The Ford Barn

Henry Hopper · 07-09-2013, 12:25 PM

I'm looking at dropping the front of my 40 coupe.I want to retain as much FoMoCo as possible ie,lever arm shocks,sway bar etc,...I have searched and read several posts on here and the HAMB about different ways to go about it.

Getting the stock 40 axle dropped raises clearance issues, ....if it is dropped without stretching it causes steering arm problems and if stretched it retains the stock width which will probably give fender clearance problems.

I don't really want to split the w'bones and go with a C.E or SoCal forged axle if I can avoid it and under no circumstances will I fit a cast axle.

That leaves the spring.......the one that is on the car has had the main leaf flipped over by the look of it and forced against itself into the spring pack...this has caused the spring to adopt a wave in it at each end.

Has anyone fitted just a Posies super low spring and if so, what drop did you get....Im not looking to bury the wheels deep into the fenders, just get the top of the tyre covered by an inch or so.The Posies springs are reasonably priced but the shipping to here is around $200 plus import duty and tax, I don' t want to buy one and it sit just as high as a settled stock spring.The car rides really nice but that deformed main leaf is a worry when Im out driving....Im just waiting for it to break and ditch the coupe .

Thanks.

dude · 07-09-2013, 12:51 PM

Have re-arched main leaf a number of times. The old spring steel is much better that the newer stuff. If done properly, you'll get about 2" drop.

Vic Piano · 07-09-2013, 12:53 PM

I used Posie reversed eye springs in the front and rear of our '47 Convertible and they dropped the front about two and a half inches and the rear dropped almost four inches. I didn't have to rework any of the stock suspension components to install the reversed eye springs.

Henry Hopper · 07-09-2013, 03:09 PM

Thanks Dude and Vic, appreciate the replies.

flathead47 · 07-09-2013, 07:39 PM

Vic .... do you have a side view picture of your 47 convertible to see the new stance. Are you still using the stock front axle. What were the Posie part numbers for the springs you used .... Thanks

felix37 · 07-09-2013, 08:08 PM

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For what you want to do, Posie's is the only way to go!
His springs work!

59ab · 07-09-2013, 10:13 PM

I reversed the front spring on my coupe myself. A lot of hard work! Buy Posie's springs.

hope · 07-09-2013, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 59ab

I reversed the front spring on my coupe myself. A lot of hard work! Buy Posie's springs.

How did you do it?

Vic Piano · 07-10-2013, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flathead47

Vic .... do you have a side view picture of your 47 convertible to see the new stance. Are you still using the stock front axle. What were the Posie part numbers for the springs you used .... Thanks

I used the stock front axle and all the original suspension parts,

only thing I changed were the springs. I converted it almost 15 years ago so, sorry but, I don't have the Posie part #'s.

I shot a video (in the Vic's V8 Video series) called "From Tops to Tires". In the video we demonstrate how to do the conversion from stock spring to reversed eye spring. Here are a few photos of the ’47 after the conversion. I'm also running 15" '46 Merc rims.

joel · 07-10-2013, 07:42 AM

You can buy a reversed eye main leaf that is the correct length for a stock axle from Chassis Engineering in Iowa. That allows you to use the rest of your spring pack; also they have " sliders" that you can add to the spring to allow it to work easier. Shipping 1 leaf should save shipping expense. You should get about 1 1/2" drop in front.

flathead47 · 07-10-2013, 08:05 AM

Vic .... Thanks for the pictures & info .... what would the width of the Merc rims be & tire size you installed on them.

Vic Piano · 07-10-2013, 08:28 AM

I'm not where I can go and take a look at the '47 so I won't be much help

however, I think (CRS strikes again) the Merc 15" rims are half an inch wider then the Ford 16", they may be the same as the Lincoln 15" rims, I'm not sure. I think the tire size is 205 75R 15, I tried to get as close to a 710x15 bias ply size (a little wider) in the radial. Sorry for not being more specific.

Joe KCMO · 07-10-2013, 08:54 AM

Sorry to be the odd man. But do not do it. Ford built a beautiful car in 1940. Leave it alone. Chop up a kit car, not an original.

TJ · 07-10-2013, 09:24 AM

As a general rule the 15" rims are 5" wide. Some of the pickup rims are 5 1/2" wide. The 5 1/2" rim will put the tire too close to the stock shock(Houdaille) arm and can wear a groove on the inside of the tire. I learned this the hard way.

