Okay, I'm in the planning stages of dropping my car. I want to lose around 2 inches in front and 1.5-2 the back so the body sits just even with the rear tire. The back will just require I cut height off the spacers under my hotchkis springs and ditch the airshocks for good shocks.

On the front I have rebuilt all my bushings and such so far, and I removed the worn out small block springs for worn out BB springs (hence it being a lil high). I am having a hard time deciding between buying a set of drop springs or going to coilovers.

I want to do one or the other to ditch the factory springs period (driver side sags a lot), so cutting coils is out of the question. I believe one spring is warped from a minor accident I had shortly after the swap.

Reasons for wanting the drop in front are:

1) want a 65 or 60 series tire instead of a 70...looks out of place with 50 on back
2) keep a rake once the back is dropped
3) I love corners, handling is a big plus (hence the expensive stiff springs on the back even though stockers would have "worked")

Am I right to be leaning towards the coilovers even though they are costly? How much control do you get over ride height? Adjustment after achieving stance is unlikely so that's not a big factor...unless it would be of benefit at the strip, then stiffen it back up for street driving and cornering?

You can't beat coilovers. If you have the money coilovers will always win, hands down.

I don't "have" the money, but if there will be a considerable differnce I can get the money. I just didn't want to do something stupid, like spend $400 on coil overs if the results wouldn't be much more than $150 on springs and possibly some better shocks.

I can think of only two reasons to run coil overs on an A body:

A) for ride height adjustment
B) possibly for a wider choice in springs

There are no other benefits and there are drawbacks. Like the extra effort to change shocks (which fortunately you do not have to do too often).

Note that coilovers do not provide "stiffening" adjustments. Your car weighs just so much. It will compress the spring until the spring force matches this weight and no more. The spring force results from the spring rate and not the installed length (which is what the coilover is adjusting).

For the money I would do something like Dennis has done: stock design springs of a custom rate and length with stock car weight jackers for ride height adjustment.

I'm planning to spend the money on coil-overs. I'm never satisfied, so I know I'll be changing the ride height several times before I'm happy with it. Adjustability is cool, but for a guy like me, I'm not so sure I'll have the know-how to fully utilize those benefits. I mainly want the height adjustment.

I'll run a stiff spring (whatever they recommend for a BB (I have SB w/air) and make further adjustments with different sway-bar sizes and shock adjustments.

I can cheap out in other areas, like using tall spindles w/ 12" brakes so I can continue running 15" wheels until I have some money again.

I can think of only two reasons to run coil overs on an A body:

A) for ride height adjustment
B) possibly for a wider choice in springs

There are no other benefits and there are drawbacks. Like the extra effort to change shocks (which fortunately you do not have to do too often).

Note that coilovers do not provide "stiffening" adjustments. Your car weighs just so much. It will compress the spring until the spring force matches this weight and no more. The spring force results from the spring rate and not the installed length (which is what the coilover is adjusting).

For the money I would do something like Dennis has done: stock design springs of a custom rate and length with stock car weight jackers for ride height adjustment.

what are weight jackers?

http://geocities.com/teichera@sbcglobal.net/images/springs001.jpg

Now that Dennis has shown you a picture... weight jackers are a basically a screw spring mount. You can turn the screw and adjust the spring mount up/down as desired just as you can on a coil over. Except it is probably easier than a coil over because it does not require a special wrench and is accessible from on top.

Note that getting stuff like this (including coil overs) setup properly can be a science in and of itself. Think about what happens if you get one side down a little lower than the other? For example if you had an open differential you could dial in a little extra preload on the left front to compensate for rear axle torque wind up, thus reducing right rear wheel spin. Of course that setup would corner just a bit differently left to right too.

Now that Dennis has shown you a picture... weight jackers are a basically a screw spring mount. You can turn the screw and adjust the spring mount up/down as desired just as you can on a coil over. Except it is probably easier than a coil over because it does not require a special wrench and is accessible from on top.

