I originally used 1/4 steel spacers but did not get it low enough for me..still too much open space above the front tires. With the SBC engine with aluminum heads and lighter weight accessories, it was almost two inches too high.

Adding the extra 1/4" requires longer shock mounting bolts to have enough thread coverage on the nuts to be safe. (4) Grade 8 bolts 4" by 3/8 X24 were needed to replace the already longer ones than stock. The other
shorter side bolts are 1 1/2" 3/8 X 24 and could be 1 3/4 inches if available...but the shorter ones have enough threads to be safe.

Used 1/2 steel spacers this time..am waiting for hub centric wheel spacers and new shocks to arrive. Will post after photos of the front wheel wells with the 1/2 spacers then..

 

I think I would buy some new shorter custom springs that are less firm so they could retain the bounce / rebound rate and maintain factory ride characteristics.
The culprit that throws everything off is the lighter engine,..and with those aluminum heads... I would bet there is at least 300 lbs less on the front end than when the DOHC 6 was in it. Must be a bear driving at night with the lights pointing up.
Mine is higher on front than it was, but not bad - i have iron heads on the 350. Been thinking about spring replacement myself. Makes me uneasy playing with those pan bolts...a lot of energy stored there. One of my biggest fears working on cars - front springs

 

It is not dangerous, taking out the springs for supposedly corrected heights is a lot of work and money.

Jack up the car jack stands, have a floor jack just
ubder the side you are working on with the wheel off. Loosen all the bolts (short ones on each side)
and nuts on the front longer ones.

Take out one sides shorter bolt, replace it with one Grade 8 bolt 3/8 X24 that is longer by the thickness of the spacers you are using..using a pry bar separate the pan enough to fit in the first spacer, put in the next bolt with lockwasher, tighten it up a little.

Repeat with the other short bolt on that side. Now remove the longer shock bolt in the front. Replace it with appropriate longer size and insert the spcaer. Repeat on the other side of the same pan. When done properly tighten all the bolts or nuts.

Two hours or less from start to finish and well under $50.00 USD. You cannot do replacement springs for that amount of money or time.

Plus, you adjust headlights when done...

 

It's hard to argue with success but there's something about the spacers that leaves me uneasy. It just doesn't seem like the spring pan is well supported. I have visions of the bolts bending and/or the pan shifting.

Spacers with a larger footprint (if you know what I mean) would seem better.

But I'm no engineer and have been called a worrier more than a few times

Cheers
DD

 

Doug

The same four bolt holes are used for the long rods to remove the springs... the pan is very thick and strong..time will tell, but others have done this same thing successfully in the past..plus changing springs is just a hit or miss proposition..until done you do not know if the correct "modified" spring will work to your satisfaction.. most of the time they are too HIGH.

 

Whatever pleases you, but I simply do not feel comfortable with the pans riding that much closer to the pavement. Same issue with running exhaust pipes under the cage. You may not have experienced any issues yet, I would rather go a different direction. Springs have a bounce / jounce rate as designed by factory designers / engineers, changing those dynamics are what is at stake. Personally I would replace the springs with some that are shorter but have a different rating in accordance with the reduced weight they are to support. I am not an engineer either but from the info I have read, the spring height / spring rating are matched for the amount of weight they are to support at a specified ride height. While your car may now have reduced clearance between the tires and the wheel opening, the car will still have springs that are too stiff for the weight they are to support/control.

My 3 cents...

 

Mine "solved itself". As I recall, my Johnscars material claims a loss of 100 pounds by removal of the DOHC and the install of an iron head SBC.


My car with the DOHC had a neat stance. I did not measure it, but it was low in front visualy.


When the LT!1 went in, the nose was visualy higher. Some where, I found the factory ride height spec and where to measure. It was right on. Still Ok with me, albeit, a bit lower would be more pleasing.


Will I mess with it ? Highly unlikely !!!!


I am with Doug, Seems that a bit more contact space would be better. but, others have opined that the surfaces do not lend themselves to block like spacers.


Two small victories yesterday,


1. The Jaguar's registration and sticker came in the mail. It took help from my assembly person's office to do it.,


2. A search of my large "brass and more fittings" cans found what I needed for the reinstall of my dishwasher. Discharge hose made up to go direct to drain, not via the disposer.


3. After a period of relative inactivity, the Jaguar will be the errands steed for later...


Carl

 

If you look at the spacers, they have more contact space than without. The one section of the pan has a raised pad, the other is flat.

Having tried custom springs in the past, this way works for sure... is easy to adjust.

 

I have done the spring pan lowering trick on many Alfas. Alfa offered deeper spring pans as a racing/performance option. Never had any problems; certainly got the ride height right. get an alignment after.


geneo

 

Putting the exhaust under the IRS does not cause any problems on a SWB S1, your longer later cars will sometimes drag... or so I have been told by "others".
Not having to deal with running the pipes through the cage is a GREAT plus, we need 2 1/4 inch pipes on our conversions and they will not fit through the
cage without cutting larger holes... bad idea and then you have the potential for a rattle.

 

I ordered lowering spring for my car, and upon removal of the OE springs, I had two 1/8 spacers at the top of each spring. Measuring the new springs with the old ones, the new springs were about 1/2 inch shorter than the old springs. I installed the new springs without the 1/8 spacers and when I dropped the car of the jack and drove it around a bit the ride was extremely harsh and the front was just as high as it was with the old spring and spacers. The spring rate was of a higher spec.
I reinstalled the old springs without the spacers and the front was still too high.
I then went to Graingers and purchased two different sizes of spacers and depending on which set I used, I could return the others.
Right now, I am using 1/8 spacers at the spring pan and longer grade 8 bolts.
Pic 1 shows the height of the car with the old springs and spacers.
Pic 2 shows the new lowering springs I purchased.
Pic 3 shows the car with the old springs sans plastic spacers and 1/8 spacers at the spring pan.
The car drives very well and the suspension is as soft as it was before.
My spring pans are a little lower and my exhaust runs under the rear cage and I have never bottomed out and I drive this car like I stole it.

 

A PO had been in my front springs before I purchased the car, no spacers were there at all.

Having the 1/4 inch spacers did not change the ride at all, alignment was the same.. only had to adjust the headlights. Just did not get the front down where I wanted it. Hopefully the 1/2 spacers will lower it enough.

Your attempt with the new springs only reinforces my past attempts that did not EVER work out correctly.. was always too high and the ride rougher.

 

I hear ya.

Getting desired height with new springs has been a common issue over the years, whether seeking factory height or ....something else.

That's the reason I went with used V12 springs for my conversion. Seemed like less of a gamble than new springs.

I didn't reinstall any factory spacers and....knock on wood...ended up with the height I wanted. Just a bit lower than standard; virtually zero visible space between the top of the tire and the wheel opening.

Cheers
DD

 

A topic of the ages for sure. Lower cars vs raise trucks!!! Stuff made to suit these demands.


1. I think it is Eaton Spring Co. Possibly Eaton, Illinois. Make custom sprigs. Measured in inches and pounds. Racers use various combinations to "load" a suspension.


2. I've read of and accept a rule. Practice or codified. Create an imaginary plane along the lowest part of the four wheels. Nothing on the car can be below that plane, Safe for the car, safe for it's occu0pants and safe for fellow motorists. Nothing to drag with undesirable results, minor or major.


Carl