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Dec 18, 2012 17:50:33 GMT
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Hi again from your local not so clever retro wannabe. I am busy researching something that has got my head in a spin at the moment. Anyway, the bus was easy to lower.... remove suspension blades and drop.... done. However, this is the description of the suspension on the '60-'62 models I am interested in. What I need to know is whether this is fine to live with on modern motorways and at 70mph. ALSO - How easy are these suspensions to lower, lets say up to 6 inches? Description. The 1960,1961, & 1962 model used torsion bar front suspension, with trailing arm suspension rear. A coil-spring front suspension came in 1963 Have some pics as atonement for this question. 1961 Chevy 1961 Chevy Apache 4x4 one family, 19k miles. How about a 1963 recovery truck?? Gearknob/lever for the tall boys. 1960 body mounted on a modern CROWN Victoria Police interceptor chassis etc. Love this ones stance and patina. This is how low it would need to be for me...... Could you drop a truck on torsion bar front suspension, with trailing arm suspension rear this low without big bucks commitment??
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Last Edit: Dec 19, 2012 10:13:02 GMT by grizz
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Dec 18, 2012 18:05:48 GMT
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Well as far as I know torsion bars, it will be a case of pulling the 'spring' out of the splines, turning it 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 splines and the re-inserting. BANG one dropped vehicle!
The problems will come with bump stops, suspension arm angles, steering arm inclination causing bump steer. And finally, if the rear can be lowered to match?
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Dec 18, 2012 18:26:53 GMT
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I have gone up and down with torsion bars on various vehicles front suspension, other than the usual problems with bump stops and geometry there is usually little difference in comfort, however if the suspension arm that comes off the torsion bar starts off horizontal (in its normal position) and you lower it so that it now sits on an upwards angle you have effectively shortened it, which changes the leverage the trucks will exert on the torsion bar. Having said that, in most cases with torsion bar suspension you can always put it back to stock or try another position if you don't like it, its much easier than putting a leaf back in or putting a coil spring back together. On my old Marina pickup truck I just loosened off the adjusters and jumped up and down on the front bumper until it looked good.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
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Dec 18, 2012 18:52:16 GMT
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Whether or not it'll be happy at 70 we'd need to know a fair bit more info to judge really.
As for lowering, again, we don't really know without more info. As the other guys have said torsion bars will be easy to actually lower and it's the other bits that will cause the issues, you'll almost certainly need shorter (preferably stiffer) shocks and bump-stops. Obviously lowering it will reduce the suspension movement available before things hit other things, so the fact the spring rates are still the same as ever (although good for comfort) will mean that it may potentially be too soft to be properly usable without bottoming out all the time. Meaning you'd need helper springs or up-rated torsion bars if that is an issue.
Out back trailing arms in the sense we mean it over here are very simple, and will be coil-sprung, just need the spring shortening and shorter shocks/bump stops as long as there's enough movement there. They may mean it in an american sense that I don't understand though, my thinking being it might mean a radius arm controlled live axle.
Pictures of what's going on under it would be a massive help. Have you had a hunt for other peoples build threads?
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Last Edit: Dec 18, 2012 18:54:33 GMT by RobinJI
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andyborris
Posted a lot
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
Posts: 2,212
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Dec 18, 2012 18:54:49 GMT
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The maths involved are very complicated, plus you need accurate measurements of the suspension throughout its range of movement.
Easier to drop it a spline or 2 and see how it goes....can always cut the bumpstops shorter.
The rear will have less potential foe problems, it's a live axle (?) with the coils mounted on the trailing arms (?), perhaps there's rubber insulators between the springs and the top/bottom mount points.
Try running without these (for only a very short time only!), but that will give you some idea how much to chop off the spring and if you're going to have ride problems.
I'd recommend trying to get shorter rear springs, that retain the original spring rate, cutting the standard springs will increase the spring rate and may make the rear end a bit bouncy!
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Dec 18, 2012 19:14:01 GMT
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If your not using it to haul weight you might think about much softer springs on the back, and its possible it will have a brake proportioning valve that needs adjusting so it doesn't think the truck is full because the suspension is lower.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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Dec 18, 2012 19:35:03 GMT
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At most it will carry stuff occasionaly, but more importantly, towing the Grizz-Pod.
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Dec 18, 2012 19:41:00 GMT
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My Mazda truck had uprated springs on it, it made it so bouncy when empty it would lock the rear wheels just under engine braking, you want it as soft as you can get away with so the wheels stay on the road. If you are going to carry stuff occasionally and tow your pod airbags on the back might be an idea, and should be easy and cheap to fit if it has coils on trailing arms.