Note that getting stuff like this (including coil overs) setup properly can be a science in and of itself. Think about what happens if you get one side down a little lower than the other? For example if you had an open differential you could dial in a little extra preload on the left front to compensate for rear axle torque wind up, thus reducing right rear wheel spin. Of course that setup would corner just a bit differently left to right too.

How much do those run and where could I look for them? I'm interested in looking at options. I thought coil overs just had a small dial on the shock to adjust with your fingers?

I thought coil overs just had a small dial on the shock to adjust with your fingers?

You are probably referring to QA1 coilovers. That little dial on the shock adjusts the shock stiffness, but to adjust the ride height you need to turn large jam nuts that are screwed onto the body of the shock itself to raise or lower the lower mounting point of the spring itself. To make it relatively easy to do, special wrenches are need to adjust the ride height though those wrenches aren't that expensive.

How much do those run and where could I look for them? I'm interested in looking at options. I thought coil overs just had a small dial on the shock to adjust with your fingers?

No you are confusing an adjustable shock with a coil over. For a coil over the body of the shock is threaded as is the spring mounting collar. To adjust ride height you twist the spring mounting collar. Since it is a collar it requires a special wrench.

Adjustable shocks have different methods of adjustment depending on manufacturer.

I will let Dennis share sources and costs for the weight jackers since he has the real data (but the source is likely speedwaymotors.com).

Steve nailed the source. I paid about 150 for hidden adjusters and springs. Springs run about 90/pair if you don't like the stiffness and need to adjust up or down. You can sell the old ones on ebay.

No you are confusing an adjustable shock with a coil over. For a coil over the body of the shock is threaded as is the spring mounting collar. To adjust ride height you twist the spring mounting collar. Since it is a collar it requires a special wrench.

Adjustable shocks have different methods of adjustment depending on manufacturer.

I will let Dennis share sources and costs for the weight jackers since he has the real data (but the source is likely speedwaymotors.com).

QA1 coilovers include adjustable shocks. The shock is adjusted by a little dial at the base of the shock: http://www.qa1shocks.com/viewitem.asp?cat=Coil%20Over%20Single%20Adjustable %20Shocks&subcat=DR3855B

The little knob you see at the bottom just above the lower mount is the adjuster for the shock. The large nut about 2/3rds the way down the body of the shock is the lower adjustable spring perch.

Thunderstruck
I just lowered my car off of the jack stands after about a year of suspension/Brake and engine modifications. I have the QA-1 Coil over set-up in the front of the car and so far from what I see the adjustability is there. In fact since I wasn't sure where to set the adjuster I left in the lowest place on the shock...once the car was down on the tires the frame crossmember was about 1 1/2 to 2" off the ground! That's a little to low for riding any bumpy roads so I have to raise the collar adjuster about an 1". You have about another 3 1/2" height adjustment from there to go up. I'll attach a picture sooner or later to show you the stance. (The picture in my signature is with regular gas shocks and HO-Racing coils springs.) With the QA-1 Coil Overs up front and a 25.6" tall tire, the top of the tire is just hidden by the wheel opening of the fender. (The tire size up front is a 245/45-17) Looks great but not functional that low unless you want smashed header tubes. As long as the ride is good I'm set with going with coil overs. As Rich mentions above, the knob is for adjusting the dampening of the shock.....over quite a range too. Picture(S) forthcoming.....as long as the home pc cooperates!
Sam

Thanks, I'll check back later for pics.

Does anyone else have opinions based on cost/performance which way I should go with this?

Here are two pictures as promised. I think the perspectives could have been better but this will give you a little bit of an idea. I will try to get some other shots as I get the chance to move the car.

