Anyone have any experience adding some lift to a '54 ford front end ?? Nothing too radical,..( approx. 2" ),..don't want it looking like a " Gasser ". I can jack the ass end up by using Gabriel ( Rear ) air shocks manufactured for the car,..can't seem to find any for the front, and I don't want a cobbled up mess, it has to be done right. Any ideas,..Anyone, ?? Thanks in advance, appreciate any help I can get.
I would like it about the same height / stance, as the Blue '54 pictured below.The Black One is mine, as it sits now.
-- Edited by cheyenne on Monday 4th of January 2016 01:46:07 AM
Mine is pretty low TMJ,...it could stand 1 1/2" rise all the way around I think. Not like I'm taking away from the vehicle being Original,..the old " Y Block " was disposed of 2 1/2 years ago..and replaced with a completely rebuilt, '68 Mustang 289 cu in, and C-4 tranny,..and a rebuilt highway geared rearend ( for economy purpose ), and a more up to date power steering unit. I would like to give it just a light splash of hot rod look,..it's not the tired out old crocery getter' that it appears to be,..lol.
I was in a site, checking out the " Coil Lift Isolators ",..kinda looks like the easy route to go for the front end,..need to check and see if anyone has had any experience ( good or bad with them ).
I have run them in the rear of my 62 Cutlass for 20 years and have never had a issue. I don' know if I would run them in the front. I think your better solution is contacting
Coil Spring Specialties 632 W Bertrand Ave, St Marys, KS 66536, United States Phone:+1 785-437-2025
Detroit Spring sent me to them years ago and they have made several sets for me as well for many others I have sent to them. They have all the patterns and will adjust them for ride height and stiffness by changing wire thickness or length. By adding length it may pose a problem opening the control arms enough to fit them in. If too long, they may also top out your suspension travel, very dangerous. I would probably go for a little stiffer spring thus adding better handling and at the same time not sagging as much. I would probably do all four corners and forget the air ride, just a good set of shocks. I have been experimenting with coil sizes on my Cutlass since 1989, a car probably very similar in size and weight to yours an have found doing the springs right is the absolute best solution.
I agree with TMJ I think it looks just fine as it is...it's a really good looking ride ..I might consider just new springs if they have never been replaced a new set of springs stock or for a wagon might just make the difference for an inch or so but to much would ruin the look of the car in my view..
Well,...there is no doubt in my mind that you guy's all have more experience than I do in regards to modifying suspensions,..and the car rides better ( as it sits ),..than any brand new vehicles I have owned in the past 12 years,..so I am going to leave it alone. The whole front end on the car was rebuilt, (including new coils ) before the 289, and tranny was installed,..so there is just a little over 1000 miles on the front end total.
Cant thank you guys enough, TMJ....WUGA,...Fatchuck,..and Rochie, for your input,..I'm glad I inquired in here before I went and did something on my own,..you guy's no doubt saved me a lot of grief, and expense, where I probably would have ended up with something I didn't want. Appreciate it guy's, Thank You !!
Wuga,...gotta say,..that little Cutlass is one absolute Kick Ass looking vehicle,..they don't come any nicer than that !!
Wayne glad we talked you out of changing the ride height. If you want to make a change get the measuring tape out and order some 5 spoke wheels for it.
Or better still try to borrow some 5 spoke rims with tires from someone you know,,just to see how they look. If you don't like it you are only out some time..
Stay away from white letter tires. It's not a white letter type of car.
x2...om the spoke wheels..maybe some 57 caddy caps & some lake pipes..I guess it all depends on the era or look that you like..I like the fifty's cruiser look and it seems to be growing in nostalgia looks for some cars..For me those years looked great as customs..but we all like different women..Ususally somebody else's
Coil spring spacers ...... retains your existing coils. Simple to do, simple to undo. I am unfamiliar with your front suspension but these might be an option. I realize you have decided against changing your ride height ..... not trying to change your mind again, just saying that if in the future you decide want to bring the front up a bit. They can generally be had in different thickness'.
