Rear springs

[Guest]

My 60 sits low in the rear. The springs look alright with all the clamps in place,but I guess they are just tired. What is the best way to get it back up level,new springs from a vendor or have the springs rearched? Thanks for any help.
Randall
1960 Hardtop

[Alexander]

RE: Rear springs

The best thing is to have new springs, but in my experience many of the replacement leaf springs are not as heavy duty as the original ones. They have fewer leafs. My 1959 sits low in the back too, but is a problem that the front springs bring it up to high. Apparently the coil springs they sell are adapted truck springs not car springs so they raise the car too high.

Re-arcing springs was common practice years ago. I think you will have a hard time finding a place that does that now. Too much labor and too much liability.

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[Guest]

RE: Rear springs

I'm a rodder, so, my suggestion would be to lower the front about 4 inches to match! (Just kidding!) To my eye, these things are nose high to begin with, so it might just be the way it sets.

Any spring shop should be able to re-arch your springs. It's done for trucks all the time. A pretty easy and inexpensive alternative is to use air shocks. I have 'em on the rear of my '59, which we occasionally tow our boat and travel trailer with, and it works well. When we tow, or travel with the trunk loaded, it squats anyway, it's nice to be able to adjust the shocks to keep the car setting level.

Just a thought.

Brian

[Guest]

RE: Rear springs

air schocks will cure that sagging rearend. no one actually lists air schocks for the squarebirds in their catalogs. monroe part number MA739 has the correct ends and the proper extended and nonextended measurements. my partsman says they are listed for a ford pickup application but fit the squarebird specs perfectly. they did the trick on my 60 hardtop.

[Guest]

RE: Rear springs

Those are exactly what I used, I'd forgotten the part #, but they were listed as Ford truck.

If you want to have a self contained system, put a 12 compressor on board and plumb it to the shocks. These are avaliable from lots of sources. My '48 Pontiac convert has the complete level ride system from the '95 Caddy donor car I used. It works great, load the trunk or hitch up the trailer, a sensor on the rear axle tells the compressor to pump the shocks up till it sets level. Unload, and bleeds air off till it's again at static height. Neat, and free, since I had all the parts.

[byersmtrco]

RE: Rear springs

My 60 is the same way. It's always been low in back. I installed the rear swaybar kit offered by Larry's Thunderbird Supply. Their part # is B5482B. They are the only supplier I found with a rear (Yes I'm still fighting the front--SBC Disc brks)This raised the rear of the car about an inch and a half. It sets perfect now. The only thing is it's a hard ride. Believe it or not. No more wallowing around on the freeway. If I could just get the front nailed down (haven't had time to wk on it) it would ride the turns like a rail, but it'll ride like a slammed pickup. Always give & take I guess.

John Byers

________
UGGS

[Guest]

RE: Rear springs

Thank you all for the advice,air shocks it will be.

Before I got your replies, I called all the local auto outlets for 60 Thunderbird air shocks and found out there is no such animal. Then I called every catalog sales I could find,with the same results.You guys came through.

The only spring shop in the area would not re-arch my springs.They "said" that in their experience the older springs would sometimes break.They offered to tool up for new ones at three hundred and something a spring. Thanks again.
Randall
1960 Hardtop

[Guest]

RE: Rear springs

hi
They are all good suggestions, now let me suggest the wrong, irresponsible way it is done. FLIP THE REAR SPRING CONNECTION. this will raise the car about 3 inches and cost nothing. I have ran excessive speeds, had 4 spd with big motors laying the rubber down, put it in the ditch too many times, had people run into me, ran into guard rails and never have I had that change effect anything about how the car handles or safety issues. to do this you have to disconnect the shocks, jack the car off the ground, take your tire iron and stick it in there and pull, let the car down, connect the shocks and your done, NO MONEY, JUST TIME. To put this all in prospective, this comes from a 17 year old rock n roll drummer going on 49. take a walk on the wild side and save your money.
good luck
mark, 1960 conv.

[tarps3]

RE: Rear springs

Explain this a little further please.
What exactly are you pulling on with the tire iron?

Are you somehow reversing the shackles?

I put new shocks on all around and new coil springs in front. Now my front end rides a little higher than I'd like. I'd rather not cut the springs.
I always thought the rear springs might be a little tired - they are original.

Casey
60 hardtop

[Guest]

RE: Rear springs

HI
Yes the shackles, the part name that escaped me at the time of the post, just flip the rear shackle, but like i said earlier, disconnect the shocks and get the wheels off the ground to accomplish this.
good luck
mark 60 conv.