70bigblockdodge
Old Man with a Hat
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Rear Shocks and Springs: One Day?
- Thread starter bajajoaquin
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65sporty
Old Man with a Hat
If your going to use new u-bolts cut the old ones off
bajajoaquin
Senior Member
If I can measure the springs, I'm just gonna buy everything at once and do it. New u bolts, bushings, everything. Most of the concern for removing parts without breakage was if I had to remove a spring to measure it.
Does the 67 Imperial have the offset shackles?
bajajoaquin
Senior Member
Haven't the foggiest idea. What are offset shackles?
They look like this. One side is bent.
Compared to these.
I have no idea what the Imperial uses and was just curious more than anything.... and was going to warn you not to break the old ones if they were offset. The offset shackle can't be bought new, although many places list an incorrect replacement.
bajajoaquin
Senior Member
Got it. I'll look when I get the car back from paint.
wyrmrider
New Member
does your car uses spring on steel or the rubber isolators- if so if you remove the isolators it changes the height.
I usually use station wagon spring cores or add a leaf and add a cordoba rear sway
I like the plastic full length in between the leaf liners as your zinc's are most likely worn out
you can spray the mating surfaces with moly or graphite
after you get it together and retorque a couple of times spray the threads with spray moly
if you are in salt area coat threads with never sieze - you can wipe off the excess after you are torqued down
remember there are several combinations of bushings and different front and rear lengths
If you add a leaf you can squeeze back together again with a vice or big C clamp
oh yes- there are different curves also
I usually use station wagon spring cores or add a leaf and add a cordoba rear sway
I like the plastic full length in between the leaf liners as your zinc's are most likely worn out
you can spray the mating surfaces with moly or graphite
after you get it together and retorque a couple of times spray the threads with spray moly
if you are in salt area coat threads with never sieze - you can wipe off the excess after you are torqued down
remember there are several combinations of bushings and different front and rear lengths
If you add a leaf you can squeeze back together again with a vice or big C clamp
oh yes- there are different curves also
polara71
Old Man with a Hat
Springs & Things was looking into making those offset shackles. Ive never heard back from Laura. Someone has to reach out
I honestly never bought a set myself... I kept buying cars that had them installed already.
I did decide that I was genius in all things suspension and handling once I discovered how much better a good set of springs and factory shackles made the cars ride and handle.
I suppose I will admit to keep the takeoff's around for many years afterwards... not so genius after all...
polara71
Old Man with a Hat
In our youth we use air shocks to raise the *** for the hot rod look, on the cheap.
Leaf springs weren't readily available like they are today . I also think the price of a pair of leaf springs is relatively cheap and not all that difficult to install as I may have thought when I was a kid.
Leaf springs weren't readily available like they are today . I also think the price of a pair of leaf springs is relatively cheap and not all that difficult to install as I may have thought when I was a kid.
I was cheap then too, it was always springs if I did the work... but used ones off a different car. I had a 73 lemans 4 door I had put new/used heavy duty coils in... rears out of an impala... she sat so high I blew out the shocks by beating the top of the travel to death.
Ruined the car's potential, but I got it with springs all around that were so sagged we had to lift the wheel wells to get the lift arms under her. Front springs were incorrect application and sat a little high too, but she had rake like the 70's...
With the tapered decklid, the side mirrors were a must when backing up.
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
Long shackles where very popular too for the leaf spring cars. When I ran the parts store back in the 80's I stocked the long shackles, air shocks , the rubber spacers & twist in wedges for the coil spring vehicles. The sales of all of these products eroded as the decade went on & air shock sales largely went to pick up truck owners who where carrying loads. Yea we had the load springs too but they liked the air shocks so they could easily let the air back out when not needed.
traintech55
Senior Member
The nice thing about leaf springs is they can be rebuilt, or rearched. Anyone who owned an F/M/J/ body car knows how they loved to break at the front mount.
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No offset on those shackles for '67.
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
I think offset shackles were Fuselage cars only.
I think so too, but I am trying not to assume anything.
69_topless
Member
I confirm my fuselage 69 Polara convertible made in 12/68 have no offset shackles. Perhaps it changed to offset shackles in 1970 model year, with switch to the wider rear end.
Anyway, I will continue with this thread on the same topic, since there is already many valuable details. I consider replacement of my leaf springs for new one from ESPO and want to make sure to get all the parts needed on the first order.
For this reason, I would like to ask you for your opinion for shape of my leaf springs? They are kind of flat without any arch any more and car sits quite low, sometimes do hear to bounce the dual exhaust against the body on bumps. I have used to have high jacker suspension struts, but was not happy with the quality as they blew out twice. KYB to the rear then, but seems to have a hard time when loaded.
Therefore I consider to replace my 4 and half, or 5? leaves springs to the new 7 leafs springs from ESPO, perhaps with 1 inch over the standard height. 7 leafs were for HD or 440cui, but I would expect them on 383 2bbl convertible too. Or do you think 5 leafs are original springs? I plan to carry 3 kids around with the trunk full of stuff, so perhaps its time for the upgrade to 7 leafs. I have never exchanged the bushings.
Does anyone went with the 1 inch over the stock height or do you prefer the stock height? I was told by Laura from ESPO that tired leaf springs sits 2 inch below stock height. I have 275/60R15 tires in the back and currently the height from the ground up to the body wheel opening lip is around 23 and 3/4 inches. Driver side is maybe 3/4 inch higher then passenger side (torgue effect?). At the front, with 235/70R15 tires, the ride height is around 26 inches on both sides. I know I can lower it a bit with the torsion bars, but never bug me seriously to do so.
But what was the factory ride height, does anyone have a idea? Or whats the level with the new 7 leafs springs?
Next, ESPO asked me to check if I have a axle pads/isolators at the center sitting top and bottom of the springs where the ubolts are. Obviously, I do not have them. Its good to add them, will they fit existing hardware?
How about U bolts, do I need longer one to accept 7 leafs springs? Axle pads add some height too, or are they very thin? Please help me out to sort all the parts I need. I need to transport all the goods via container to the Europe to avoid 800USD air cargo bill, so its better not to save few bugs to find out some parts are missing or existing hardware got damaged during the exchange. But shackles are hard to be damaged, right?
From the pictures below, I have notice missing nut on the passenger side strut :-O (changed last year) and the brake hoses deserve better routing. Otherwise feel free to check the pictures and share your opinion. Thank you very much in advance for your help, thank you.
69_topless
Member
I add the pictures with the overall car view, with some more mopars to compare to.
I looked up in my '69 parts book and I was surprised that the '69 used the same shackle as the B-bodies etc. That's good news... I would buy replacements as they are reasonably priced and given your are shipping everything, good insurance if you do break a shackle bolt.
They look like they should be replaced.
Sounds like a good idea to me. Have them press in new front eye bushings. Much easier for them to do.
I just look at the bottom of the rocker and see if it is parallel with the ground. Some like the rear up a little. Your FSM will have how to measure the front end height, but I don't think they show a rear height.
I think you are looking at the emergency brake cables and they appear to be routed correctly.
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