tired of putting my 63 comet on the back burners i got a ?

[slepper63]

im makeing the comet a gasser so i talked to speedway today and they have a 46in straight axle but in has no drop in it but i dont want a sky high gasser what can i do to drop it down some? they do have a 48 in axle with a 4 in and a 6in drop i think it may be to wide though so can i remove leaf spring layer or flat it some? so if anybody can help that will be great or give me some tips on doing this project this is my first reel mods to any car other than body and engine so if u can tell me anything that would help thanks... i will post pics when i get started

[slepper63]

and plan on puting in a 351w stroke to a 393. 9 in rearend with pois and 3.55 or 3.73 havent figured what gear yet one of to.

[sunsetdart]

Just some good advice.........make sure this straight axle is made for a door car and not a street rod. The reason being is ,had a friend who bought one from a company,not Speedway, and put it under his 57 Chev. He also wanted the gasser look but after installation and a year on the road, the axle slowly bent. The thickness of the metal for a tube axle for a door car should be no less than .025 ID .

[rspears]

There's not many '63 Comets that survived, and a nicely done street machine would be really sweet. I think I would lean towards an aftermarket IFS with bags so you can get the "gasser look" if that's what you want for "th' look", but still be able to drop it down to a normal ride height for cruising. What did the guys on "Muscle Machine" do for the front suspension on their 'Altered Ego' Project, which is an altered wheelbase Comet from that era? It is period correct using modern components, I think? Sunsetdart makes a very good point on the axle strength, too, but I think he meant minimum 0.25" (1/4") wall thickness if you use a tube axle, and I'm not saying that's the right spec for your car weight.

[sunsetdart]

rs.......thanks for clarifying that.....that's what I meant...wall thickness.
The guys that are doing the altered ego do have a straight axle and it's suspended with leaf springs.

[slepper63]

last time i weighted the car it was about 2800 pounds with me in it and i weight 214 i may try to lighten it some more. thanks for the info on the axle i will make sure i get a good axle for a door car any other info will be greatfull

[RadRidesByDan]

If you have the room......You can move your leaf spring shackles to the inside of the frame rails and relocate them higher on the framerail to lower the stance......My 2 cents

[Dave Severson]

Another way to make a straight axle lower is to flip the spring hangers and have the axle on top of the springs....been lowering the rear of leaf spring cars and pickups that way for years....

Oh Yeah, and for purposes of stability and safety, you will want the track width as wide as possible to still fit under the front fenders!!!!!