Vic Piano · 07-10-2013, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe KCMO

Sorry to be the odd man. But do not do it. Ford built a beautiful car in 1940. Leave it alone. Chop up a kit car, not an original.

Just so you know, installing a reversed eye spring does not require any "chopping", in fact, you can return the car back to stock by just swapping back to the original spring...

Henry Hopper · 07-10-2013, 11:56 AM

Totally agree Vic, it's just a swap over.I love early V8Fords but the one thing I do not like is the stock high stance.The designers would have put the cars lower but for the state of the roads back then ,where they needed plenty of clearance.

All the old Fords look better IMO with a slight lowering, but then to each their own, and I respect a view of an owner who prefers the high stance.

I did not know that CE sold just the main leaf...I'll look into that, thank you.

19Fordy · 07-10-2013, 11:58 AM

The Posie reversed eye spring you want is # 2040. It will lower the front end of your car without needing to change anything else.

Vic Piano · 07-10-2013, 12:43 PM

Henry, I totally agree with you as well. I think all "Fat Fendered Fords" look better lowered. Here's a photo of our '39 CS, it has all stock suspension but the addition of fender skirts give the appearance of a "lower" stance.

Robert Dip · 07-10-2013, 01:36 PM

I just had to drop my '39 coupe, and try to keep all of the original Ford parts....that's me. I managed to get an original Mor-drop axle ( tough to drop a '40 axle...not much distance from perch to king pin ) and bent the spindles to clear the drop. I ordered a Posie reverse eye & lowered spring, have 5.60 x 16 B.F.Goodrich bias ply WW. For the rear, I also have the lowered reversed eye spring. Rears are 8.20 x 15 BFGs. The car rides just fantastic. I hate the spring slider bulges, since it deters away from the original spring look, but, I decided to give it a try. I cannot have gotten a better riding spring, and I envy my buddies when I take them for a fun drive. Robert

Robert Dip · 07-10-2013, 01:40 PM

Correction to the above...front tires are 5.50 x 15, not 16. Another note...the Posie rear spring only gave me a 2" drop...they said it would sag after a few miles...never did...I added 100 pounds in the trunk to lower the car that extra inch....been there for a couple of years...still did not sag....I left the weight in the trunk, car rides better with the extra weight. Robert

07-09-2013, 12:25 PM	#1
Henry Hopper Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: N.W.England Posts: 439	Dropping a 40 coupe I'm looking at dropping the front of my 40 coupe.I want to retain as much FoMoCo as possible ie,lever arm shocks,sway bar etc,...I have searched and read several posts on here and the HAMB about different ways to go about it. Getting the stock 40 axle dropped raises clearance issues, ....if it is dropped without stretching it causes steering arm problems and if stretched it retains the stock width which will probably give fender clearance problems. I don't really want to split the w'bones and go with a C.E or SoCal forged axle if I can avoid it and under no circumstances will I fit a cast axle. That leaves the spring.......the one that is on the car has had the main leaf flipped over by the look of it and forced against itself into the spring pack...this has caused the spring to adopt a wave in it at each end. Has anyone fitted just a Posies super low spring and if so, what drop did you get....Im not looking to bury the wheels deep into the fenders, just get the top of the tyre covered by an inch or so.The Posies springs are reasonably priced but the shipping to here is around $200 plus import duty and tax, I don' t want to buy one and it sit just as high as a settled stock spring.The car rides really nice but that deformed main leaf is a worry when Im out driving....Im just waiting for it to break and ditch the coupe . Thanks.

07-09-2013, 12:51 PM	#2
dude Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Kansas Posts: 334	Re: Dropping a 40 coupe Have re-arched main leaf a number of times. The old spring steel is much better that the newer stuff. If done properly, you'll get about 2" drop. __________________ [QUO[/QUOTE]no matter where you are,or where you're at, there you are...

07-09-2013, 12:53 PM	#3
Vic Piano Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Odessa, FL Posts: 7,612	Re: Dropping a 40 coupe I used Posie reversed eye springs in the front and rear of our '47 Convertible and they dropped the front about two and a half inches and the rear dropped almost four inches. I didn't have to rework any of the stock suspension components to install the reversed eye springs. __________________ Imagination is more important than knowledge.

