This is what I'm left with after a frame off restoration of my 78. The only suspension components that were changed (both front and rear) were the shocks, ball joints and the bushings. In addition we swapped out the rear struts with adjustable ones. There is no interior in the car, no windows, no doors or hood and the front bumper extension is not attached. I know that the added weight of those components will drop the car some but I don't think as much as I need. I have been told that I can lower the front by either cutting the springs or buying shorter ones and the rear can be lowered by using longer bolts on the springs. What has me stumped is that the items which were replaced should not have put the height that much out of whack and since most of the major components were cleaned, painted and reused they should already be settled. So, why buy new springs if the stock ones were OK before we took them off, cleaned and painted them and then re-installed them. As I've already read on this forum I should also loosen all of the pivot points until the car is assembled and fully gased which will help some but again I ask, will that allow the car to lower as much as needed? I've also driven it around the block which is only about a half mile but without seats and doors I have to be careful cause I have 2 LEOs living in my neighborhood.





Left Front Side





Left Rear Side

 

 

You've driven it around the block, so that rules out the tires pinching and not allowing the rear to settle.

Here's my stab in the dark: The pressurization of the shocks is "helping" the leaf spring in supporting the rear of the car.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you have to push really hard on new shocks to get them to compress and allow you to install them, right? How much force do you think you push with? 30#? 50#? Now multiply that by two. And consider that you're putting that force on the very ends of the leaf spring which is, itself, rated for...what...140# per inch total? Or 70# per inch per side?

I'm not sure if it makes up the entire distance (that rear end is up there...), but you catch my drift.

Others will chime in. That's my thought, though.

 

I don't think you can make any judgement on this situation until you reinstall all the missing body components, doors, hood, interior etc. You are missing 100's of pounds of body weight.

 

I "adjusted" my tire-to-fender-clearance before adding the interior carpet/hood/seats/soft top/spare/gasoline/etc.......I should have waited!

 

I agree. Get all the weight back on. I removed my a/c compressor and my cars front end must have went up 1"