spring skackles

dick lyons

dick lyons

Senior Member
hi guys. my question, can i lower the front end of my 48 coupe by using longer shackles without messing up the geometry of the steering parts? i want to drop it about 3 inches. i dont whant to buy a posies spring. any help here??
 
I think longer shackles would make the car "rock and roll" a bit too much. Reversing the main leaf spring eye would lower it 1 in. at least and maybe more if it's an old spring. Also, remove one or two leafs.
 
IF the car has a panhard rod, you can make longer shackles. Don't go too mad and it should work out fine. If no panhard rod, forget it.

Mart.
 
19forty & mart, there is a panhard bar there. i read on a thred that 42 thru 48 you dont need a spring spreader, correct? thanks for the replys, dick.
 
When I bought my '46, it had long shackles on all four corners. Rode a bit rougher account less spring travel but I noticed no stability or steering issues. I think the panhard bar is the answer.
 
Use a reverse eye mainleaf and then go to a spring shop and have the spring slightly de-arched.
 
ol ron, tell me why you think this is a bad idia as i sure dont want to DIE. thanks for the input, guys. dick.
 
Reverse the mainleaf or buy a reversed eye mainleaf and add some slider buttons to the spring leaves and remove 2 or 3 leaves ( shorter ones) and it should drop 2- 2 1/2 inches.
 
As a former stock car racer, starting out in jolopies, and ending up in modifieds, I know that handling is the secret to to winning. The engine is not as important as the ability of the driver to drive the car as fast as the powere he has will do. Everyweek end we watch Nascar with their 800hp engines, fight the evel handling cars.
Yes install ing sway bars help, but in todays trafic even a good stock early Ford does not have the handling qualities and breaking power of even the least expensive car made today. I had a 92 Saturn that I'd run against any hot rod built today using an early suspension, reguardless of the springs and shocks you use. You can even install a SBC if you think that would hepl. Now it's time for me to go to bed.
 
I appoligize for ranting. There are a few things that set me ogg and thats "bad ideas". These old cars are unsafe even in perfest condition in todays trafic. Several people that have installed one of my engine or built one like it "Practical Flathead". Keep there cars off the inter- state roads because they understand there limitations. One peve that really sets me off are those with theit Buick brake dromes oand off set wheels to show off how stupid they are. Yet at car shows you see beautiful cars with this and you wonder what elce they missed. Many years ago one of the car mags had an article on the "Forgoten angle", king pin inclunition. And my spell checker still dozent work.
 
Ron, When my spelling go south, people who know me take it as a clue that I mean business. I hear you loud and clear.

In any discussion on which type of modification is most dangerous, the list would go on and on, but my money is on pickup trucks jacked up 6 feet off the ground. My own son spent buku bucks building one of those deathtraps. Luckily, he wised up and got rid of it before it killed him.
 
Modern cars go through a bach of safty teses to in=mprove the safty of the occupents. These tests are preformed at 40mph, because at 60 they can't save most people. Insurance company records show that survivle of 60mph crask is 50.50 at best. and that's with air bags and everything else.
 
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