I’ve seen a lot of info on Aerostar front coils. I’m only looking for a 1” or drop I read a link somewhere on the board where they used S10 coils & got about a inch drop. Has anyone seen these used before. Duralast FCS5662S
Guys have also used these to adjust height. https://www.energysuspensionparts.com/universal-coil-spring-isolators.asp If you have done an engine swap or are planning one that will affect ride height depending on the donor engines weight.
Gathering for a 5.0/AOD swapi the hopefully near future. From what I found online the 5.0 was 611 lbs & the 223 was 600 lbs.
I was under the ***umption from earlier stuff that a SBF 5.0 is more like 460lbs.? I am not sure, but maybe the 600 includes full dressing, and the 460# number is less accessories, etc? I am in a similar situation.. trying to get everything figured out right now. I have Granada spindles )machined to fit the 55), and Granada front brakes. My car is all original, and I am rebuilding the entire suspension, and trying to get the stance right. I still have the Y block (272), and later will swap to a 5.0 5 speed, so I know the stance will change from the weight change based on what I have read.
I stand corrected. Found the 223 weighing in at 385 & the 5.0 @ 450. Not sure where I got the 600’s at.
One thing to keep in mind is that whatever you do if it includes new springs, is that it will likely settle quite a bit over time. I put in the Moog Aerostar springs in mine and bet it has settled close to an inch more since I first put them in about 10 years (20k miles) ago. If you want that specific of a drop and don't want it to settle more, you might just consider some 1/2" thick spacers in the lower control arms. I started with that in mine (a set I made) and would actually just ship them to you if that was a possibility. I took mine out when I swapped springs later. If it is an option for you, I could see if I can find them. Pretty sure I know where they are...
Adjusting ride height is a lot of work, particularly if you're in the "old Farts" age group, and it WILL change with the finished drivetrain and other factors (A?C, etc). I was told my 4.6/4R70W was real close to the weight of my oem 223, and bought my new coil springs accordingly. Even with Granada spindles reamed for the 2" drop, it looked like a g***er when totally ***embled. I'd wait til you have the drivetrain installed. JFYI, in 1957, Ford used 9 different coil springs to ***ure that all '57s left the factory with the same ride height! That tells you small differences car-to-car will affect ride height.
This should clear things up Y-block VS SBF heights https://mainlineford.wordpress.com/2016/02/02/dropping-the-front-end/
I don't believe that is correct, at least it isn't for '57 geometry. On '57's, whatever you take off the spring height is actually doubled that for the resultant drop. I took 1 1/4" off (inches, not coils) and got almost a 2 1/2 drop, which is what I was looking for. I AM ***uming that 1 1/2 coils is more than 1" on the springs your talking about. As best I can tell, cutting a certain number of coils off doesn't mean diddly....it's the actual inches off the height that are needed for calculations. That of course may vary if your talking variable rate springs and some pretty complex math calculations.
That’s the exact same setup I have on my 56. Considering going to 3” blocks now that the kids don’t ride in the back with me as much.
When they do ride you could go with the 3" and these: https://www.carid.com/gabriel/hijackers-rear-air-adjustable-shock-absorbers-mpn-49105.html
Yes, mine is all stock other than being lowered like you mention. My front used to be higher, but settled to the point that it is slightly lower in the front now. I would rather it be slightly lower in the rear for the style I am after.
Appreciate the offer Guthrie No more than they cost the shipping would probably be more. I understand the multiple springs used by ford T 57. I had a broken coil on mine so I pulled one out of my parts car. Now I’m sitting lopsided in the front. Probably a good 1.5”. Exact same cars
you can check my blog posts over on hotrodreverend.com to see if any of the photos and information can be of ***istance to you. I began with the Aerostar coils and then ended up adding a 1" spacer. https://www.hotrodreverend.com/post/2019/09/13/1955-ford-part-84-tinkering-on-the-ford
I took 1 coil off my '59 stock 6-cylinder springs. The stock rate was 410 lbs/inch, the new rate is around 495 and it rides well. The next time the car is apart I'll take another 1/2 coil. With the 15" radials they do hit the fenders on tight turns or going up driveways.
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