1952-59 Ford Front Springs - Replacements?

I found out the other day when I took the '56 for alignment that it has a slight height difference left to right front of about 7/8" - not critical enough to keep it off the road but still. . .

Springs were about the only thing that didn't get replaced. I'm not looking for any dramatic height change from stock & with manual steering maybe just a bit lower would be okay. I don't want to do anything to adversely affect ride & handling quality.

Thought I saw someplace where Aerostar springs work on these cars?

Who else has replaced the front springs, what did you use, and do you have a good source for them?

Thx
Ron

 

Ron I used ford aerostar coils on mine. They are from a 1990 (and other years) 3.0 and 4.0 engine. I have only had a few test drives, but couldn't be happier so far. Here is the thread with all the info. It will lower the car a couple inches or so in the front. Cost $60 for the pair locally, hard to beat that! You should be able to look up at any local part store and they probably have in stock, or can get next day for you. Moog Part #CC850

I have heard from a lot of people doing this swap, havent heard any negative about it.

Aerostar Coil Springs

Take a look over page 7, one of our members desertdroog has some good info and pics out there on his 54 customline he did the swap on. He used the same KYB shocks I did.

I then put KYB shocks on the front and back. The KYB rear shock part # is KG5517 and the front KYB # is KG4503

 

Slam it, Ron! You know you want to!

 

The lower mine gets, the better it looks

 

CT I have to agree. Your car looks great.

Ron, the car is coming together beautifully. I say go with the Aerostar springs.

 

Nice going, Ron. Keep shaking the gate on the asylum. Ok, everyone takes the orange pill before going into the garage................

 

Oh no! Here we go again . . . John I think I take one of them orange ones, and maybe with a kool-aid chaser?

Sounds like a pretty good solution. I guess I could live with a 2" drop in height up front.

Thanks

 

streetdreams
Nice going, Ron. Keep shaking the gate on the asylum. Ok, everyone takes the orange pill before going into the garage................

raceron1120Oh no! Here we go again . . . John I think I take one of them orange ones, and maybe with a kool-aid chaser?

No...no...nooooo! You guys got it all wrong! The orange pill makes everything look all tall and high! It's the blue pill that makes everything look so low and so goooooooood!



Mmmmmmmmmmmm! Like this!

 

I think I saw a lawnmower like that on sale at Sears

 

I took the blue pill and you know what? It does look better! I'm lighting the torch and heating those coils right now !!!!

 

Seriously, A-star springs sounds like the thing to do, I can live with a 2" drop up front. Thanks to all for the input.

Man, I haven't even driven it yet and now it's gonna rain all weekend.

ron

 

I just couldn't resist the opportunity to twist your tail a little, Ron. Scott did the photoshop for me at a moment's notice and did a mighty fine job.

I think we're all a little jealous now that your car is done and on the road. It turned out absolutely spectacular in all respects. You have every reason to be proud!

Congratulations again!

(Now if only the dag nabbed rain would stop, eh?)

 

Hey Ron,

I did the Aerostar springs on my '53 about a half year ago; dropped the car about 2" from the worn-out coils; between the springs and gas shocks, it drives MUCH better.

Now, I just have to find an inexpensive rear spring that goes in - hopefully one that'll drop it some.

-Bill

 

We're going with the A-Star springs? Ooops.

 

streetdreams
We're going with the A-Star springs? Ooops

Slip Ron a few of the blue pills, will ya' John. Maybe then he won't make you raise it back up with the Aerostar springs!

 

re: "...Scott did the photoshop for me at a moment's notice and did a mighty fine job. . ."

Yeah, but I knew it wasn't mine, not only cuz of the low stance but front bumper guards, front antenna, mirror placement etc. kinda gave it away.

Go ahead, have fun. Now you got me thinkin' about heading to inner city Deetroit, maybe down on 8 mile road I can find me a set of 20 inchers, some highriders and a trunk full of hippy-hop for it - guess I'd better find me an obama sticker first though if I want to survive to tell about it NOT

 

ive got aerostar springs waiting to go in mine . just a word of caution if you want to call it that . i weak rear spring can cause the same thing to happen . weak on the one side rear will actualy raise the opisite side front .

 

Hey fellas...I'm heading out to the garage as we speak to put in my Aerostar coils...I'll take measurements and post pics of before and after...granted the motor is sitting on the engine stand at the moment, so the front end is WAY up right now...lol; kind of like how it'll look as I launch off the line at a green light!!!? ... NOT! ...putting the original flatti back in her...that'll be in, in a couple weeks, waiting for it to stop raining (humidity issue) so I can paint it.

Anyway, Off to the garage I go! I'll still post results...

 

got a fat man frame stub and heidts mustang II set up. replaced springs that came with heidts stuff for actual mII v8 w/air cond springs. raised it about 2 inches, but has settled now. question is, it drives fine for me alone in it, but i start adding people (wife and 2 kids), it rubs top of wheel well on left turns. does fine turning right, sits level side to side. i think stock mII springs are 325 lb rate. do i need to go up another spring rate? add (new) rubber bushings on top of spring in the spring hat? sway bar? any suggestions would be nice. thanks in advance guys. oh yeah, im running late model 302/aod w/8in rear. and an fyi for those looking for reasonably priced leaf springs, i suggest st louis spring company. good work, fair prices and quick turnaround time.

