lowering help!!!!

[code109]

Hi
I'll try and keep this short
Got leaf springs on the rear if my car, want to lower it by 4" but researched and lowering blocks don't seem the best option, if they'd work atall!

Anyone have any suggestions please?

Cheers

Craig

[Copey]

Does the axle sit on top of the leafs? If so and if they are single leafs you could get them decambered so they are flatter, if that doesn't give you the desired lowness you could then add lowering blocks

[code109]

Yeah.... Where could I get that done?

Cheers

[rodney]

google should bring up somewhere,.

[ChasR]

What car is it?

There are a few firms who will decamber springs at a reasonable rate.

[code109]

Hillman hunter... I looked at decambering but its about 60 pound a spring. I'm trying to do it on a budget.

Put them in the 5 ton press at work, but it didn't make a difference. Had them bent the opposite way, but they just went back!

[ChasR]

It is easy for me to say this (and to spend someone else's cash) but this is one area I would splash out on, regardless of the car. Naturally, the caveat is that it is a car for keeps. I say this as besides making the car a safer place to be, it is surprising what new suspension can do.

On my MGB which had new rear leaf springs (albeit 10 years old (I had not driven the car for over a 6 year time period and they only had around 500 miles on them), my attempts at regreasing and re oiling them were futile (they did move, just not very well!). Putting on the decambered items not only improved the handling but also the ride by a long shot (I used to avoid roads with speed bumps prior to me lowering it! The rear end did move, but not alot). No amount of jacking the car down hard or greasing would loosen off the old springs. The above changed my perspective on how 'bad' (or rather no so bad) leaf springs can be despite the naysayers acting as if they are the spawn of Satan (whilst they may have a point, that reputation is not fully deserved).

[Copey]

£60 a spring isn't a bad price, far better option than blocks too, especially if you're wanting a big drop, plus you have already said you don't really want to use blocks, they are really your only 2 options

[code109]

yeah but I'm guessing I will have to use lowering blocks anyway? everywhere ive looked, people don't recommend more than 2" of decambering

[RobinJI]

Neither decambering or blocks alone are likely to give a safe 4" drop, your best bet will be to use a combination of both, with the proportion depending on how cambered the leaves are to start with. Shortened shackles would help too depending on the length of the originals.

Have you looked at Seth's build thread for his Minx? I'm not actually sure what method he's used, but his car's likely at the sort of height you're aiming for.

[code109]

Jul 20, 2014 13:08:05 GMT RobinJI said:

brilliant! thanks for the help guys 

[bigfella2]

Jul 20, 2014 13:08:05 GMT RobinJI said:

Neither decambering or blocks alone are likely to give a safe 4" drop, your best bet will be to use a combination of both, with the proportion depending on how cambered the leaves are to start with. Shortened shackles would help too depending on the length of the originals.

Have you looked at Seth's build thread for his Minx? I'm not actually sure what method he's used, but his car's likely at the sort of height you're aiming for.

Well if you look at this one - only lowered 2" inches using blocks. Can't imagine it being drivable with 4" drop.
retrorides.proboards.com/thread/139435#.U8wxjvldXsY

[code109]

There's still a gap between the wheel and the arches
I've dropped the front 4" already, just need to make the back end level out a bit

you can see the front is okay;
retrorides.proboards.com/thread/167430/1975-hillman-hunter

[code109]

Incidentally, I saw that hillman hunter lowered 2" on Google, and that is how I found this forum, and what made me buy a hunter

[Seth]

To decamber the springs on my estate I had to dismantle the leaves and do every one of them, a bit of a time so they all conformed to the new shape before re-assembling. This is the decambered four leaf estate spring against the standard 3 leaf saloon spring I had been running for a bit. Think I got about 1 1/2" but you need to make sure that you don't go too far and end up with springs that bend the wrong way when loaded.  It might look more than that in the photo but it's just the angle/lighting.

[code109]

I didn't even think of that until.you said! :s

I've taken the middle leaf out and put the shocks on their hardest setting and got 2" of drop. Didn't think about the springs popping up the opposite way though....!