(I can't find a pic of an original suspension, so I don't know if these will work for your application .....)
-- Edited by chips on Monday 4th of January 2016 01:53:00 PM
Not a chance on the spoked wheels,..as Model A Guy stated,.." it is not a 5 spoke car either ",..in fact I was thinking on just getting some new center caps, and leave the original wheels on it, they are like new under those discs, and I don't even care much for the full wheel disc.
The look of the blue '53 / '54 in the pic that I forwarded as an example of what I wanted in height, is enough to turn anyone off of 5 spoked wheels on this body style,..and those low profile tires don't do it any justice either, it just looks wrong IMO, but to each his own,...I don't have a penny invested in his car.
When the old gent who modded this one brought it up from the South,..he told me that it had dummy spotlights,..bubble skirts,.chrome reverse wheels,..and lake pipes on it,..and as soon as he got it into Canada, and inside his shop,..they all came off,..and he just saved me the trouble, cause I would have had to do it if he didn't. I just want it looking like I remember them back in the late 50's,..to the late '60's,..with the exception of the Tach mounted on top of the dash, ( which, back then if you could afford a tach,..that's where it went,..you had to flaunt it ),...Nor would I want the old '50's era " Foxcraft Floorshift ",..if I was running a manual trans, lol.
Coil spring spacers ...... retains your existing coils. Simple to do, simple to undo. I am unfamiliar with your front suspension but these might be an option. I realize you have decided against changing your ride height ..... not trying to change your mind again, just saying that if in the future you decide want to bring the front up a bit. They can generally be had in different thickness'.
(I can't find a pic of an original suspension, so I don't know if these will work for your application .....)
Thanks Chips,...they look somewhat like the Coil Lift Isolators that I mentioned earlier. I have decided against lifting the car after discussing it with some of the gentlemen in here,..there's a good chance I could screw things up,..so going to leave well enough alone. Thank You for the heads up on the Isolators just the same,..appreciate it.
Wayne
-- Edited by chips on Monday 4th of January 2016 01:53:00 PM
You're welcome. For some reason I was picturing coil lift isolaters as being the things pictured below. I have used the pads in my earlier pic on a Mustang II front suspension. I had tried stock Mustang II springs (new), 300lb aftermarket springs, and 325lb aftermarket springs .... finally got the correct ride height with those spacers. For me, the spacers worked just fine. I just wanted to mention just in case the thought of lifting it crossed your mind in the future.
-- Edited by chips on Monday 4th of January 2016 02:51:26 PM
Back in the day, we used to use something like the little black spacers in your photo,..the ones we used were metal,...maybe even aluminum,..can't remember exactly. Looks like the metal brackets in the photo are intended to lift, and lower,..??
HI CHEYENNE : My buddy runs his own shop and changed a set of Mac Pherson struts on something recently and there was a " spacer " right on top of the old springs and all I had to do was lift it off . It also appeared to have a small bearing in it , allowing easy rotation between two parts . I too was looking for something small to raise one side of my car 1/2 inch -- If you would like , I can check with him what the car was . Aside from that , your car is beautiful as is -- LATER -- DON / Fleet 51
The front end on Wayne's car is the same as 55/56. 54 was the first year for ball joints in the USA, and 55 was first year in Canada. If you want to try to bump it up to see how it looks, Wayne, the donuts would be the simplest. On the other hand, if you want to drop it, go with Ford Aerostar Coils.
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If brains were wire, some couldn't short circuit a firefly.
The front end on Wayne's car is the same as 55/56. 54 was the first year for ball joints in the USA, and 55 was first year in Canada. If you want to try to bump it up to see how it looks, Wayne, the donuts would be the simplest. On the other hand, if you want to drop it, go with Ford Aerostar Coils.
Thank You John, I appreciate the info,...that is good stuff to know if I ever find a need to replace parts,..I would have been looking to purchase plain old '54 Ford components.