 

dwaynerz
got a fat man frame stub and heidts mustang II set up. replaced springs that came with heidts stuff for actual mII v8 w/air cond springs. raised it about 2 inches, but has settled now. question is, it drives fine for me alone in it, but i start adding people (wife and 2 kids), it rubs top of wheel well on left turns. does fine turning right, sits level side to side. i think stock mII springs are 325 lb rate. do i need to go up another spring rate? add (new) rubber bushings on top of spring in the spring hat? sway bar? any suggestions would be nice.

I am not a fan of raising the car to eliminate fender lip rub...probably because I like cars low with everything "tucked in tight". They just look better to my eye that way.

Wheel offset, tire diameter and tread width can all be adjusted without raising the car to improve the "rubbage" situation, if that's what your goal is.

Keep in mind, however, that lowered cars often have minor rubs like yours. You are not the first or only person to experience this. Many experienced lowered car owners simply learn not to turn the wheel quite so far...and live with it.

 

i like my cars low as well. to be more clear, the tire is rubbing on the fender well, not the fender lip. and only when i have family or freinds riding with me. by myself, it rubs on occasion when turning left, or going around a left hand curve. turning right, i dont have this problem even with people with me. the tire size is 215/70/15 all the way around. since replacing with stock mII springs, i have greatly reduced any frame contact. now i want to eleiminate as much as possible any upper fender wheel well rubbing when out and about with more people in car than just me.
any ideas anybody? i dont have easy access to commercial scales for weight totals, altho i know im going to need that before anybody can give me more than general ideas.
i do appreciate the reply tho missysdad. i may not have been entirely clear on where im having my troubles.

 

i hate to say this but without actualy seeing it i cant picture it . is there any {good} independent alingment shops around you . not wallyworld or the big name tire stores . most there employees were flipping hamburgers the week before you got there . and cant figure nothing out . i would try to find one and have them look at it . i know here there are a couple and one guy has hot rods himself .

 

dwaynerz wrote:
...any suggestions would be nice. thanks in advance guys.

You might also bend the inner flange of your front wheel openings up out of the way -- you can do it without damaging the paint if you're careful. Helped on my '56.

edit: Woop, just read your last post. Are you SURE it's rubbing inside rather than outside? Maybe the 215/70 section is the problem -- I have 205/75s on mine.

 

yeah, im sure where its rubbing, as i can see the paint/undercoating being replaced by shiny metal from the tire rubbing the tires are tucked in about 5 inches from widest point on the sidewall (tire bulge) to the inside of the fenderlip. it does rub occasionally on the frame when i turn, but i have figured out it wont turn any sharper with that happening, so i back off a bit. as far as posting pics, as soon as i can figure out how to get them from where they are to where i want them, it would be sooooo much easier to see what im trying to say. i have installed replacement MII springs, not the ones so many companys have, but real MII springs with the flattened coil on top. thanks for all the replies tho. this site is a blessing for those of us trying to learn.

 

might have to try the 205/75. will give me just a bit more clearance all the way around.

 

ok guys. how do i get my pics posted here.

 

ok, i figured out how to load a few pics. i made an "album" of a couple pics. i really need to take a few more from someplace more interesting than my driveway with something besides my camper as a back drop. not sure where the pics went, will have to work on making a link for those i suppose. will poke around some more to see if i can find them. or, if you find them, let me know where they went.

 

If this is one of them, they are in your album.

To move them from your album to this thread, right-click on the photo, select "copy" from the menue which will appear.

Then open the HAMB message box in which you want the photo to appear. Position the curser in the place you want the photo to appear.

Then go to your command ****on bar, select "edit", click on "paste" and you're done. The photo will appear in the message box.

To add a photo to an existing message or thread post, use the "edit" ****on at the bottom of the post and then proceed as above.

To get photos from locations other than your HAMB album, use Image Shack. I will bump the tutorial...written by our photo geek, Scott (Skoh73)...up so you can find it easily.




Nice car! I'll let you continue to explain your problem. I'm still not sure where your rubbage is taking place. Where exactly does your tire rub?

 

can you put either a wider ofset wheel on it or a wheel spacer to see if it cures the problem? maybe a budy has a couple of wheels you could try. it may be deceiving but your car dont look that low to me that it should have the tires rubbing the inner fender wel. but also i dont rmember anyone here saying yet there running a m2 under one of these cars . might be wrong. so it might be hard to give advice on something were not doing. ive got a m2 in my 48 2 door sedan but its still in the frame off mode . my 55 fairlane is still stock front end.just with diffrent spindles. and your picture are in your profile in yout album.

 

where i am getting my rubbing at is at the top of the wheel well, on the right side only. if you were to remove the wheel for lets say a brake job, and you put your head into the wheel well opening, turn your head so you would be looking straight up. thats where im getting the rubbing at. but only with p***engers, and rarely if ever when im by myself. it is more pronouced when turning left (with p***engers) i ***ume because of body roll. i am the heaviest person in the car at 230+/- . im wondering if i need to step up to heavier springs, because when i updated to new, original equipment MII springs, all rubbing stopped. swell, at least until the prings settled. i was under the impression that would take several hundred miles, and this problem has returned after only a couple hundred. maybe i got lucky.
im not sure wheel spacers or a different offset would cure my problem, but stranger things have happened. cheap/easy/free repairs are good right? i have a fatman frame stub w/MII. was bought this way. i am just trying to work out some of the things that bother me. and having to go around curves/corners while at the same time waiting for if/when im going to get wheel rub is kind of taking the fun out of driving. old cars ... aint they neat?
thanks for the info on my album. i posted it late last night and was too tired to be on this darn thing any longer. also, thanks for the compliment on the car, and all the help that has been given so far.
perhaps a sway bar would help as well.......