How to lower a 68 Mustang
 

Any recommendation on the best way to lower a 68 Mustang? I tried
installing springs that were advertised to lower the car 1" and improve
the handling. All they accomplished was to make the ride a lot stiffer
and they didn't lower the car at all. I'm looking for a 1" drop.

Chris

"Chris Bergquist" > wrote in message
...
> Any recommendation on the best way to lower a 68 Mustang? I tried
> installing springs that were advertised to lower the car 1" and improve
> the handling. All they accomplished was to make the ride a lot stiffer
> and they didn't lower the car at all. I'm looking for a 1" drop.
>
> Chris
>

airbags

Chris Bergquist wrote:

> Any recommendation on the best way to lower a 68 Mustang? I tried
> installing springs that were advertised to lower the car 1" and improve
> the handling. All they accomplished was to make the ride a lot stiffer
> and they didn't lower the car at all. I'm looking for a 1" drop.
>
> Chris
>


My first reaction is "Sell it to someone who appreciates good cars, and
go screw up a Honda or something no one cares about." :-p


But in recent years, I HAVE seen older cars tastefully lowered with nice
wheels (not "bling") so my knee doesn't jerk quite as hard as it used to.

For lowering the front end, a "drop spindle" setup is far better than
altering the springs, because shorter springs are by necessity going to
be harsh. A drop spindle lets you keep the full suspension travel and
spring compliance while lowering the ride height by shifting the wheel
upward relative to the suspension components.

Options for the rear are similar- as long as you don't want a HUGE drop,
you can use spacer blocks that raise the axle relative to the spring,
once again allowing you to keep the full suspension travel. But taller
blocks are more sensitive to breaking under high torque, so a lot of
lowering does not mix well with high performance.

I had a '65 Rustang that I installed a Global West suspension kit on.
It necessitated removing the front upper A-arms and drilling new
boltholes to relocate the arms higher up in the vehicle. The kit came
wth new rear leaf springs. It was VERY stiff, and very low, but
handled great. Although the ride was firm, I wouldn't characterize it
as uncomfortable; maybe because it was controlled and not bouncy.

On 11 Dec 2004 08:41:02 -0800, "Miki" > wrote:

||I had a '65 Rustang that I installed a Global West suspension kit on.
||It necessitated removing the front upper A-arms and drilling new
||boltholes to relocate the arms higher up in the vehicle. The kit came
||wth new rear leaf springs. It was VERY stiff, and very low, but
||handled great. Although the ride was firm, I wouldn't characterize it
||as uncomfortable; maybe because it was controlled and not bouncy.

I was going to suggest this. Relocating the upper A-arms improves the geometry
and lowers the front slightly. All Shelby Mustangs had this mod at the Shelby
plant. This is the first thing to do to any early Mustang (or Falcon) that is
going to see road-racing-type duty. And it's free :)

Texas Parts Guy

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 01:25:28 -0800, "Ted Mittelstaedt" >
wrote:

||
||"Chris Bergquist" > wrote in message
...
||> Any recommendation on the best way to lower a 68 Mustang? I tried
||> installing springs that were advertised to lower the car 1" and improve
||> the handling. All they accomplished was to make the ride a lot stiffer
||> and they didn't lower the car at all. I'm looking for a 1" drop.
||>
||
||I've got a 68 Torino, very similar in front setup to your mustang.
||
||My recommendation is to take it into a suspension shop and have then
||completely tear out and replace the A arms, pivots and everything else.
||The reason is that the Fords of this year had a serious design flaw in
||their front suspensions, the suspensions were basically bolted onto too
||thin sheet metal in the shock towers. Over time all of them deform
||and start tearing themselves right out of the steel. Yours are
||probably getting there already. The other problem is that the pivots are
||not greaseable and over time develop and annoying squeaking.

The '68 was better than the '65-68. The shock towers compress inward, so they
are closer together. You get an import brace adn stall it. You have to use a
portapower or similar to move the towers outward before you can bolt them on.
There was a company that made a set of reinforcement plates for '67-'70
Mustangs that strengthens the weak spots for road racing. They have to be
welded on, and the kit comes with a video. I still have a new kit, never used if
anyone is interested.
A good reference book is a reprint of the Ford publication of Boss 302 racing
modifications. Covered all the weak areas and what to do about them.
Texas Parts Guy

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 18:11:57 GMT, ) wrote:

||
||The '68 was better than the '65-66. (corrected)

Texas Parts Guy

1) Lift car and place securely on jack stands at all four corners.

2) Remove wheels and tires.

3) Remove jack stands.


Now the car's nice 'n' low.

"Daniel J. Stern" wrote:
>
> 1) Lift car and place securely on jack stands at all four corners.
>
> 2) Remove wheels and tires.
>
> 3) Remove jack stands.
>
> Now the car's nice 'n' low.

There's an outfit near me that has a machine that can lower just about
any car. They put the car in it and when its finished, its about 12
inches high.

--
Paul Hovnanian
------------------------------------------------------------------
I think you left the stove on.

On Wed, 15 Dec 2004, Paul Hovnanian P.E. wrote:

> > 1) Lift car and place securely on jack stands at all four corners.
> > 2) Remove wheels and tires.
> > 3) Remove jack stands.
> > Now the car's nice 'n' low.

> There's an outfit near me that has a machine that can lower just about
> any car. They put the car in it and when its finished, its about 12
> inches high.

*heh*