CSX 289 FIA - how to lower car with leafsprings ?

[Stephan289fia]

Hi guys,
I own CSX7019 with leafsprings. The space on the front end between the wheel and fender is very high so I think about lowering the front-end. Are there different leaf-springs available…? What‘s your idea on that ?
Thanks,
Stephan

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by Stephan289fia

Hi guys,
I own CSX7019 with leafsprings. The space on the front end between the wheel and fender is very high so I think about lowering the front-end. Are there different leaf-springs available…? What‘s your idea on that ?
Thanks,
Stephan

If memory serves me correctly, I believe Ross Henry stated some time ago that shimming the "A" arms is how you adjust the ride height on your leafspring equipped car.



Bill S.

[Mark IV]

Spacers under the spring between it and the tower. Other method involves pulling the spring and having it re-arched and ends re-rolled to keep proper camber.

Guess which is easier?

[1985 CCX]

Spacer block is the way to go, very common to do.

[1795]

I will post pictures of my lowering blocks later

[Stephan289fia]

Hi guys, thanks for your thoughts. Picture would be very helpful …. Thanks again, Stephan

[1795]

Here we go, I could not get good pictures of the rear, but it is basically the same as the front. Mine are larger than you want, it is a race car and can get away with lower ground clearance. My front block is 1.5" and the rear 1". I have included pictures of a spare set of 1/2" thick lowering blocks.

Jim

[Stephan289fia]

Dear Jim, thanks for sharing thise pics. I gonna copy that and install it that way. Can you may post a pic from your car where I can see the front height ? Thanks, Stephan

[1795]

Stephan,

My car is up on jack stands for the winter, and my ride height will be lower than what you want. Going with between a 1/2" to 1" spacer will be what you want. Let me see if I can find pictures of my car before the spacers and then after them.

Jim

[CompClassics]

The spacer you want to use should be of a one piece design that fits the same surface area that your present spring fits on, the reason for this is clamping force by the securing bolts in relationship to the spring movement. I have photos somewhere of the lowering block that was used on CSX2323 that I took when working on it years ago. The owner at the time Jamie Mazzotta liked the car lowered so he had the blocks made out of one piece of billet aluminum. The design was pretty cool in the fact that he incorporated rails on the edges to help trap the spring from pivoting on its centering pin. The lowering block also had bevels along the length of both bottom edges to clear the tower welds and the block was wide enough to to be trapped by the spring towers front and rear flanges to further stabilize the spring from movement.
That being said, how many miles have you put on your car since completion? These early 7000 Series Cobras has notoriously week leaf springs that would start to sag pretty quickly. Are you still running the stock Shelby springs with the camber adjusting system at the ends of each spring, front and back? There is a reason I ask and I will await your follow up on my questions.
The photos that 1795 posted are functional but only 1/2 way there compared to what I am describing above, especially if you plan to track the car.

[1795]

Stephan,

Here are the pictures before and after the lowering blocks. The one with the full windshield is before the lowering blocks. The ones that I showed you pictures of are, as the ones in place, one piece, as Comp Classics suggested.

Jim

[Thor maine]

Why would you not just peel a couples of leafs out the spring pack???

[Stephan289fia]

Hi Jim, thanks - that is the look I would like to have so I will machine a lowering block and install it. Is there later enough place for the water surge tank from top of the leaf springs to the hood ?

A good point is the sag after some miles - thanks !

Best,

Stephan

[1795]

Stephan,

The surge tank fits under the hood, but I have to rotate it towards the engine to make sure the cap fits.

If you were to remove springs, that would change suspension from firm to soft and might be a little spongy.

Jim

[Stephan289fia]

Hi Jim, thanks - that is the look I would like to have so I will machine a lowering block and install it. Is there later enough place for the water surge tank from top of the leaf springs to the hood ?

A good point is the sag after some miles - thanks !

Best,

Stephan

[1985 CCX]

Originally Posted by Thor maine

Why would you not just peel a couples of leafs out the spring pack???

That's not the way to do it! I assume that you are goofing on us again Tom...

[kris-kincaid]

I would probably remove a leaf. I feel like the early 7000 cars had too much spring. Adjusting the camber should be easy with the eccentrics on the upper trunnion. Of course it depends on if he has the original 7000 suspension or has changed anything.

Originally Posted by 1985 CCX

That's not the way to do it! I assume that you are goofing on us again Tom...

[1985 CCX]

Kris

Guess its one way, literally every lowered race car I have seen used a block.
Remember the original cars were higher in the front new, they always had spring as the tires were much larger diameter than most tires used today. They do sag over time but I see where you are going.

Wouldn't softening the spring also exagerate the buggy spring handling?
Mine handles so well as is I decided to leave it be, I do run the larger diameter tires as well. Mine is also void the eccentrics on the upper trunnion.

[CompClassics]

The only ways to properly lower a leaf spring type suspension is either by a lowering block or by re-arching the leaf spring. Removing leaves from the leaf spring changes spring rate.
The early 7000 Continuation Cobra camber adjustment methods were very poorly designed at best! How can you have a leaf spring pivot bolt that also serves as the camber adjustment bolt at the same time?! To properly set the camber you have to tighten the assembly so that once the camber has been set it will not move, to do this requires tightening the assembly so that it locks down. So how do you retain a floating leaf spring if you have to tighten its pivot bolt to a point where it does not move or the camber will change, you can not have both at the same time! You can if you weld the camber adjustment eccentric on the leaf spring pivot bolt to the assembly after setting your camber but forget trying to adjust the camber at the next alignment you do.