[rkd]

I should have asked for some tips first, but I got it done this morning.

Removed and reinstalled the front springs, and cut about 2/3 coil off them. She sits a bit lower in the front and looks a lot better!

Question, are you supposed to remove the brakes and backing plates to get the control arm loose from the spindle? I did not want to remove the drum brake stuff. Removing the brake hardline bracket gave me enough slack to get the springs out by taking the upper balljoint apart.

Looks a thousand times better. Washed and waxed it, and it made a cruise of the beach this afternoon. Yahoo!!!

Hope to get alignment this week.

 

[anychevy]

Removing the break line usually helps swing the spindle out of the way but it's optional. 66 BB or SB ? how much lower is it after 2/3 of a coil ?
Dave

 

[rkd]

I actually forgot to measure the ride height before, since I was in a hurry to get after it, but it dropped it about 3/4 to 1 in from eyeball measurements. Looks just right, with some 15 in wheels on it. Not super slick or Fooisifed, but a nice compromise between 1970 jacked up and the current over slammed school. Nice rake actually.

Its got a 350 in it, and one of the few things the po did was to install new, "v8" springs. He said he wanted the stock or back in the day look. I assume they were for a 327 car, but they had the front sitting even or a bit higher than the rear. Probably was about the original height, but I did not like the look at all.

I guessed based on previous spring cutting experince, and by looking at the coils before I pulled them. In place and jacked under the control arm, it looked like a full coil would be too much and a half would not affect it much, so I went in between. If it got screwed up, I would just have to get new springs.

The top coil seemed to have the last coil flattened a bit, so I cut the bottom coil, which was the one I looked at.

Seemed to work perfectly. Cannot tell any difference in ride. But I did find that I have two mismatched shocks, one with no fluid and one that does not fit. And miscellaneous missing cotter pins, original bushings, but new ball joints! First side took 2 hrs plus, second side, an hour.