Along with the front torsion bars you can reposition if your not happy, rear bags would give you plenty of opportunity to get the height where you like it.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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Dec 18, 2012 20:32:29 GMT
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Is the chevy not like the VW T4/Hilux torsion bar, where you just turn a bolt and it lowers? Have you looked into dropped spindles, the hilux's can be dropped 3 inches on the front by just swapping the front hub/spindles with lowered versions. Also if it's any help there is a company in Rotherham that were willing to make custom rear leafs for my hilux for £120+vat each. Next time I go in the loft I will have a poke through the minitrukin mags I bought in Oz & the US as I'm sure you can buy loads of off the shelf kit for most trucks in the good ol USofA.
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Anglia68
Posted a lot
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Posts: 2,049
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Dec 18, 2012 21:12:54 GMT
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I'm not sure whether you would want to go down this route but this Suburban is running a Jag front clip and belongs to Steve Tristram over on Rods&Sods.
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RA40tony
Europe
Rollin' rollin' rollin'
Posts: 768
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1979 Toyota Celica GT. Currently Gone.
1975 Toyota Celica ST. 13x7 Allycats, "the stick" applied. 100kW 4AGE... Sold
1963 Karmann Ghia - Lo & Slo, Sold.
1965 VW Fastback - cruising
1953 Oval Ragtop, work in progress...
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I'm not sure whether you would want to go down this route but this Suburban is running a Jag front clip and belongs to Steve Tristram over on Rods&Sods. Having been given the go ahead by Nicola (she is as much involved as me) and narrowed it down to an early 60's Chevy C10/20/30 pickup truck, I now need to do some fast learning and get to understand what can be done in the UK, as we do not have the same size of scene or spares availability here. I want to cart the odd Fridge, load of bricks and cement, motorbike or some logs or timber, and MOST IMPORTANTLY we want to be able to tow the Grizz-Pod safely to shews etc. I am pretty decent with cosmetics, but the majority of clever mechanical knowledge some people take for granted or have naturally does not come that easy to me, as much as I am happy to learn and try stuff out. This is the look we would ideally like, stance, drop etc......
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Last Edit: Dec 19, 2012 10:14:30 GMT by grizz
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Drop Spindles? They usually drop 2.5 inches, so you won't have to turn the arms on the torsion bars quite so much to get low. Those are the one's
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That would be another advantage to airbags on the back, you could drop the rear onto the floor to make it easy to load/unload.
Dropped spindles are ok, but they move the wheel upwards in relation to the suspension, so you lose extra ground clearance compared to moving the torsion bars which moves the whole lot, and its cheaper as it doesn't involve buying anything.
I am wondering though why they are even sold? Maybe you can't alter the torsion bar position on these?
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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I am wondering though why they are even sold? Maybe you can't alter the torsion bar position on these? I know on the Hilux's, it means you can drop 3-4 inches on the t/b and then another 2.5 inch on the spindles meaning you still have some suspension travel and can get the truck on the deck.
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v8ian
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,819
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From memory, getting the truck LOW by normal methods unearths the sort of problems described above, hence the common trick of fitting front clips is the better way to go, :- the Obvious advantage is lowering, but ride quality is kept, Power racks, disc brakes, easy availability of spares, etc etc, plenty of kits available in the states, Fatman fabrications best remembers for their mental 46 coupe, www.hotrodssuperstore.com/fatman.htmlKugalSuspensions, www.kugelkomponents.com/front_suspension/frontsuspension.phpthere are loads of people out there doing kits, some basic kits for welding in mustang/camaro/dodge, clips which are just laser cut pieces and paper templates, other fully assembled OTT billit cr-p that do nothing better other than show how big your wallet is, There is somebody doing lowering kits in this country, cant think who, looking in the back of Custom car might help. or ask on RnS
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Atmo V8 Power . No slicks , No gas + No bits missing . Doing it in style. Austin A35van, very different------- but still doing it in style, going to be a funmoble
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edwell
Part of things
Posts: 199
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Dec 19, 2012 13:04:21 GMT
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hence the common trick of fitting front clips is the better way to go Seconded. My cousin bought a fire damaged Chevy of a similar vintage that had a camaro front clip - buy one that is already done?
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Dec 19, 2012 16:20:21 GMT
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hence the common trick of fitting front clips is the better way to go Seconded. My cousin bought a fire damaged Chevy of a similar vintage that had a camaro front clip - buy one that is already done? That would be my preference. One has to see what is in the market though.
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