What's the best way to lower the front of a 54 Chevy?

I'll go down to Wal Mart and K Mart to see who...err umm what I can find.

Lowering blocks it is for me in the rear and cutting about a coil or so WITHOUT heating them. I know all about the shit that can happen with cutting hot coils. A buddy had some on his 68 Imp and one of them snapped clean in half causing the car to drop instantly about 6 inches. Scary shit!

 

Use a "sawsall" to do the cutting.

 

another option is replace the coils with slam specialty air bags,it will require some fab skills but its not hard. there is a how to in lowrider mag. "bagging a bomb" it should cost around $200 then you could set it at the height you wanted or slightly raise or lower it if you wanted to get it exactly where you want it. the ride quality is also good

 

I made 4" blocks, which are too tall, and put me just below scrubline. Sedan deliveries have an extra leaf though, so I can fix that by removing the extra leaf. The front I cut 1.5 coils out, and cut the bumpstops down, because cutting the spring put them 1" from the control arm, leaving me with roughly 2.5" of travel at the wheel.
As soon as the IRS stops robbing me I'm going to have a new, lower set of rear springs made, and get the uprights and arms from Russ Meeks...

 

"Sawsall"?
By the way who is that in your avatar?

 

The guy on the right in the plaid looking shirt looks kind of like Wolfman Jack....

 

Wow, this thread really took off. I'd pretty much ruled out bags due to my lousy fab skills and because I assumed it would cost a lot more than $200.

So if I do go with shorter coils and\or the spacers under the A arms, do I need to adjust the steering arms?

 

That just made me fall of my chair! LOL!!
lowered spindles all the way

 

they are the trailer park boys!! from sunnyvail trailer park

 

You don't want to heat your springs. My son had a guy do that on a Olds 98 and the spring broke about 2 months, make the car unable to drive.

 

look at the spindels off of 56-62 corvettes they are like a drop spindle for the 53 cars. about 2"

 

Sorry to add another spin to this thread, but.......

I'm in the process of cutting my coils to get it a little lower, but the passenger side has gone a little soft and the car sits with about 3/4" tilt lower on the pass side when measured at the lower A arm pivots. Is it possible to level the car by cutting the coils different, and how long do you think it would stay level ???

Thanks much !!!!

 

I installed dropped uprights from Gambino Customs (Alliance vendor) and cut 1/2 coil in the front. Got about 3 and 1/2" drop in the front. Went with lowering blocks in the rear.

 

I would buy new coils, and cut the new ones. Cutting them at different places to compensate for the weak spring, will change the spring rates. Meaning, you will have two different spring rates on either side.