! Saved all that work and SWEAT'IN that the springs were gonna come flying out and "put-your- dam-eye-out!"
I'll remember that. Harbor Freight has those compressors I think.
6sally6

 

I wouldn't compare mounting 60, 65, or 70-series tires on a 14/15-in rim to putting "rubber-band" tires on 22+ inch rims. Anyone who requires a ladder to climb into/out of his car has a screw loose and shouldn't expect his car to be safe or handle. Some people will do anything to attract attention. If they only knew what people are thinking.

 

Not actually convinced that the rear springs are sagging. As others have pointed out, it sits like most early '60s T Birds. I just want some rake. I like the height of the rear, the front end is what looks high. I don't like that you can see the top of the tire in the wheel well...

 

1957

Hello,

When my brother got his first 1951 Oldsmobile two door Yellow sedan, it was stock height. But, for a big car, it looked lowered. With 4 -5 teenagers, it really looked lowered. So, that is something to consider when lowering your own car. Any height with p***engers will automatically lower the car. If it is too low to begin with, rims below the car frame/tank, then you are asking for big time problems, let alone getting a violation ticket from the local police or highway patrol.

When the 51 Oldsmobile rolled into the driveway of our Westside of Long Beach home, it was a Pale Yellow.

The original color from the factory at purchase time as a used car.

He tried all sorts of ways to see what height he wanted. Clamps did the trick in the front and it did give the overall look some “at***ude.” But, those early clamps were well known for coming off over hard bumps or intersection dips. Once the overall height was selected, then it was off to our local muffler shop for come cutting.

Luckily, our muffler guy was a great welder and construction person, besides doing all sorts of headers and muffler systems. He knew the technique, had the facilities and equipment for the lowering of the front end.

When the 51 Oldsmobile came back from the muffler shop, it looked really mean and definitely had some at***ude, for a big sedan. The stock height in the rear was complimenting the angle of the lowered front end. It was one and half inch cut for the front springs. My brother drove like this for quite some time. The main thing was with other teenage friends, the rear was lowered to compliment the front. It was a teenager cruiser to the letter. Now the spray can paints for the wheels came out for more experimenting.

Jnaki

On several days, his teenage friends always drove their hot rods and sedans over to our house for the usual teenage gab sessions. I was able to check out all of the cars in the driveway and street. I was given the job on those days to take off the hubcaps to tape them or mount them on the other teenager’s cars.

If the rim only look was the answer, I taped and sprayed the whole set of rims. But, usually, the exchange of hubcaps did the trick for someone’s tastes and cool looks of flippers, mini hubcaps, paint and of course those cool Moon Racing Equipment Aluminum Discs.

Note: My brother like the rake look of his big Oldsmobile sedan. But, when it was parked anywhere without anyone inside, it looked a little too high in the back. So, he had a lowering kit added for another inch of lowered look to his clean yellow Oldsmobile.

He had it this way and then added his own Moon Equipment Aluminum Discs to finish the look. If the Oldsmobile sedan was not fast, it was going to look fast and those Moon Discs did the trick.

Oldsmobile sedan Westside of Long Beach 1957

Check out what happens to teenagers when it is cruising time in old Long Beach, CA back in 1957. :09 has the answer… who cares if he hot rod or sedan is lowered? Ha!

So, why is the Oldsmobile sedan painted a Lime Green in the photos and movie? A good friend of the family lived around the block from us. We had known his family since back in 1950. When we made our last Westside of Long Beach house move, it was around the block from this family friend.

Over time during the teenage years, that good friend liked the Yellow Oldsmobile sedan with the Moon Discs on the rims. My brother was in the era of a Model A hot rod build construction phase and his friend wanted a new car for himself.

My brother got the idea of a fast sedan for daily driving and racing at Lion’s Dragstrip. So, he sold the Model A within a week to another friend and then was going to sell his Yellow Oldsmobile, too. His friend said that he would buy the 51 Oldsmobile sedan if were painted a Lime Green.

So, my brother had the whole car painted a Lime Green and his long time friend bought it on the spot. (After using the Lime Green Oldsmobile for many years, his friend, now in his 80s has no idea where the Oldsmobile may have wound up in So Cal…)

The 1951 Oldsmobile Sedan had the good angle on the rake. But, when his friends all got into the sedan, it became a very cautious drive in the teenage Bixby Knolls area. So, watch your lowering height and know that with friends or family inside of the already lowered car, or even on a rake, the car will border on the illegal status with added weight. YRMV