Also, there's a picture of the QA-1 coil over in my signature pictures.... Sam

How do I tell which springs to order? I want it pretty stiff for cornering but not brutal

How much work are you willing to do? Below is probably the very besy alternative to coil overs. The whole package will run ~140.00. Afterwards you can buy springs in 50 lbs increments for 100.00/pair if you don't like the rate you first choose. I would start at about 600lbs for a driver. It does invlove 20 minutes of fabrication time making the upper buckets fit the seats and another 1/2 hour of adjusting your ride height.
http://geocities.com/teichera@sbcglobal.net/images/springs004.jpg

I don't have a problem spending a lil time if it will cut cost about in half. Looks like a good setup for what I'm trying to achieve. For that price I might not have to wait very long into summer.

Also will it make much difference that my car has A/C, power steering, power brakes, and big block radiator?

What is factory spring rate for comparison? What about the hotchkis springs, I have those on the rear and I'm pretty happy with the way (best I can tell with damn air shocks anyway)

thanks for your help btw

Once you get over the 500lbs mark accessories don't matter much. OE B/B springs are 420 IIRC, some will say 380lbs. The Hotchkis springs are 500lbs I have been told, a nice rate for improved cornering. No height adjustment though, you could run 500lbs if you wanted to match the Hotchkis system, just run the GN stuff with the adjusters for height adjustments.

Once you get over the 500lbs mark accessories don't matter much. OE B/B springs are 420 IIRC, some will say 380lbs. The Hotchkis springs are 500lbs I have been told, a nice rate for improved cornering. No height adjustment though, you could run 500lbs if you wanted to match the Hotchkis system, just run the GN stuff with the adjusters for height adjustments.

That's what I was thinking of doing, but are the springs still short enough to give a drop with that rate? Just trying to make sure I do it right the first time.

The springs alone are 9.5" free height. The adjusters are 5" tall and have an adjustment range of about 2". The CAN be trimmed down to have a range of 1-3 or 2-4 instead of 3-5 if you decide you need more down adjustment. Mine sits way too high IMO but I have 3" drop spindles coming so it will balance out later.

Current pic with the adjusters all the down (as low as it can go) and tall spindles which add another 1" of drop. picture (http://geocities.com/teichera@sbcglobal.net/images/primer2.jpg)

thanks again, I don't want mine lower than yours appears to be.

Just want to close the gap between the top of my tire and the fender once I get a shorter front tire (around 235/6514 or 60/14)

Dennis,

Pretty slick set up. I think I'll go w/575# or 650# springs, the jacks & the Fat Man 2" spindles on my '64.

Do you have a part # for the weight jacks you used? I found the springs, but the weight jacks I saw @ speedwaymotors.com don't look like what you have. I searched their site using keyword "weight jack".

Thanks for taking time to pass along your knowledge.

Look for spring adjusters in the super stock section. There are 2 heights available, get the bigger ones. You can always cut them down if you want later.

Found them! They're listed under "Adjustable Hidden Spring Shim", #91645552, $29.95 ea. Thanks!

I see what you mean about getting the larger ones. If you bottom this one out and still need to go lower, you could trim enough off the top to get the adjuster back in the middle of the threads and still be able to fine tune the height.

Did you just do some grinding to the upper buckets on the shims to properly fit into the spring pockets on the frame?

Then to adjust ride height, do you just put spring compressors on the springs while the car is on the ground, jack the car up (spring should be loose now), and adjust the shim, correct?

Go to the link provided in sig line. In the suspension page there is a picture gallery that has a pic of what I did to the adjusters to make them fit nice and tight.

For adjustments I don't use a compressor at all, put a jack under the LCA and pop the ball joint loose. Lower the arm and the spring and adjuster will fall loose. Make the adjustment and reassemble. It's way easier than it sounds. You won't need the compressor anymore, remember that you are increasing the spring rate quite a bit...you don't need a thin wound 20" spring anymore. The new springs and adjusters together will slide right in where they belong and you can swing the LCA into place and just use the jack for the last few inches to reach the lower ball joint.