There were a few different instances where I mentioned that I'm using lowering blocks on my 47 Ford, and the reaction that I got was as if I insulted their mothers. Are lowering blocks that bad of a mod?
If your 1947 Ford still has the stock OEM rear driveline/banjo and transverse spring you can't use lowering blocks as there is no place to install them. They can't be used with a transverse spring set up. To use lowering blocks you must have parallel rear springs. The most common way of lowering the rear of cars with transverse springs (back in the day) was to install longer spring shackles. This lowers the rear but, it also causes the rear end of the car to sway back and forth a lot more. To help solve that problem, a panhard bar was installed. A better way to lower the rear of your car would be: 1. to install a reversed eye spring Posies sells these. 2. remove couple of leafs from your stock spring 3. install smaller tires This topic has been discussed many times on Fordbarn. The 5th photo shows the use of a spring spreader to remove the spring on a 1940 Ford. Find out if you need to safely remove the rear spring on a 1947. Read this: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=317423&highlight=lower+rear+end and https://www.google.com/search?q=how...i22i29i30l3.6945j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 When you install a modified or new spring the rear spring shackles should be at a 45 degree angle facing inward.
I'm running parallels from an old truck and it had it sitting way to high for my taste. Just curious as to why lowering blocks are considered a bad thing by some.
It's one of the first things I do to lower a leaf spring car, that and to reverse the shackle if needed. Tens of thousands of miles on them and no issues ever. Just be judicious about how big of a block you use, as the bolts can drop down below your scrub line. We had a situation (hilarious in retrospect) where a friend of ours got his Fairlane beached in a deep pothole in a parking lot. The tire went in and the U bolt hit the edge of the hole and hung up the tire. You also have to figure that now the block is going to act like a lever arm on the leaf spring under hard acceleration and deceleration, which I going to want to try to wrap the spring. Not big deal at all with like a 2" block, or if you don't have a very high HP scenario with a lot of tire to hook. Beyond that, it's a no-brainer.
Read about lowering blocks here: https://www.google.com/search?q=why...i57j0i546l5.6345j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 One disadvantage is that lowering blocks can change your pinion angle, scrub line and under vehicle road clearance if your blocks are too big. They can also make it difficult to change a tire.
With your Ford, you should have bought/made those spacers with the offset to center your axle in the wheel opening while you were there.
I'd check into redrilling the holes in the rearend so that you can space the rear back about another inch. Make sure your driveshaft will work or find another one. In the picture, your rear wheels aren't centered in the wheel wells, so while lowering it why not correct that as well?
I would start out removing a couple of leafs from the truck springs - post close up pic of rear springs
Straight, not angled, lowering blocks will change pinion angle but it changes both ends of the driveshaft so no induced vibration, angled blocks to “correct” pinion angle cause more headaches….
Anything in excess is usually not good, so a super tall lowering block will compromise scrub line, driveshaft angles, if not figured in at same time, rear end wrap up, etc. I fine tune ride height, after springs have settled, with blocks, but I'm talking 1. 1.5, 2" blocks. Hope this helps.
-Might be able to take out a leaf or two -I think these are 4" blocks -I think one eye goes up and the other goes down. Could I flip one eye to get it to sit lower?
If you desire, Speedway sells adjustable lowering blocks so you can lower it and adjust the wheel in the wheel well at the same time, if you've got more money than time to cut, try and redo. Just keep an eye on the amount of slip yoke in the transmission. They sell longer ones of those too. Tapered shims will cure the pinion angle problem. I wish I had a nickel for every car out there with lowering blocks. Some of these people worry too much. Good Luck.
UOTE="Robert J. Palmer, post: 14621620, member: 257566"]You do know they have run lowering blocks in oval track cars for years? [/QUOTE] Different animal.
I have run lowering blocks on lots of cars and trucks with no issue at all as long as pinion angle is considered.
