Okay guys i just spent some cash getting new springs on my 66 convertible (283). I thought I may have had SS springs on it before so i changed them out to a standard spring from moog thinking it would reduce the height. It still sits high. Approximatly thee inches from the top of the tire to the wheel lip. How can i bring this racked ride down. Am I missing something??

When you retightened the front suspension, was the car on the ground or in the air? If you did not tighten on the ground the front suspension could be binding. If you tightened in the air, loosen things up and bounce the car up and down a bunch and then re-tighten. Also, the springs and suspension will settle down some so you may just have to give it some drive time.

Outside of that, perhaps you got big block springs or those springs simply need to have a coil or two cut off to get you where you want to be.

I tightened the car when it was on the ground.
Thank you for your response

Your MOOG springs weren't p/n 6204 were they? If so, I know of at least five people who have installed them (myself included) with exactly the same results you have. I ended up with 5244's which are 1966 BB front springs which brought the front down some but they would be too much for your car with a small block. Sorry I can't be more help.

Your absolutly right Dave. Thats the number I put on, thinking it would work!!!

How much are these going to settle down? I heard an inch.

When I replaced the front springs on my 72 Chevelle (small block) the front set pretty high, so a tip someone told me was to put something heavy on the front of the car. Since we have two horses I used two bags of their feed, each bag weighed 50lbs. First I put a blanket over the front of the Chevelle and put one bag above the front tires (right where the hood and fender line up) I left them there for four days and when I took them off the front had lowered down about half an inch, about a month later it lowered a little more. Now it sits pretty low, in fact I wish it would set a little higher now. My front tires are 215/70r15 (25" tall) and the fender well is about an inch and a half above the tire, if that will help give you a visual.

Brandon

Thank you Brandon. I will try something like that.

Darren

Thank you everyone for your input!!

Daren, Did you get your front ride height to come in to your liking? Let me know if it still sets to high. I also have a 66 that had the same problem with new moog springs and a 350 crate motor. I will be glad to share with you what I ended up doing to solve the problem. I hated that look.

Jesse Robertson

Jesse66Original please share with us what you did to lower front end of your 66 malibu i'm having same problem ,front end sits about 29" high fron ground to fender lip . Car was like that when i bought it 2 1/2 yrs. ago

Rocker, I went out to my shop and found my notes from the frame off project three years ago. I installed new Moog U6204xm springs for a non SS BB 66. The after installation measurement taken just like you did yours was 28 1/4". After several months it did not settle any so here is what I ended up doing, you may not want to hear this. I removed the springs and I laid them on my shop side by side with my original ones. The new ones were 3/4 of a coil longer if you will. So I removed 3/4 of a coil which if you measure from the tip of the spring back it would amount to 12 1/4 " of the coil removed. What ever you do, do not use a cutting torch on your springs, will take the temper out to some degree. I spent a whole afternoon using a Dremil Tool and plenty cutting wheels but the spring never got hot. That was done in 02-01-00 and she is still holding at 26 1/4". I hope this helps. Some folks might not agree with this but it worked fine for me. You can see what my car looks if you are interested buy going to Feature Car for May 2000.

My 66 GTO has a Small Block 350 so I thought that the 6204 Chevelle spring would work and it sat up just about 2 1/2 inches over the wheel opening. I ordered a set of 66 Cutlass 6 cylinder springs and it is perfect. The difference was 2 inches lower. The number I used was Moog 5230.

Todd.