From: 62 GT Hawk Subject: Lowering! Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 09:22:39 -0500 So, let's say I wanted to lower my 62 Hawk. Is there any way of doing this easily? I've got the back figured out (apart from the natural sag) But what about the front? I can't just rush out a buy dropped spindles, so are there any alternatives? Smaller tires is not an option, considering the massive size of the wheel well opening? Any thoughts? Do what the cheap low ridder crowd does. They use a torch and a tape measure. The torch (heat up) a couple sections of each coil while holding a tape measure against the wheel well opening. When the car sinks to the desired height they remove the heat and it stops. I've seen several of these done that way. The only draw back is the fact that you can't align the front end again. From: "ALEX MAGDALENO" I have had both good luck and bad, heating coils. I lowered my 54 Studebaker that way. It sat high because it had a Chevy engine that is lighter than a stock V8. I wanted it lower than stock. I had no trouble aligning it and drove it for 9 years with no problem. I did my son's 70 El Camino a few years back and within a year had to replace the springs, as they settled too far and unevenly. If you do the coil heat method, don't pick a coil right in the middle of the spring. It will take some time to get it hot enough, and then it will drop fast. Stop at least 1 inch higher than you want because it will settle that much in a few days. I think the coil chop method would be the best, but haven't done it myself. Alex M From: whizzo7@my-dejanews.com I think the coil chop method would be the best, but haven't done it myself. Food for thought: I seem to recollect reading that if heated, the spring rate (stiffness) remained the same - chop coils and the rate gets real stiff. From: DJLevesque@webtv.net (David Levesque) WARNING- dropping by heating will almost certainly result in uneven spring rate right to left. The height may look good, but you will likely have right turn handling different from left turn. Subtracting a certain amount of metal by cutting off a coil or so will assure that right is same as left. Don't forget handling. DL 62 GT Hawk wrote: > > > Okay, so my biggest question with lowering by changing springs is that > > the front end geometry changes, as some responses state that bottoming > > out has been a problem....I guess the only real way to get about 4 > > inches lower is by subframing, and I don't really want to do this at > > this point. > > Thanks for all your replies! > > -- > Mark > > Mark, don't quit yet I'm sure there are alot more interesting stories out there. For instance I put a camaro front stub frame under my 46 Champion streetrod. I had lowered and moved back the engine to change the center of gravity. Even with the junk yard springs under the frontend I needed to bring it down six inches. I should have started taking less off but had never done this before. Cut one and one half coils right off the bat! It lowered the car right to where I wanted it which is quite low . Thought I might have to start over with new springs if the car settled anymore. After 2 years it is still setting fine. So if you decide to cut coils only go onehalf at a time and then see how it looks. You also may find that there is a metal spacer under the bottom of the spring. This spacer was used when cars had the extra weight of airconditioning over the springs. Was also added by many people when the front of the car started to get low. At that time the style was to be higher than todays style. If the spacers are there you will find that removing them will lower the front very nicely without draging on the ground. As to the geometry of the steering I don't think you could lower it enough that a front end shop couldn't align it. On most of those cars there isn't enough room to drop it drastacly. Even with the big change on my 46 I had the alignment done and it worked out just fine. By the way, when i bought this car it was in a condition that never could be put back to original. That was why I used it for this never ending project. Good luck and let us know how it turns out. Preston Rea Harvard,Illinois 46 Champion 53 Land Cruiser 64 Daytona Hardtop You know guys, I'm really starting to enjoy this!62 GT Hawk wrote: > > > Okay, so my biggest question with lowering by changing springs is that > > the front end geometry changes, as some responses state that bottoming > > out has been a problem....I guess the only real way to get about 4 > > inches lower is by subframing, and I don't really want to do this at > > this point. > Just buy some N&A heavy duty front springs. They end up being 1 1/2 inches lower front than back. I need to install spacers to bring my front up 1 inch. You got to do the bushings anyway.......... From: s2dsteve@webtv.net Mark, Easy? Easy's simple. Just get the torch out and start heating the coils while a friend jumps up and down on the bumper until it sags enough for you. 'Course this is not really the best way. A better way is is to remove the coils and cut off maybe 1 to 1 1/2 coils using a cutoff wheel or something similar which does not heat up the metal too much. The best way is to go to a spring manufacturer and have some custom coils made up. Of course you might then have some alignment problems, but that's another story. Swapping the front springs for ones with a 1 or 2 inch lower ride height or do the jury rigs of my youth by cutting the coil or "torching" the spring. ( not recommended) -- From: a100prcent@aol.com It seems that the right way to lower it would be to get some new spindles made up. It would then align right however the lower end might run into the tire. You could possibly go to larger rims to make it fit. The planar design of the Studebaker front end is pretty cool and minimizes bump steer that's one reason why our cars handle as well as they do considering their age. They sure look higher than cars do today but then again people were more likely to have to drive some gravel roads than they are now. I sure had fun 4 wheeling my Lark but that's another story. David V From: Bob Lyle Why not use the modern technology that's all the rage on the hot-rod and street rod scene...air-bag suspension? They're promoting the heck out of them for everything under the sun and they suppposedly replace the springs (so you won't be ruining any Stude parts) and yet retain the shocks and drivability. -- From: DJLevesque@webtv.net I wouldn't take 1 1/2 turns off. It woud then bottom out easy. I followed that advice in 1976 and I could feel the a-frames contact the bumper stops on certain dips in the road. I woud be afraid to go any further than one turn. Don't forget to grind the "wire" slightly tapered. Not as much as factory, but take off the sharp edge and give it a flat spot to keep it from walking around and chewing the frame. David Levesque From: hotrodkid@aol.com Question: how much did it lower the front end after removing 1 1/2 turns of the spring? I too have been thinking about getting the front end of the Hawk down a few inches. I know my rear springs need help but I just dont like the attitude of the car now. I like to look down at the road not up over the hood. I would like to lower the front about three inches if it is possible. ======================= Funny thing about cutting coils off springs, you increase the stiffness on the order of about 10% for every complete coil you remove...believe it or . Heating springs is highly NOT recommended....it crystallizes the metal (weakening it) and you have no control over exactly how much it will drop, nor any guarantee as to if it'll drop further once you've driven it for awhile. That's fine if you own a zit farm, wear you baseball cap backwards, and have a wing on your trunk that stands taller than the average NBA player. Yo yo yo. -Dec 2005 The smart cookie will replace the lower studs in the crossmember with a quarter inch+ thick steel plate and longer studs that will accept a spacer plate between the lower a-arm mounts and the crossmember mount (new/lower) plate. This will, in effect use the coil spring as the fulcrum point and lower the front suspension without cutting the spring. (Lower the inner mount will raise the lower trunion...thus lowering the ride height) Think this is a new idea? They used to do this on 1950 Ford's all the time.