Lowering blocks are a personal choice. In my mind it is a band-aid not a cure, so I don't use them. But to each their own. I'd rather see blocks than a car with it's *** in the air.
You could also take some arch out of the spring. Check out reverse eye spring threads, using a press or hammer, and take a bit out. You're not reversing the spring, just taking a bit of arch out. Spring shop here used to re-arch tired springs, you could do the opposite.
All the parallel leaf installs I've seen on these Fords (including my avatar) give you a stinkbug rake when you lower the front unless you use blocks. The big problem is the forward mount is on the bottom of the frame rails, it should be on the inside but there's a lot of 'stuff' in the way. I went with 2.25" blocks. My springs are already de-arched so no more available there. The big issue is finding shocks that will work, I used the CE setup but you have to pay attention to make sure you have enough room for full shock travel. There's multiple install options with this kit, pay attention. I had to buy the CE setup as the PO had home-brewed the shocks (and the springs too) and they were the bump stops. Broke the upper mounts... No issues with spring wind-up, but it's only a 302/C4. The blocks are cut-down 4" bits. You can cut the aluminum blocks on a table saw with a carbide blade, just cut slow.
I have seen old leaf springs break when they have a leaf or two removed. That if the work and crust and you hit the right type of road. In my case I added back the removed leaf and used 3” blocks. You can get lowered springs but sometimes those are north of 400.00-600.00 and you don’t always get the drop you want. hydraulic is a whole other animal, then the that other suspension we don’t talk about. Static drop on a rear leaf car or truck is pretty much lowering blocks. Not removing a leaf. on my ride even at stock height you have disconnect the shock to remove the rear tires. also don’t worry about peoples feelings on here. Just do what works for you.
I used lowering blocks in one of my cars for tons of miles and years and they never created a problem. I also on another car have reversed eyes, but the eyes weren't opposite. With your main leaf having opposed eyes, I'd think a different spring would be required.
I ran 2" lowering blocks in one of my cars until I bit the bullet and had the leaf springs re-arched. There was a big improvement in the ride and handling, but it does cost more. I have my opinion on what is the better option........... Shock length is important when lowering by re-arching. You can't lose 2" out of your shock travel and expect it to not bottom out. It is also dependant on what sort of power you are running. The more power you have, the less you should think about using lowering blocks. It is a simple leverage principle that can cause axle wrap/wheel hop. No fun... Depends what you want. Cheap and easy alternative for a low to mid power car?...... Go for it.
Statement of the week winner........ Just too funny. "Wallow": A verb that is good for describing hippos...... not vehicle suspension.
People worry about other folks opinions? I’ve run em. Put a zillion miles on em. I like to make em. Whatever it takes to fix the goofy OE stance My OT build has 3” blocks on 3” inch drop springs and a 4 inch channel (body drop for the younguns) Current beater is axle flipped, rearranged hangers with 2” spacers. Bout 14 inches worth of drop Got a coil spring c10 to do soon. Finally something super easy
people are funny in the opinions on stuff that they make up inside their brains. I made my own lowering blocks for the 3/4" wide so called weak springs in my V8 49 Chevrolet sedan. if "standard " power from a 350 would cause mayhem on a car with lowering blocks this would have been the car to do it. I drove that car hard and did burnouts and rapid dead stop accelerations and never had any issues. the pinion angle did not change, that is just goofy to think that. as for "scrub line issues" that is not caused by blocks it is caused by people being numbnuts. they were like 4" (?) and the way I did it the only thing hanging below the spring was the little nut on the bolt that runs through the springs. the U-bolts and nuts were above the bottom of the spring. I could have driven the car without tires on the rims if I wanted to. "lowering blocks" are not the cause of any of the problems people mentioned. not taking the time to figure what is going to work and what will not is the issue. ... that's how I go it figured anyways. your mileage may vary
I think I will side with the experts............. https://www.eatondetroitspring.com/why-lowering-and-lifting-blocks-can-cause-axle-wind-up/
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