So i have never messed with my leaf springs or anything, but i realized after going to the sacramento hamb breakfast at dennys that my leaf springs shackles were upside down (thanks to ericshoebox), ill put a picture up soon, so i reversed them to the way (i guess) they should be, and it looked great! lowered the car in the back about 2 inches and leveled it... well... my exhaust pipes hit my axle when i stood on my rear bumper to make sure when i bounced up and down the road that nothing would hit, good thing i did. I know its alot to ask for but can i see some pictures of guys who have their cars lowered exhausts right over the axle? im debating whether to bring them out in front of the back wheels or just figure out how to either re-route the pipes some how or just make them really close to the body. Im not totally sure how to go about doing this one yet so any advice would help! Thanks ~~Luke
Your tail pipes were probably made after the shackles were flipped...by a lazy muffler guy who didn't tuck the pipes up tight like they should be because he had lots of space and didn't have to. Now that the rear axle is where it belongs, a trip to a good muffler shop for new tail pipes should handle the situation easily. PS: Don't even think about running the pipes out the sides. No matter how neatly it's done, it still looks like ****.
"PS: Don't even think about running the pipes out the sides. No matter how neatly it's done, it still looks like ****." Hey! I resemble that remark . Agreed! tuck 'em
ok sweet. I have 2 1/4 inch pipe. i guess it will still fit? im going to take it in tomorrow to get them redone. thanks!
Yikes! hey Eric, ain't running pipes out the sides considered 'custom'? I had 'em like that on my NOPowAR Satellite 'vert years ago, they dumped down just in front of the rear wheel openings. But doggone it, NO angel hair Seriously - yeah that was so 70s!. Out the back, un-hillbilly style looks cool, sounds great.
Hey, how do you guys feel about the exhaust coming out from behind the front wheels? I know a bunch of you will be mad at me for even thinking this, but I'm really considering taking them that way. Cutting a hole in the body and run it our right behind the wheel well.
The carbon monoxide will get ****ed right into the window vents,Bad idea! We would all miss Ya' here in the group.
I agree with you Jeff, they should dump BEHIND the p***enger compartment, not in front of it. I don't think I'd do that either. ron
Nothing wrong with no mufflers! I heard lake pipes on ericshoebox's 51 ford for the first time and they sound good!
Nope, not a thing wrong with straight unrestricted pipes. Personal preference (and local tolerance levels by law enforcement) dictates.
I grew up in an era when guys did all kinds of goofy stuff to their cars, but the trends that have endured are the more moderate, well-thought-out and well-executed ones. You're more than welcome to repeat the mistakes of the past. After all, isn't that what youth is all about? Good luck!
Most of the lake pipes I have seen are for show use only. Does anyone make working lake pipes? I will have to post a pic of the exhaust tips I will be using on my car when I redo the exhaust system.
yes most of the pipes ive seen are real . the caps over the end of the pipe are meant to cap off the exhaust from coming out when not wanted . there made to be installed with a T so you can uncap your exhaust and run it wide open .
OK... I will just settle for straight pipes then. Although, I was wondering how well the smithys sound with a 292. Anybody have that set up?
I've got a buddy that has a 292 with 26 inch gl*** packs that run out the back..... It sounds absolutely *****en! Straight pipes will be a bit loud and resonate in the interior and drive you nuts! I have 26 inch gl*** packs on my car running a 350 chevy..... love how it sounds when I get on it! The only concern that I have with running side pipes is that they get hot and you WILL eventually burn your leg getting out! Most of all have fun.... try everything out and see how YOU like it.
yeah i have 18 inch gl***packs and they sound good, not too loud but still lets people know when im around. lol
Is it the shorter the gl*** pack, the louder it is? i've always been confused by this. But I figured since there was less travel thru the packs it would be louder.
