Let me bounce a spring question by you!

[Donmon]

Hey guys, got my motor and trans in and need to gain some pan clearence, dont want to raise the motor (intrudes into the floor) and didnt want to flip the spring perch, my current spring measures 32 1/4" eye to eye the closest one I can find in the speedway cat is 31 1/4" (I want to go standard eye), do you think I can stretch the 31 1/4" out or should I look somewhere else for a longer spring, I was hoping a standard eye and a fresh spring would give be some more pan clearence (4" right now)

 

[Duke]

You could grind off the spring birch and flip it over and go with a spring under rather than a spring over setup. That would bring the frame up, looks like about 2 inches or so. If you want the in the weeds look that wouldn't work, then raising the engine and tranny is about the only option I see. Lets see what some others have to say, There could be some better ideas out there.

 

[Hotrod46]

You could either get a new main leaf fabricated at a spring shop ( which shouldn't be too expensive) or get the main leaf in your current spring rearched to standard eye location (basically reverse the current arch).

Only the main leaf needs to be changed, all the others would be the same.

Here's a link to a tech article on the HAMB on reversing a spring yourself.

CHASSIS, Reversing spring eyes... - THE H.A.M.B.

Mike

 

[putz]

Where your spring perches are could you extend them to accept a standard spring.I am sure RPM could fab some for you if you don't have the equipment to.I think then you could get away with a standard eye it raised mine about 3 inches just changing the spring from reversed to standard.

 

[rooster57]

Add a spacer between the spring and the pearch. I did and i worked out fine.

 

[Donmon]

Where your spring perches are could you extend them to accept a standard spring.I am sure RPM could fab some for you if you don't have the equipment to.I think then you could get away with a standard eye it raised mine about 3 inches just changing the spring from reversed to standard.

I didnt want to take them off they are welded on- and the radius arm is chrome, albeit not real good chrome but then I would have to have them de-chromed before I refabed. I was hoping to get away with just a standard eye spring, the lenght is the issue, may just have to have one made..

or grind off and flip the perch, Ron made this one for me to be mounted this way.

 

[Donmon]

Add a spacer between the spring and the pearch. I did and i worked out fine.

Wouldnt that just lower the frame? wrong way in my case

 

[rb61069]

What Rooster meant to say was, put the spring on the bottom of the perch and use another plate/ spacer between the bottom of the perch and the top of the spring. This way you dont have to grind,cut, weld and repaint everything. All you have to do is buy another plate/spacer or two and install. RPM has them! This is a quick and cheap fix!! Or just buy taller tires!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Donmon]

What Rooster meant to say was, put the spring on the bottom of the perch and use another plate/ spacer between the bottom of the perch and the top of the spring. This way you dont have to grind,cut, weld and repaint everything. All you have to do is buy another plate/spacer or two and install. RPM has them! This is a quick and cheap fix!! Or just buy taller tires!!!!!!!!!!!

I get it, had to think about that one for a while.
I think I will try a new standard eye spring (1" shorterthan I really need) and make the shackles longer if I have to first, as usual thanks for the input everyone.
-Don

 

[blownt]

4" is more than I got. Get a Slamguard pan.

If I were to redo mine I would raise the motor. I like the rake and stance of mine. I'd raise the tunnel a few inches.

 

[RPM]

I think the easiest way to get more clearence would be to cut that perch off and flip it over.

 

[rooster57]

This is before i added the spacer between the spring and the perch to give me more shock travel after i added the motor and body,

 

[Ted Brown]

The best way to raise it up a bit is to build new spring hangers, looks like the ones you have now are solid, welded in place, not really a good thing, as they will not be totally the correct angle when all is said and done, needs to have a bolt (1/2 or 5/8) with the hanger for the shackle welded so it will hold the shackle in a higher position and be able to swing the fit the spring, then tightened, also I use a wider shackle that the spring size= 13/4" spring, 2" shackle, this alows for none binding movement when the spring and axle moves up and down.. You can also just turn that main leaf over, re arch it yourself with a big hammer and a piece of 4 to 6 inch channel, just hit it hard enough to bend things the other way... easy, the more arch the higher it will sit. I did those front spring frame mounts just to be different in the old days, like they say, harder to raise, easy to lower... Oh-well I still have that setup on my car after all these years... Good luck with whatever you deside to do.. ride safe

 

[Donmon]

Thanks for the pics and input, I am with you on the hangers, I dont like the way they are welded on,
I decided to make a 2" block first before messing with the spring or perch, I will post a pic when its done and get some feed back.

Thank again!
-Don