Front Spring Recomendations?

[Ford_Crazy]

I have my car seriously apart now...  My 57 Custom 70A was an original 6 cylinder car. My plans are to install an FE engine. Should I swap out the front springs or will the stock 6 cylinder springs work.  Any spring recomendations?  Should I cut a coil or leave them stock?

[KidKourier]

   I don't know the height your after but here goes, you can check ratio of 6 cyl. spring to that of a '58 Ford with the 332-352 c.i. front spring or compare weight of 6cyl. to that of an FE.I contacted Eaton Detroit Spring,Inc (www.eatonsprings.com) they're the origonal makers of front/rear springs for Ford-Chevy-Dodge-etc. and ordered front springs for a '58 Ford wagon with p/s and air conditioning and a 352 FE and 2" shorter with the same lbs. spring rating,worked out great with a smooth ride. Or when you install your disc brakes use Granada/Monarch spindles for 1" to 2" drop.Anybody out there do anything different?  KID

[57 Ford Kustom]

I bought my front springs from Jamco Suspension They asked me all the specks on the car and built a pair with a 3" drop for $200 and I had them in a week.



TOM

[Ford_Crazy]

According to my Internet search a 390 FE weighs about 625 pounds and a 272 weighs about the same.   When I bought the car the previous owner had installed a 272 with the stock 6 banger springs. The car sits fine with the 272 and the front end is in excellent shape. I may try it with the stock springs and see what happens.  Not all that hard to fix later...

[cool57]

3" drop front coil springs are over $200 for '49-'59 Fords and Mercs at just about any place that sells them. A friend of mine works at a parts store and was looking for a cheaper alternative, so he started digging through the Moog catalog. He discovered that Aerostar coil springs are almost identical in diameter, coil width and top/bottom shape as the original springs, but they provide approx a 3" drop. Better yet, they are only about $60!

Details on the part:
Moog PN CC850
Fit 1990 and other year Ford Aerostar (3.0 or 4.0 engine)
They are $65 at O'Reilly and $52.79 plus shipping at Rockauto.com.
I got this info at Jalopy Journal.

[Ford_Crazy]

3" sounds a little low to me.  Will I run into parking lot clearance issues?

[57AGIN]

Flawebmaster:

A 3" drop would be a problem if you are also going to convert to disc brakes.  I believe most of the disc brake setups provide a 1.5" to 2" drop.  I know that my Custom 300 with front disc brakes and using the original front springs (it was a 6 cylinder from the factory) has a very restrictive ground clearance.  It really looks great, but I have to be very careful in going over parking lot speed bumps or down steep driveways.  I have a 351W up front with aluminum heads and an aluminum radiator, so my front weight is likely a bit less than that of a 272 Y-block.  50 years of driving might also have contributed to spring sag.

Bob
57AGIN

[shopratwoody]

If you use a kit to convert your orig spindles to disc brakes it doesn't change the ride height any.
I don't think 3 in. is too much, but I've been driving low cars since 1957!
Normal used to be 1 1/2 coil cut. Don't do it on my word. It'll proly be too low for you.
Ron

[Ford_Crazy]

Thanks for the input.  The Aerostar springs are definitely a neat option.  I took my suspension apart today and I have the original ball joints and control arm bushings. My suspension is coated in 51 years of dirt. I ordered a rebuild kit from Kanter and sent the A-arms over to my machine shop for hot-tanking.  The lowered cars look cool, but I am building a time-machine that will take me back to 1963 when all the 1957 Fords in my world had 406s and 427s. In those days we wanted the front-end to sit higher, not lower.  I'll try the original 6 cylinder springs for now and swap them later if I don't like the look.  The car is starting to get to me now.  Every time I look at it, I am transported back to the Pizza Palace and racing at the "Midnights".  Getting old isn't always fun, but the memories can be great!!   

[shopratwoody]

If you put a healthy FE in it, it should have long tube headers w/collector. You have to be at least stock height
anyway for ground clearance. They look real good like that. Mine sat up in the front in it's Drag racing days.
It was a built Tunnel Wedge 427. Lots of fun for a lot of years. The Hooker super comps for 63 Galaxies are
usable with some mods or maybe a good header guy. The front 2 tubes are inside the frame while the rear
2 rap around the frame to the collector, slip joint fit. Good Luck
Ron

[57AGIN]

flawebmaster:

Back in the early 60's, I too wanted the jacked in the front look.  I went down to Vel's-Parnelli Jones Ford dealership and had them install Air conditioned station wagon springs on my 272 powered 57.  It did jack the front end up about two inches, the car looked really baddd.  Unfortunately, with the 272 and my lack of wrenching skills it was all show and no go.  I only had that car for 3 years and for whatever reason, I never took a picture of the car.  It was great looking with a jocked front end, the front bumper removed, a set a Casler cheater slicks, traction bars, a Hurst 3-speed floor shift, and a 58 Caddy Lake Placid Blue paint job.  Great machine for cruising back then.

That FE should give you all you need good luck & enjoy your belated teenager years.  I sure am.

Bob
57AGIN