Yeah, the shorter the muffler the louder the car will be. And yeah, running functional lakes pipes and cut outs is kind of uncommon (in the grand scheme of things) these days, but its not unheard of. I've got dump tubes that are pretty much always open, Im switching to full length lakes (I think) before summer. Now, are you gonna lower it at all? Or just wanted it factory ride height?
One other thing about gl***packs.... the more you run hot exhaust through them the more the packing gets saturated with heat/exhaust debris and packing that gets blown out of them the louder they get too. I've noticed a difference since new.... a good difference!
yeah same here geno. Mine have slowly gotten louder and a little poppy but it sounds old school. definately recomend!
my car actualy has a fairly new set of gl*** packs on it now . i havent measured them . and there realitivly quiet . one way to make them louder is to get them hot then hit them with a water hose . oreilys gave me a pair of there raptors tourbos to go on my car . im not sure if ill put them on it . might do that and run them through the lakes .
alrighty guys, had the exhaust guys redo the pipes for me aver the rear axle. lowered the car and everything is good. the car looks lower in the back but its 9" before the back wheel and 9" after the back wheel (off the ground) does that sound about right for the original height? but long story short, i got the pipes redone and everything is good!
I remember in 1960 I had a friend who had a 53 Chevy convertible and he put lake pipes on it and hooked them up. They sounded great but his girl friend didn't like them, because the first time she got out of the car she burnt her leg on them! So beware if you hook them up.
Went to the first car show of the year tonight- followed a fellow HAMBer down, really nice guy. He's got a 54 chev and is running straight pipes- HOLY ****!!! I couldn't even hear my own car! Reminded me of the footage that I've seen of the WWII "buzz bombs" that the Germans sent over England.
I like the way the back end of your car sits now. And, I'll bet it rides and handles a bunch better, too. Reversed shackles tend to increase sway and give the car a bit of a "twitchy" feeling of minor instability, especially on roads that are less than perfectly flat. Now... Are you planning on going the Aerostar spring route or 3" drop coil springs from Jamco? Either one will bring your front end down to match the rear without being either expensive or troublesome. The "taildragger" look was definately "out" on "late model" cars by the late '50s. The well-built cars of the period were low and level. Of course you'll need to have your front end realigned by a shop that understands early Ford front ends. Your '53 does not have ball joints and aligns in a completely different manner than modern front ends. You'll be able to find a shop in your area that can deal with it, but it might take some looking. Also... Keep in mind Geno's advice: Jamco carries upper control arm brackets which can be used to increase the amount of available camber if your coil spring change requires more. If the shop can't remove all the inward lean of the wheel at the top through alignment, you'll need these brackets. You are making great progress on your car. I'll bet your grandmother is very proud of you and the way you are taking care of her car.
Thanks missysdad! Yeah it does handle much better, i dont drive it much faster than 45 on the kind of roads i drive on, but like you said, it doesnt have that sway back and forth now! Im not totally sure what im going to do about the front springs just yet, my grandma told me that having the back end a little lower is what her and her friends use to do back in the day. So i might keep the "taildragger" look because she said that is what she did. And speaking of finding a place to align! i stopped by the transmission shop in my little town, and he is fixing up a 54 customline! And for stuff like that he said i could bring it to his shop. Pretty cool guy, i told him to join the hamb and join the group, he has alot of info too. But yeah my grandma is very happy with how the car is coming, i think im going to take her to a show kinda by her house in it for mothers day, ill try to get her to drive it but she always says "im too spoiled with my new car with power steering, i dont think i need too work out to drive" lol
your car looks great! I to just reversed my shackles with 3 inch blocks in the back! I too had that swaying feeling in the rear without the shackles reversed. I think I might keep that taildragger look until I decide to change it up! What size blocks were you running?
thanks vein! to be honest i havent messed with the blocks or anything. I think these springs are longer or shorter or something to make the car lower. but at least i havent put any blocks in. Iv thought about putting in just a 1 inch block to give it a little more of the effect.
The Jalopy Journal
