60 Chevy

[STEVE1103]

Want to raise the front end, gasser look, on my 60 Chevy, realy don't want to put a straight axle in, any way to get it up without major changes, don't know if station waggen springs will work?

[phat rat]

Station wagon springs will interchange fine and bring it up some. If not enough you could either use spacers between the coils or the spacers that go under the coil.

[GPster]

I did a '59 one time and used springs out of a Buick or Olds wagon I think. If you could find a catalog from a spring manufacturer you'd be better with a set of springs that had the same OD of the coil and the same diameter of wire (?). One thing that you need to remember is the top "A" arm bottoms out against the coil spring dome in the frame easily. There was an aluminum spacer available for the top ball joints that bolted in between the ball joint and the top "A" arm to give you room for a little more lift. The springs out of a heavier car will kill the ride so you'd probably be better with the ball joint spacers and some sort of risers between the bottom of the springs and their depressions in the bottom "A" arms. Heavier springs or spacers inbetween the coils of the springs are going to be very stiff. Maybe air bags? GPster

[STEVE1103]

Thanks for that info, had been told about the ball joit spacer, its for the upper, didn't know that, but haven't found them, guess its fab time.

[wayne petty]

spacers like these??

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370391240356&crlp=1_263602_263622&ff4=263602_263622&viewitem=&guid=0de2c7c11290a0e201e101e1fd7ff51c&rvr_id=&ua=M*S%3F&itemid=370391240356


you might also want to find a coil spring compressor like this

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OTC-7045B-Spring-Compressor-Front-Coil-New-/200454673478?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&hash=item2eac079446#ht_2108wt_1167

they will make installing the long long springs a lot easier...

i have seen knock offs of these spring compressors also...



i have also seen spacers that install between the top of the spindle.. and the taper of the ball joint fits in the top..   very dangerous i have seen several of them broken... probably do to excess suspension travel..


here is a article about how to box chevy lower control arms..  

yes.. the story says to make them show.. but it makes them a lot stronger..

http://www.lowridermagazine.com/tech/0202lrm_a_arm_molding/index.html

[47convert]

If you're going with longer springs you can actually go slightly bigger in wire size because a spring with more coils will ride softer than a short one. Guys that cut coils to lower a car always find it rides much stiffer with less coils.