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Dropped spindles Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [50 messages per page] | View previous thread :: View next thread |
Forward Look Technical Discussions -> Steering and Suspension | Message format |
ttotired |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 8444 Location: Perth Australia | I remember there was a bit of excitement a while ago when someone mentioned dropped spindles, well, thanks to Mark and his diligent searches for cars for sale, there is a 59 plymouth with dropped spindles that mention the maker. So, here it is http://www.fatmanfabrications.co/products/1957-1988-mopar-dropped-s... Looks like you have to convert to disc brakes as well, but to some here, thats a good thing | ||
LD3 Greg |
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Expert Posts: 1906 Location: Ontario, Canada | A 2" drop for the front end is significant. Any pics of a car with these? Greg | ||
ttotired |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 8444 Location: Perth Australia | Yep, this 59 plymouth Looks good to me (dropped spindles fatman.jpg) Attachments ---------------- dropped spindles fatman.jpg (22KB - 216 downloads) | ||
LD3 Greg |
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Expert Posts: 1906 Location: Ontario, Canada | ttotired - 2015-04-02 11:05 PM Yep, this 59 plymouth Looks good to me I missed this at the time. One inch is significant for sure but 2", whole new ballgame!! Greg | ||
BigBlockMopar |
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Expert Posts: 3575 Location: Netherlands | I didn't think it was such a 'mystery' that Fatman has been making dropped spindles for various Mopars for a long time already. As for the car pictured, I'm seeing issues with oilpans, exhaust and possibly frame contacting the roadsurface occassionally. Dropping a car that much will actually bring the need for bigger torsion bars and better shocks as well. | ||
StillOutThere |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | Fatman has offered these dropped spindles for at least a dozen years. Every car has a "scrub line" such that even if all the tires are flat the bare wheels would hold the rest of the car above the road from scraping but that is with stock suspension height. A two inch drop on the front is LESS than a flat tire. But the torsion bars are adjustable and it looks to me like that Plymouth is now lowered more than 2" from stock height (in other words additionally lowered with T-bar adjustment). The ride height measurement is in the shop manual and it should continue to be maintained even with the new spindles. There is no mechanical need for heavy duty T-bars or shocks. Sure, if you drive over a large bolder or someone's mailbox, you WILL hit it. You can do that with the car at factory height if the obstacle is large enough! | ||
Mopar1 |
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Expert Posts: 3035 Location: N.W. Fla. | "Scrub Line" by NSRA definition is nothing hangs below the bottom of the rims, regardless of weather it is stock height or lowered. | ||
d500neil |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil! Posts: 19146 Location: bishop, ca | "You" may say that this dropped front end 'looks' good...but LIVING with this monstrosity would be a horse of another tint! Both from the angle-of-your-dangle, behind the wheel, but also regarding its lack of suspension travel and riding comfort. But, hey; whatever dangles your angles....ever ride in a T Bucket? | ||
StillOutThere |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | Dropped spindles DO NOT alter suspension travel whatsoever. They are by far the best way to lower a car while maintaining totally original handling AND ride comfort. There is NO change to the torsion bar setting. Yes, there is less road clearance because you have raised the tire and wheel by the amount of the drop on the spindle. I live with this on most of my collector cars. Wouldn't change. I have lowered the center of gravity. The car handles BETTER than factory. | ||
wizard |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 13054 Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | Wayne, do you have any pictures of the stance of your car/s after mounting the dropped spindles? 2" seems kind of much to me, but it's difficult to say without seeing a car with dropped spindles and correct torsion bar setting. Obviously the Plymouth '59 is lowered even more than 2", most probably by (mis)adjusting the T-bars | ||
StillOutThere |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | Wiz, the only dropped spindles I'm aware of for our cars are those by Fatman. When installed they are intended for disc brake conversions, not for reinstallation of drum brakes. I'm happy with the response I get from the way I set up drum brakes so I have never installed the one pair of Fatman drops I have on the shelf. Driving as I age in south Texas involves little traffic and I have slowed down. I continue adjusting torsion bars and using lowering blocks to get the stance I desire. Now, that said, I have primarily owned cars with factory HD torsion bars, Chrysler 300s, DeSotos with HD bars (from 300s) installed, my '69 Coronet R/T came with "Hemi suspension") and a '65 Dart GT had Mopar Performance HD bars I installed. The only car I've done without HD bars (couldn't find any) was a '59 Coronet post coupe. Adjusted down the standard bars and used 1" blocks rear. It could be bottomed out in front but on these great TX roads it wan no problem at all. This '59, like all '57-61 Forward Looks, was down almost 1" in the rear due to the LONG leaf springs sagging since 50 years ago when they were new. Am currently (today) working out the stance of my 300C rat coupe. Previous owner went to 8 leaf (!) springs and the rear was VERY tall. Has 2" blocks now to compensate. At the moment front still has travel before the bump stops but I may get slightly shorter polyurethane bumps if I decide it must go lower. No as-is current pic of RatCee.