07-09-2013, 03:09 PM	#4
Henry Hopper Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: N.W.England Posts: 439	Re: Dropping a 40 coupe Thanks Dude and Vic, appreciate the replies.

07-09-2013, 07:39 PM	#5
flathead47 Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Toronto , Ontario Posts: 98	Re: Dropping a 40 coupe Vic .... do you have a side view picture of your 47 convertible to see the new stance. Are you still using the stock front axle. What were the Posie part numbers for the springs you used .... Thanks

07-09-2013, 08:08 PM	#6
felix37 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 1,093	Re: Dropping a 40 coupe Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) For what you want to do, Posie's is the only way to go! His springs work!

07-09-2013, 10:13 PM	#7
59ab Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Huntsville,Alabama Posts: 247	Re: Dropping a 40 coupe I reversed the front spring on my coupe myself. A lot of hard work! Buy Posie's springs.

07-10-2013, 07:42 AM	#10
joel Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 531	Re: Dropping a 40 coupe You can buy a reversed eye main leaf that is the correct length for a stock axle from Chassis Engineering in Iowa. That allows you to use the rest of your spring pack; also they have " sliders" that you can add to the spring to allow it to work easier. Shipping 1 leaf should save shipping expense. You should get about 1 1/2" drop in front.

07-10-2013, 08:05 AM	#11
flathead47 Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Toronto , Ontario Posts: 98	Re: Dropping a 40 coupe Vic .... Thanks for the pictures & info .... what would the width of the Merc rims be & tire size you installed on them.

07-10-2013, 08:28 AM	#12
Vic Piano Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Odessa, FL Posts: 7,612	Re: Dropping a 40 coupe I'm not where I can go and take a look at the '47 so I won't be much help however, I think (CRS strikes again) the Merc 15" rims are half an inch wider then the Ford 16", they may be the same as the Lincoln 15" rims, I'm not sure. I think the tire size is 205 75R 15, I tried to get as close to a 710x15 bias ply size (a little wider) in the radial. Sorry for not being more specific. __________________ Imagination is more important than knowledge.

07-10-2013, 08:54 AM	#13
Joe KCMO Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Miami, Florida Posts: 423	Re: Dropping a 40 coupe Sorry to be the odd man. But do not do it. Ford built a beautiful car in 1940. Leave it alone. Chop up a kit car, not an original.

07-10-2013, 09:24 AM	#14
TJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Napa,California Posts: 6,773	Re: Dropping a 40 coupe As a general rule the 15" rims are 5" wide. Some of the pickup rims are 5 1/2" wide. The 5 1/2" rim will put the tire too close to the stock shock(Houdaille) arm and can wear a groove on the inside of the tire. I learned this the hard way.

07-10-2013, 11:56 AM	#16
Henry Hopper Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: N.W.England Posts: 439	Re: Dropping a 40 coupe Totally agree Vic, it's just a swap over.I love early V8Fords but the one thing I do not like is the stock high stance.The designers would have put the cars lower but for the state of the roads back then ,where they needed plenty of clearance. All the old Fords look better IMO with a slight lowering, but then to each their own, and I respect a view of an owner who prefers the high stance. I did not know that CE sold just the main leaf...I'll look into that, thank you.

07-10-2013, 11:58 AM	#17
19Fordy Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Coral Springs FL Posts: 11,916	Re: Dropping a 40 coupe The Posie reversed eye spring you want is # 2040. It will lower the front end of your car without needing to change anything else.

07-10-2013, 12:43 PM	#18
Vic Piano Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Odessa, FL Posts: 7,612	Re: Dropping a 40 coupe Henry, I totally agree with you as well. I think all "Fat Fendered Fords" look better lowered. Here's a photo of our '39 CS, it has all stock suspension but the addition of fender skirts give the appearance of a "lower" stance. __________________ Imagination is more important than knowledge.

07-10-2013, 01:40 PM	#20
Robert Dip Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Candiac, Qc. Posts: 483	Re: Dropping a 40 coupe Correction to the above...front tires are 5.50 x 15, not 16. Another note...the Posie rear spring only gave me a 2" drop...they said it would sag after a few miles...never did...I added 100 pounds in the trunk to lower the car that extra inch....been there for a couple of years...still did not sag....I left the weight in the trunk, car rides better with the extra weight. Robert