stock ride height

any links or info on stock ride heights of vehicles? I am looking particulary for my, 1963 buick electra, but a reference for other vehicleS could help in the future- thanks

 

You're ask'in the wrong crowd. These hoodlums on here will tell ya that if you can stand a pack of Camels (non-filtered of course) up under yer ride, it's about right!

I'll about wager there's not a 'stock' car on the board.

JayD

 

That's pretty interesting ! I thought about this some time ago too.I would be nice to know the stock ride height just to see how worn out your old springs are so there won't be any "surprises" once you installed the newly purchased lowering springs and your ride isn't lower at all...

 

this is actually the reason i need to know- How much lower do i want my new $185 coil spring from stock height? it would **** to get them and be "damn I wish I would have gotten 4'' instead of 2'' the old ones must have already been at 2''.

 

I asked this question before I lowered Jeepers Creepers-everybody ribbed me and said you'll just have to buy them and see. Maybe I should have asked them to send me $185 and see if I'll do a magic trick
In the end, I just cut 2 1/2 off the og springs...

 

Just was thinking about this again.Actually all you need is some info regarding stock overall vehicle height and tire size/diameter.Ain't this kind of info available in shop manuals ? Do the math and since you know the body height you soon will know the stock ride height.

 

Stock height on a Caddy-Electra-98 ch***is will almost clear a cinder block on the freeway, but not quite*....
*(Information acquired through personal experimentation at 65 mph)

Dont look at illustrations from the era for the real height, they lengthened and lowered all the cars in the new car ads and brochures, otherwise they would have used photographs and not illustrations!

I don't think I've ever seen a "restored" car with new "stock height" springs that didn't look like a jacked up g***er.
In other words made to spec springs usually end up making the car taller.

I think I'd pull one of my springs and measure it and find out the length of the replacement, wire diameter, number of turns etc difference that make it "lower" and use this to help decide which to get. If the replacements are actually 2" and 4" shorter than the ones you already have then you can about double that difference to get howmuch they will actually lower the car.
Example, if the new spring is physically 2" shorter than the old spring it will lower the car the 4", because it's about half way in the swing of the A arm, given the same number of turns and wire size.

If I wanted it "in the weeds" and they make 4", I'd get them.

I'd also put a skid plate under the engine...

 

I have a 1991 ch***is height spec book...It only goes back to 1971 for the Electra. Believe it or not it's put out by Sears!!

Of course it's copywrited by Moog in small print at the bottom.

It has specs for the wheel arches as well as the rocker panels front and rear at specific locations determined by measurements from the axle center lines.

I have no idea when Moog started do***enting this stuff but it's quite possible that it is out there. Check with Moog.

 

You are such a wealth of knowledge.

 

Good question. Would be great to find a "source" of ride height on many older cars.
BTT for you, and me.
Erron

 

I know the Chevy shop manual for my Parkwood not only list ride height, but overall height front and rear. It also tells you where to me***ure the ride hight so as to be measuring only the spring sag and not the height of the tires.

I have an even bigger problem in that I took out a cast iron Powerglide, and put in an aluminum 4 speed auto, I also swapped the cast iron intake for an aluminum. All together I wouldn't be surprised if I took 300lbs out of the nose. This means if I order 2" lower springs for the back and front, the front is still gonna be taller due to the weight loss.

I'm thinking order 2" lower springs all around, so as to have a good knows starting point, then cut the fronts to get it down where it should be from there.

 

I just checked my "Motor" manual, but it's not in there. I imagine there must be a similar manual that Body Shops and Allingment places use.

 

I have a 58 chevy yeoman wagon, and my book tells me everything STOCK... but if you were to get coils made for your car ?" lower, and then cut them, you would be in the same place as getting stock springs and cutting them. The lowered springs are wound to specs, and you may F*** that spec by getting some already lowered springs (kinda costly for a ****shoot), and then cut them.

I've been through every way to lower a 58-69 chevy, and the best is...? I myself put bags on my 58 wagon, and it rides like a dream, and I used to have cut coils (not so bad), before that, heated coils, THE WORST!


Just my one cent,
Erron