Front Suspension -- Need Help ASAP

[bcomo]

Alexander:

When you did your front end, you said that you had a metal top insulator on yours.

Was that only on the drivers side, and did you leave it in?

Thanks

[430bird60]

coil spring insulator and spacer

Does anyone know whether the spacer is mounted on top of the insulator or between the insulator and the coil. This is on A/C cars. Thanks

Ken

[simplyconnected]

Ken, what spacer? They have an insulator that gets taped to the top of the spring upon installation, but I know of no spacer. Have you got a part number?

[Astrowing]

On the air conditioner equipped cars, there is a spacer that looks like a horseshoe in order to compensate for the additional weight of the compressor, condenser, hoses and evaporator core on the front end. Mine were on the bottom of the spring so it can engage the end of the spring. I could not get the spring / spacer combination to properly engage the lower arm upon re-installation so I left them out. The front end probably sits about 1/2" lower now, but I felt like it sat too high as it was.

[simplyconnected]

I found the part numbers. This piece is bolted to the lower arm with swaged 3/8" bolts and spring nuts on '63 T-birds (refer to the bottom two entries):

[tbird430]

My 430cid, A/C equiped 1960 Bird didn't have any spacers under the front springs.

I guess Ford used a different spring PN# to reflect the added weight for the 430cid...?

-Jon in TX.

[430bird60]

coil spring insulator and spacer

What I am calling a spacer is like a metal washer. It mounts on top of the coil spring. It is about 5 1/2 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inch thick. I'm trying to find out if it goes between the rubber insulator and car frame or between the insulator and the top of the coil spring. Thanks again. Ken

[KULTULZ]

What I am calling a spacer is like a metal washer. It mounts on top of the coil spring. It is about 5 1/2 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inch thick. I'm trying to find out if it goes between the rubber insulator and car frame or between the insulator and the top of the coil spring.

Thanks again. Ken

The spacer (5355) is used on the LF spring only as the front springs (both engine series) were the same.

EDIT- Let me qualify this statement. I meant to say the front springs (L and R) on either BIRD were the same (rating) and there was a separate rating for either car according to which engine it received.

The added weight of the A/C install was compensated with the spacer to keep proper trim height.

A previous poster found his @ the bottom of the coil.

On the air conditioner equipped cars, there is a spacer that looks like a horseshoe in order to compensate for the additional weight of the compressor, condenser, hoses and evaporator core on the front end.

Mine were (was?) on the bottom of the spring so it can engage the end of the spring. I could not get the spring / spacer combination to properly engage the lower arm upon re-installation so I left them out. The front end probably sits about 1/2" lower now, but I felt like it sat too high as it was.

As for the OP reporting rubber spacers @ the bottom of either spring, companies like MOOG offer (offered) spacers to regain the proper trim height (weak sagging springs) to be able to more easily align the front end to factory specs.

This may be what these are in his instance.

BTW- The outboard mounting position of the front shocks was to allow an air bag install on the 58 AIR-RIDE Systems.