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By slumlord444 - 9 Years Ago
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Way back in the day I installed '57 Ford station wagon rear springs on my '57 T-Bird after breaking a spring racing a '65 Mustang. I jacked up the front end with spacers to level it out. Once I get it back on the road again I am considering pulling the spacers out of the front and installing lowering blocks on the rear to bring it back down to the original stock height. I am thinking that all I need is longer rear U bolts and a solid steel spacer on top of the rear spring between it and the spring pad on the rear end housing. I am thinking somewhere around a 1 or 2 " spacer should come close. The rear spring has one extra leaf. I need to verify the original rear height from the ground to the bottom of the rear bumper if anyone has that dimension it would help. Am I missing anything? Never messed with lowering blocks but I know it was done all the time. And yes I know I could install new stock rear springs but I want to keep the heavy duty ones for drag racing and better handling on the corners.
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By Shaggy - 9 Years Ago
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If i'm not mistaken, lowering blocks will add to spring wrap issues getting off the line. Just something to think about
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By miker - 9 Years Ago
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Short of rear arching the springs, it's easiest to do lowering blocks. It's more work and the same effect to weld in new spring perches. The bird rear end used a higher perch than the wagons, and when I swapped in a wagon rear end years ago I used blocks. In that case, my ubolts worked, but you'll need longer ones. How much spring wrap is affected is unknown to me, but there's some discussion here on "traction" bars. I think Charlie or others can chime in on that.
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By slumlord444 - 9 Years Ago
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I will be installing a period set of original Traction Masters. I made a home built set back in the day at the time I installed the wagon springs. Worked fine. No wheel hop even with cheater slicks and 5500 RPM launches at the drag strip.
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By paul2748 - 9 Years Ago
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Ride height for 57 Birds
With 2 people in the car (300 LBs)
Measure front from ground level to center of the headlight
Measure rear from the ground to the center of the taillight
Front 28.07 inches
Rear 23.3 inches
Remember that the Tbird rear already has about a factory 1 inch lowering block (the spring mount) vs the sedans which have nothing. Be sure to check the lower part of the ubolts with the bottom of the rim. If the ubolts are lower than the rim the ubolts could contact the ground in case of a flat.
I suggest re-arching the springs.
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By miker - 9 Years Ago
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I'm going to go a bit OT here. If you have stiffer rear springs, you might want to consider the Aerostar springs in the front. They're a little softer on the small bumps, but way stiffer as they compress. With the spacer the Mustang guys use, you'll raise it a bit. At about $65, they were the best money I ever spent on a front suspension on my 55 bird. Might give you better balance on the road, and no penalty at the strip. I'll go measure my front height if you'd like to know.
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By pegleg - 9 Years Ago
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Shaggy, you are correct.
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By charliemccraney - 9 Years Ago
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Since you want to use the same springs and drag race, get your ride height by re arching. Get some good traction bars, like Caltracs. They are expensive, but worth every penny. They work and you won't even notice them on the street.
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By slumlord444 - 9 Years Ago
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Miker, yes I'm interested. I plan on dismantling the front end this winter for a complete re build and that would be a good time to make the switch.
Paul2748, Thanks, that's what I needed. Any idea what the measurements are with the car empty?
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By paul2748 - 9 Years Ago
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Don't have any info with the car empty. Get your SO and a friend to help.
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By charliemccraney - 9 Years Ago
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Since the front only has spacers which are not stock, remove those, and use that height as a reference to level the rear. Almost the opposite of what you did originally.
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By miker - 9 Years Ago
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Slumlord,
I'll get a measurement tomorrow. This is the Goodguys show this weekend up here, and it might be late when I get back tomorrow. In the meantime, the drag racers can discuss whether the progressive rate is better or worse on launch. I don't have a clue. It's way better bending into a corner.
Before I put the tri bar four link and coil overs in the back, I had original Traction Masters on the rear springs. You're right, they work. Charlie Is probably right about the Caltrans, they were after my time.
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By miker - 9 Years Ago
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Slumlord,
The center of the drivers headlight is 26.5 inches empty. I don't go 170lbs, and I have no way to measure with me in it.
The front tire is a 225/60 15 with a catalog height of 25.60 inches.
The car has, a/c, power steering and brakes, adding weight.
It has aluminum heads, intake, front cover, water pump, headers, and radiator, lowering weight. I can't put a number on that, unfortunately.
One of the members used the Aerostar springs with Granada spindles, and felt it was too low. Others have not. There's also a couple of spring spacers on the Mustang sites that will fit our springs, either top or bottom, and raise it either 1/2 or 1 inch. So I'm told, I haven't used them.
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