Thread: And more questions: Front suspension & clearance

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Faith: While you are buying a spring, buy a Posies Super Slide. They have telfon buttons between the leaves, and they slide on one another. Cost a little more, but ride so much better. Plus, they won't scrape the paint off of the leaves and subsequently rust.

Look in the speedway catalog. I have them on my '27, and after 17 years of sitting on it, the spring is like brand new.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Faith: While you are buying a spring, buy a Posies Super Slide. They have telfon buttons between the leaves, and they slide on one another. Cost a little more, but ride so much better. Plus, they won't scrape the paint off of the leaves and subsequently rust.

Look in the speedway catalog. I have them on my '27, and after 17 years of sitting on it, the spring is like brand new.

Don

Yes that is what I was planning on ordering... I agree with you...

The black spring in the pic of the 31 above - Camaro discs etc. - is a Posie's Super Slide with the Teflon buttons Itoldyouso mentioned.


The black spring in the pic of the 32 above - Mustang discs, red calipers etc. - is a Durant Mono-Leaf.

The Posie's is as it always was.
The Mono-Leaf seems to be sagging a bit after maybe 9-10 years of use.

Just to add, with a multi leaf spring you will be able to soften up the movement by removing a leaf or 2 if necessary. It's a good idea to buy some 2" telfon liner to go between the leaves if you decide on a spring other than a posies.
Your 32 spring probably isn't original because if has reverse eyes and it looks too new.

Thanks for the explanation on that one Brian!

If you get a Posie spring, he has a new line called the "Hollywood Roll". This line of springs has the teflon buttons, but they are hidden further up in the leaves, and the ends of each leaf is tapered like a stock Ford spring. They look very period correct. If you are changing out your shocks, I'd put a pair of hooded shocks on that rig - Your early dropped axle, stock appearing front spring, and some hooded shocks will help sell that "early/traditional" appearance.

Wow SirSpeedy.........really pretty front end.


Faith: Also notice that even though he has a reversed eye spring like yours, that his spring has a lot more arch to it than yours. I think your spring is either flattening out, or someone did that to lower it more.


Don

Regarding your shock angle, SirSpeedy has it right. Your wide axle (nice!), combined with the Deuce Factory lower shock mounts, is giving you a lot of angle to the shocks. Don't go for the short shocks. They just don't have enough travel to give you a decent ride. The shorter lower shock mounts you're looking for are in stock at SAC Hot Rod, Orange CA (714-997-3433). Get the ride height you're happy with, and then change the upper shock mounts to put the shocks about in the center of their travel. This will allow the longer shocks to do their job more effectively.

You might want to stay with a "reversed eye" spring to keep the car nice and low. Most people prefer the reversed eye spring, and a new spring with pads between the leaves will ride much better, and will probably raise the car only a little bit, since your spring is getting tired.

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Faith: Also notice that even though he has a reversed eye spring like yours, that his spring has a lot more arch to it than yours. I think your spring is either flattening out, or someone did that to lower it more.
Don

While there may be some sag in the spring due to age, I'd guess there are two leaves taken out also since there are two spacers in the stack.

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

While there may be some sag in the spring due to age, I'd guess there are two leaves taken out also since there are two spacers in the stack.

No I think I have a huge number of leaves on there. I counted them once - was it 8 or 10? I have photos of the same eaves in early 1980 and they had a lot more arch to them them...

Originally Posted by SirSpeedy

Thanks for the explanation on that one Brian!

If you get a Posie spring, he has a new line called the "Hollywood Roll". This line of springs has the teflon buttons, but they are hidden further up in the leaves, and the ends of each leaf is tapered like a stock Ford spring.

Oooooo I likey ... I hate to say this but I no have speedway catalogue... Are they online too? website url por favor?

PS: AS far as the front shocks go, I have to do some homework to see which style would do best for my HIboy...

As always I am grateful for all the input, I would be lost (and car stupid?) without you guys ... Heck, even my hotrod shop specialist (who is good) didn't catch some of what you guys pointed out! GOOD JOB!!

Here you go.


www.speedwaymotors.com/default.aspx


Their website is a little difficult to go through, but if you click on Street Rod Products and do a search you will find most of the stuff. When you order stuff they give you a free catalog. Great people to deal with.


Don

Speedway will send you a catalog if you call, write or go through their site.

You'll have a choice as to whether it's the Street Rod catalog or the Race catalog.
Get both, the Race catalog has a lot of nifty parts that are very usable on our street driven hot rods.

Looks like the 8" damper Don, the other stock size was 6 3/4" They could use ither either damper on the 350's just that the 8" was heavy duty used on sports cars or trucks.

Thanks Southerner (Enzo), that makes sense since the engine came out of a Corvette.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

I'm not real familiar with the SBC, but don't you have to be careful in swapping harmonic dampeners due to differing balance/balance weight situations as well as the timing marks can be a mismatch to the timing pointer?

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RE: Front spring disassembly and assembly.

I'll just add that I like to use the appropriate size Phillips screwdriver to align leaf spring holes when assembling the spring.

It helps to have a couple of spring center bolts on hand.
They don't cost much, a little over a buck each last time I bought some.

Once the spring is clamped, slide the Phillips head screwdrive out and most times the spring center bolt slides right in.
In any event, don't pound the center bolt in with a hammer, you'll just screw up the threads.

If you have the spring off the axle and disassembled, it's easy to put the main leaf on by itself, shackles connected etc. and then assemble the leafs to the main spring.

I've made changes to spring packs simply by removing the four nuts to the spring crossmember clamp, unbolting one end of the shocks and then letting the axle/spring combo down with a jack.
Of course, the car is up on sturdy jackstands prior to starting.

Be careful you don't drop the axle down so far the hydraulic brake lines get damaged.

Once changes are complete and the spring is back together it's easy to slip the spring back into the crossmember.
None of the 4 bar, split bones or radius rod adjustments have to be disturbed.