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 Post subject: Correct lowering method
PostPosted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 3:03 pm 
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TBI Slant 6
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Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:18 pm
Posts: 157
Location: British Columbia
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Hello all, before you get on my case for building a lowrider just hear me out..
Is there a better way to lower the whole ride without chopping the springs? I really don't want to get laughed at when my car is sagging on one side lol


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 3:38 pm 
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Supercharged
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Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2005 8:32 pm
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Location: Portland-ish
Car Model: Fiat 500e
What springs would you "chop"?

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 4:09 pm 
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Supercharged
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Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2002 9:20 pm
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Location: Fircrest, WA
Car Model: 76 D100
First off, why is your car sagging? Do you want to just remedy the sagging and going to a lowridr seems the easiest route or is your suspension fine and you just want to build a lowrider?

The first thing you should do is adjust the torsion bars on the front end to make sure that ther are properly adjusted. This is a simple procedure outlined in most shop manuals (factory or aftermarket).

If your rear springs are sagging you can buy those "helper springs" or order whole new sets of springs. These cna be as simple as calling JC Whitney, or as complicated as working with a spring shop to crat a custom ride height and spring rate set tailored to your wants.

Easy ways to drop the rear axle are flipping shackles, shorter shackles, moving the axle from the bottom to the top of the springs (but I think a-bodies are already mounted on top). After that, you can abandon the rear spring setup entirely and go to a hydraulic or bagged system.

The front suspension can be lowered by adjusting the torsion bars or going complex and swapping spindles.

Older Mopars don't have "choppable" front springs. They use torsion bars. You can't chop the rear springs either, or they wouldn't work at all.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 8:01 am 
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Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2002 8:20 pm
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Location: Oxford, Georgia
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The front ride height is adjustable, just like those imports where somebody's spent $1,000 on a coil over suspension to get that adjustability. :) Heavier torsion bars will make it more resistant to bottoming out.

In the rear, your cheapest option is lowering blocks, which work fairly well.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 8:18 am 
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Joined: Fri Nov 08, 2002 4:48 pm
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Location: Burton BC canada
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On the rear you can use the "Flip and Swap" treatment on the front spring hangers.

It takes a couple of hours and some drilling but costs nothing and gives an inch er two.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 3:05 am 
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TBI Slant 6
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Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:18 pm
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Location: British Columbia
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I can't say im familiar with any of these remedies and am open to any links/detail. Currently the suspension is stock minus the ancient laughable shocks.

I also want to do something about the front drum brakes so if there\s a way i can kill two birds with one stone by using spindles that lower and use discs then that would be nice :)


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 7:31 am 
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TBI Slant 6
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Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 6:58 pm
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Location: Indiana
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Our 63 Valiant is lowered roughly 3" front and back. Front torsion bar turned and adjusted and 3" blocks on the back. Also used a new shorter shocks all the way around after the lowering. We got the car this way and the car rides very well. Probably will use a beefier front torsion bar down the road cause we will hit the K member if the bump, or dip is big enough.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 8:10 am 
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Supercharged
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Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2002 9:20 pm
Posts: 13092
Location: Fircrest, WA
Car Model: 76 D100
Quote:
I can't say im familiar with any of these remedies and am open to any links/detail. Currently the suspension is stock minus the ancient laughable shocks.

I also want to do something about the front drum brakes so if there\s a way i can kill two birds with one stone by using spindles that lower and use discs then that would be nice :)
OK. Sounds like you need to spend some time getting familiar with the suspension on your car. Get a factory service manual and read all about the torsion bar front suspension and the rear leaf suspension. There are NO springs that can be cut to lower the car. You also need to get familiar with things like shackle swaps, axle flips, etc... before you try this.

Frankly, a-bodies ride so low that simply restoring the stock height would be fairly easy and cheap and give you a low riding car.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 11:23 am 
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Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2002 8:20 pm
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Location: Oxford, Georgia
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Just to double check, this is an A-body we are talking about and not a truck, right?

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