(P1010018_sml.JPG) (P1010033.JPG) (3-14-15_sml.jpg) Attachments ---------------- P1010018_sml.JPG (70KB - 258 downloads) P1010033.JPG (85KB - 243 downloads) 3-14-15_sml.jpg (117KB - 253 downloads) | ||
StillOutThere |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | I would submit there is nothing radically low about any of the cars I've shown. Yet each is close to 2" lower than factory stock rear settings and closer to 3" lower than factory stock front settings. Think I'm happy with RatCee's stance and got in a test drive and photo just prior to some heaqvy rain which isn't going to stop today. Discussed in above post. Took it through a low water crossing (currently dry creek) nearby at 30mph and did not bottom. REMINDER: Any time suspension settings are altered (or when parts are replaced), the follow-up is a fresh front end alignment. I have made sure that the car's ride height is as close to square (same L-to-R front and same L-to-R rear). With a torsion bar car it is very easy to end up with odd measurements at the corners. And I will have the shop tune in all the caster that is possible with the stock front suspension. Typically this hopes to end up about 2.5-3 degrees positive. For those that might not be familiar, more positive caster assists the car in wanting to maintain a straight line and steering wheel self-returns to center. The extreme example being a friend who ran Bonneville for a long time and they used 13 degrees positive caster ! (4-17-15-1_sml.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 4-17-15-1_sml.jpg (110KB - 251 downloads) | ||
BigBlockMopar |
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Expert Posts: 3575 Location: Netherlands | All my current running cars are lowered 3" in the rear and matching stance in the front. I have been willing to get dropped spindles for my cars for a long time but also don't have the desire anymore as the cars can be lowered to the desired height without much issues. My '57 Windsor however could do with some beafier bars and more leafsprings in the rear (and better shocks all around) as it likes to hit the bumpstops on the LCAs and pinionsnubber on the rear axle at times. | ||
StillOutThere |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | <p>I just received a 2015 catalog from Fatman. On page 17 it states that '39 - 56 Mopar dropped spindles or dropped uprights all have a 3 inch drop and MUST use disc brakes and you must modify the steering arms. Same page: " DROPPED SPINDLE FOR CHRYSLER SUSPENSION Rodders using Volare or Cordoba/Gibbon suspensions can now lower their vehicles 2" with Fatman's new MOPAR dropped spindles. The torsion bars can be put back to a practical ride height, improving ride and handling without sacrificing stance. These units accept all stock MOPAR brake and steering components. Many other Mopar chassis will accept these spindles - call for details. Fits most '57-88 with 4 1/2" bolt circle. "</p><p> </p><p>We page: http://www.fatmanfabrications.co/products/1957-1988-mopar-dropped-s... Go down the page a bit to the title and picture.</p> Edited by StillOutThere 2015-04-19 9:15 AM | ||
wizard |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 13054 Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | So Wayne, if I read between the lines correctly; you have lowerd your cars with HD bars and due to the HD bars, your cars have still good spring force and doesn't bottom out? In my experience, if you lower a car with standard suspension as much as 2-3", then you'll get a terrible ride. The caster will of course be in favour with the T-bars adjusted "wrong" and that will give some good stability with radial tires (and wear out the bias-ply in an instance). The caster, as you write should be as much as possible, but it's difficult to get over 2 degrees with a negative caster. Moog has some excentric upper control arm bushings, but I doubt that they will last very long. | ||
StillOutThere |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | <p>The only one of my cars in the last couple of decades still on standard OEM torsion bars was the '59 Dodge (above). It didn't get as low as I would have liked because it didn't ride as well when lowered to where I would have liked it. Yes, I am happy with the ride when HD bars are in the cars. Now that is ME. I would much rather have stiffness than have it ride like my Grandmother's Buicks did. Remember the Heavy Duty torsion bars (standard in the Letter Cars) are 40% more stiff than those of a New Yorker or other model.</p> Edited by StillOutThere 2015-04-19 10:00 PM | ||
LD3 Greg |
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Expert Posts: 1906 Location: Ontario, Canada | Wayne, what about shocks. When you lower them do you switch to different front shocks? Greg | ||
Polybun |
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Temporarily suspended to cool off Posts: 316 | Yeah, I'm thinking my phoenix is going to need those. The willwood brakes aren't a bad deal either. | ||
StillOutThere |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | <p>i am a big fan of KYB Gas-a-Just shocks which give very good control at a still very reasonable price. They are on the front of the RatCee 300 and all around on the '69 R/T. The 300 happened to have older NAPA coil over rear shocks which seem to be working adequately so I kept the money in my pocket and stayed with them. If they begin to leak KYBs will go in. KYB #s 4507 front and 5511 rear for these '57 and up FL Mopars.</p> Edited by StillOutThere 2015-07-05 12:45 PM | ||
Polybun |
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Temporarily suspended to cool off Posts: 316 | huh, autozone say they don't fit but they aren't know to be perfect. Anyone else want to confirm this fit? I mean, they sure look like they will fit! | ||
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