Thread: A newbie with suspension ?'s kind of long

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HELLO EVERYONE.

I have always set back and read alot of the articles until today, I am in question on what to do. Me and my father have been working together on a project and we have made it to the rear suspension and really dont know which way to go.

My father is now 67 and finally made it to were he can work on his first car that he has ever owned. NOW that is something I find almost incredible to keep a car that long. He purchased it in 1955 and its a 1938 master deluxe coupe. its been in storage since 1962 and we got it out to start its transformation.

One of the many questions that I have is about the rear springs.
He has taken the orignal springs and had them rearched and the guide pin centered. We are installing a 8 inch out of a monarch in the car. We are concerned if we can use the orignal springs or if we should by a complete spring kit from like, chassis enginerring.
I considered a ladder bar set up but for on the street it might not be the way to go.

SO would you recommend the older narrower springs or step up and purchase a new kit. I just feel that the $500 for a new kit can be used somewhere else.

I will try to update with picture ever so often if anyone cares to look.

Please any help is so appreciated.

Unless you're going with heavy horsepower, I would try the old springs and see what happens. Make sure they aren't cracked or otherwise badly beat up. I'd ask the shop that rearched them what condition they were in. If they were hosed up, he shouldn't have done the work.

Stay away from the ladder bars unless you're going for really high horsepower. It would turn out to be a pretty expensive change anyhow. You'd have to dump the leaf springs, add coil-overs (or coil springs with separate shocks) and something to keep the axle centered.

Thanks for the info. I think we will try the old springs and see what happens, I will just keep my fingers crossed.

Thanks

I too would use what I had. If the stockers lose their profile, get a stock replacement set from these guys....
http://www.eatonsprings.com/

A good leaf spring system is hard to beat for simplicity, low cost and effectiveness. If the springs try to wrap up on acceleration, adapt a set of Caltrac bars or other anti-wrap device. I'd use leafs down to 10 flat at the strip, if it was just a hobby type car.