After reading Robs post about them in his 57 wagon I was thinking I would possibly replace mine on the Ranchero while I have the front end apart. My question is about spring rate of the Aero compared to the OEM springs. I'm not looking for comfort but better handling, so I would like something a little higher then the stock ones.
The "better handling" part for me is the new 1 1/8" front sway bar and 1" rear sway bar. My wagon handles like a slot car now.
From what I read in a post on another forum regarding the Aerostar springs (I don't have the info with me right now), the spring rate is the same. If you Google hard enough, you may find the thread I found. Look for a guy who posted photos of a rat-rod looking '57 Custom where he compares cut coils vs Aerostar springs.
I found it...here is the post that talked me into the Aerostar springs...
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=260795&showall=1
Best...
Rob
Thanks Rob, I read through that post. I think I will give it a try. I found the spring rate on the Moog site, 605lbs. I wasn't able to find what the OEM Fords where. I would like to go with the larger sway bar in the future, where did you get that? I checked on a T-Bird site mentioned in another post but didn't see them.
Thanks again
I bought the front and rear sway bar kit for the Station wagon/Ranchero here...
http://www.concoursparts.com/
-Go to Online catalogs link
-Go to the catalog for "1949 to 59 Big Cars"
-click on the "Sway Bar" link down the left side
Pick the one you need...there aren't any photos of them.
Then Walden Speed Shop in Pomona installed them while they were also installing the rack and pinion, and 302. They said the install was easy.
Here is a video clip at Walden Speed Shop...the front coils on here are not the Aerostar springs, I put those on later after seeing that these springs sucked...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbTteNiObbI
This episode shows more from under the car...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1FWwsjxJKw
Different car!
Rob
Thank you Rob, enjoyed the video's. That sway bar will be an easy installation for me, just what I need.
Glad to help...hope to see you around SoCal one of these days.
I am out I-10 in the "Inland Empire". Not many 57 Ford Country Sedans around SoCal...maybe less than 5?
Rob
You never know, I should have my Ranchero on the road in about a month. I'm up off the 210 out Pasadena way.. My daughter in Poway is building a 57 Rio..
i have the areostar coils on my ranchero. perfect drop and feels good.
I decided against the Areostars, they would have had me too low with the Granada spindles
If any of you guys running aerostar springs would do me a favor, measure the compressed height of the spring,with the load on it. You should be able to slide a tape ruler up next to the shock till it bottoms out. And let me know what spindles you have also. My 57 suspension has been modified, I'm probably going to use a pair of 600 lb race springs with an adjuster for ride height. But I won't rule out the aerostars. There was an active thread on the y-block site, I asked the guy to measure this, he said it was to cold in California, Huh? bawl Mark
He must have been in the north, down south it was almost 80 today. The uncompressed height was almost two inches shorter then the 57 springs, that's why I didn't try them..
With the Grenada spindles, at least with an iron headed big block, the Aerostar springs put the car too low. I like it too low, but it wasn't drive-able.
I'm going to take a bunch of weight out of the front (re-locate battery, and aluminum heads on the big block), and also put a shim in the springs and keep running the Aerostar springs. I want it to be as low as possible and still drive-able.
Here's a pic of the springs uncompressed.
(http://www.detroitracing.net/forums/imagehosting/1975284ea1f953d8.jpg)
(http://www.detroitracing.net/forums/imagehosting/197527e47d7c9028.jpg)
(http://www.detroitracing.net/forums/imagehosting/197527e47f879710.jpg)
The car looks good , nice stance. Mark
Quote from: Frankenstein57 on 2013-11-14 20:15
The car looks good , nice stance. Mark
Yup, really looks good!
As a comparison...here is my wagon with Aerostar springs, stock spindles, aluminum head 302, stock rear ride height, front and rear sway bars. Tires are 215 60 15 on front, 215 65 15 on rear. I do need to take it slow over speed bumps...not exactly level ground here...
Ford lists most 57 frt springs @ 2225 lb/load.
Ron.
Fryguy, is that a stock spring (v8 or 6cyl) on the left in the pic? I count 9 turns with some overlap, do you know the wire dia? Can anyone tell me the turns for stock springs?
I joined up the charts from CDNRanchero in Jim Nolan's post Feb 17/11, tried to reach under old 6 cyl car to measure wire dia and found it difficult to get a repeatable number and when I look at the chart and see diameters .693/.698/.710 I see I need to refine my measuring "technique".
I put the Aerostar springs on my Ranchero and it was very low. In fact, it was riding on the bump stops. I have a 312 and stock suspension. I ended up buying some polyurathane spring isolators for a Fox body mustang and it raised the front back up 1 inch. The ride is MUCH better. The stance is perfect.
Quote from: hivolt5.0 on 2014-01-24 20:21
I put the Aerostar springs on my Ranchero and it was very low. In fact, it was riding on the bump stops. I have a 312 and stock suspension. I ended up buying some polyurathane spring isolators for a Fox body mustang and it raised the front back up 1 inch. The ride is MUCH better. The stance is perfect.
I'm not familiar with the spring isolators, how thick are they and do they go on the top of the spring? I have Granada spindles and would like to raise the from a little and possibly that would get me a better alignment.
@hiball
The isolator goes on top of the spring, the stock 57 is quite thin. Jegs or Summit have them in all different thicknesses. I don't have my springs handy to measure the diameter, but here's an example of what they are:
http://www.jegs.com/p/Energy-Suspension/Energy-Suspension-Coil-Spring-Isolators/743954/10002/-1
Depending on the amount of raise you are looking for, would dictate the thickness needed.
Kevin
Keep in mind the amount of raise will be close to double the thickness of the spacer.
Thank you guys. I wish I had thought to look for a thicker spacer when I rebuilt the front suspension :005: but I will look into this..
Yeah, the Aerostars put mine on the stops. I added a 1" rubber spacer in the coils of the cut original spring I put back in so if you go with the spacer at the top and the Aerostars let us know. I'm still looking for the S-10 springs which have the same rate as the Aerostars but are taller, trying for used before I "spring" for new ones.
Ford actually put spacers on top of the springs on factory A/C cars rather than different springs.
All of the factory springs were within 10% of each other too. Guess the 6 cyl was a fairly heavy engine (and further forward).
Ron.
Quote from: LAUDY57 on 2013-12-20 12:24
Fryguy, is that a stock spring (v8 or 6cyl) on the left in the pic? I count 9 turns with some overlap, do you know the wire dia? Can anyone tell me the turns for stock springs?
I joined up the charts from CDNRanchero in Jim Nolan's post Feb 17/11, tried to reach under old 6 cyl car to measure wire dia and found it difficult to get a repeatable number and when I look at the chart and see diameters .693/.698/.710 I see I need to refine my measuring "technique".
Those are the stock springs out of my car, which was a 292 V8 Automatic from the factory. If anyone wants them, they are free picked up in Holly, MI.
What spacers did you end up with Hiball? from what I have measured it looks like the 5 7/16 are the diameter spring isolators that I need. anyone know any different?
Tim :unitedstates:
Quote from: 57 Ford Kustom on 2014-02-24 19:52
What spacers did you end up with Hiball? from what I have measured it looks like the 5 7/16 are the diameter spring isolators that I need. anyone know any different?
Tim :unitedstates:
Tim, I haven't done it yet. I don't feel like tearing the front apart again at this point I'm just enjoying driving it. I also have to figure out what that will it do to the geometry and whether I will be able to align it like I want it afterwards.