Raising Front End Height

[Gostallion]

Hi, my T bucket is a Total Performance car with 26" 4 leaf front spring, standard eye, still with the friction shocks. Now the ride height is too low, my oil and tranny pans are dented and scraped and I need to get the front end up some. Our stupid city council here thinks speed bumps on the street are the way to slow people down. The rake really is too much so I need a couple inches. Is there a higher arch spring or different shackles or something usually used to bring the front end up?

 

[HenrysT]

Can you put blocks between the spring and spring perch the raise it? What kind of axle do you have? 4" drop?, tube or "I" beam?

 

[choppedtop]

If it has a reversed eye you can change to a stock spring.

 

[Gostallion]

It is standard spring eyes meaning the wrap goes down. it is a round tube axle, i am trying to attach a pic here of what it is.

 

[choppinczech]

Can you put blocks between the spring and spring perch the raise it? What kind of axle do you have? 4" drop?, tube or "I" beam?

Yeah, it looks to me like you could add spacers between the perch and spring.

 

[old round fart]

How about a little more arch in a new spring?

 

[Indycars]

I had Eaton Detroit Spring make one for me back in 2010. Below is the form they require,
notice that you can specify how much arch you want "C".

We Manufacture Leaf Springs - OEM and Custom - EATON Detroit Spring



I polished the visible part of the spring, then tapped off the areas where I did want paint.

 

[Gostallion]

so I could spin the end spring perch halfway around (to angle up) to gain a little height if that is structurally acceptable?

 

[old round fart]

Don’t do that. If you hit a bump and shackle flips things go bad fast.

 

[Spanky]

That would give a little bit more height, probably no more than 1/2 inch or so. Didn't you say you are looking for about 2 inches additional clearance? Do you not like the idea of spacers for your spring perch?

 

[Kevinrevin]

A spacer block under the perch would be hidden by your license plate. We are the only ones who would know.
Then you could raise the rear to match, to keep the rake the same.

 

[Gostallion]

OK, good info, i was thinking flipping the perch over to angle up instead of down but still have the shackle go down so it wouldn't flip around, I realize it wouldn't give me much, so could that be a problem? as far as the center perch under the U-bolts a spacer block would be a good idea and strong but i haven't seen such a thing yet. so there isn't a spring with more arch to it? or maybe mine is tired and laying down on the job?

 

[Kevinrevin]

I'll wager finding the correct size block and new, longer u-bolts will be less expensive than ordering a new spring.

 

[Gostallion]

OK, I agree, I just looked up the center spacer block which are only 1/4" thick and I would think stacking several would cause movement of them sliding around. maybe a 1" block would work better. any opinions on turning over the end perch pivots over (to angle up) but leaving the shackles going down is any good?

 

[old round fart]

A 2” x 1 3/4” thick wall tube with the bolt holding the spring pack together also through it would work great.

 

[Kevinrevin]

OK, I agree, I just looked up the center spacer block which are only 1/4" thick and I would think stacking several would cause movement of them sliding around. maybe a 1" block would work better. any opinions on turning over the end perch pivots over (to angle up) but leaving the shackles going down is any good?

The ones we had for the rear leafs on the dirt-tracker were various sizes, up to 3 inches thick. Still available from Speedway Motors leaf spring blocks | Speedway Motors, The Racing and Rodding Specialists

 

[DonnyRay]

This might help.

 

[Gostallion]

IC, that would move the plate farther down which would raise the front end while maintaining full perch strength. thanks

 

[DonnyRay]

You're welcome Gostallion . Just trying to help.

 

[DonnyRay]