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HMH Autosport

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I have a 48 Plymouth Special Deluxe 2dr coupe. I am wanting to drop it 2 inches. When I had my 49 Business coupe I had read that a set of 91 Ford Aerostar front springs were exactly the same size as the 49's front springs and they were correct. I was just wondering if anyone here had experimented with any other springs for a 48. The front suspensions of the two cars are completely different. Any help would be appreciated.

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Did it take away any of the floating, wallowing handling?  Near as I can figure if I go with the traditional setup, lowered springs, shock relocation, new shocks in the front I'll be at about half the price of a basic coilover setup.  The coil over setup has it's advantages, better spring selection, easy ride height adjustments, better shock selection.  I think I need to pull a front wheel and do some measuring.

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Sniper.........I'd be surprised if a coil over setup would be as straightforward as you may think as the shock relocation arrangement if it included a coil over might locate the coil over too far away from the pivot points of the lower A arm.......I've thought about this myself over the years I must confess although I only recently did the shock relocation about 12 months ago and to be honest I'm not overly impressed with the difference tho' that maybe because of the use of short shocks, 13" overall length,  rather than the much longer ones that seem to have been used in most swaps I've seen on here..............I had the short shocks and they appear to be a good fit but am not 100% convinced of the worth of the swap............I have had the 1" thick sway bar on the car since the mid 70's and it certainly helps in the handling department..........the car has 1940 lower a arms, 41-56 upper A arms, 1940 spindle with 1941-56 style stub axle, rack is a 9" shortened Austin 1800 rack with 1" shorter forged steering arms, stock shaped 1" thick sway bar with heim joints...............regards, andyd   

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Thinking of putting the coilover setup where the stock coil now sits.  It looks like the QA1 setup for the Mustang II is compact enough to fit and I can get stiff enough spring for it too.  But I have to measure.  If need be I could relocate the lower coil pocket below the control arm for a few more inches of room. 

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Sniper...........the lower mount setup for a coil over would be doable on the stock lower A arm but the upper coil over mount is what has me questioning as the stock coil fits into the chassis pocket and I'm having trouble working out how the upper mount of a coil over would fit into the pocket.......space is not the issue but the accessability has me wondering and I can't see how it would work ..............happy to be shown I'm wrong tho'........lol..............andyd 

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Detroit Spring, Eaton right off Rosa Parks Blvd in Detroit. will make springs that fit exactly and will adjust the hight up or down based on your instructions.  They will ask you a few questions about other modifications you may have made to understand any other weight changes that may have occurred before fabricating.  Highly recommended.  You could at least get a quote. 

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Not interested in Eaton's overpriced stuff, I can get any number of coil springs pairs from QA1 at whatever rate I want for well under $100 MSRP, less at Speedway.  For not much more than Eaton wants for OE type springs I can get the springs. better shocks and adjustable ride height in a tidy coil over package.  If I want to toss a few more dollars at it I can get the adjustable shocks too, single or double adjustable depending on how fancy I want to get.  Compared to the "traditional" route of Eaton springs, shock relocation and new parts store type shocks the price for the base coilover conversion is a wash, the technology and adjustability isn't though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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33 minutes ago, Sniper said:

Not interested in Eaton's overpriced stuff

Cant speak for entire organization, but the Detroit Spring shop was competitive for what I was looking for.  And the leaf springs and coils were much better quality than that dredge you can get from other suppliers.   Now shipping may be an issue for most, but we were able to visit the shop and pick up ourselves. 

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Sorry, $300 for stock type coils is about $200 too much and shipping is $50 which is about triple what it ought to be.

 

No thanks.  If I were to keep the stock type look in the front then I'd go with 91 Aerostar AC Delco brand coil springs for $39.79 and $15.99 shipping from Rock Auto.  That's almost the same price as Eaton wants just for shipping.  Not real sure how Eaton's price is competitive.

 

In the coil over setup I am looking as new QA1 springs are $75 a pair and $14.57 for shipping from Speedway, so if I decide my initial selection is wrong I can buy a new set fairly painlessly.  Again, way cheaper than Eaton, especially if you decide your original selection was wrong. 

 

QA1 has an outstanding reputation.  https://www.qa1.net/about/quality

and they make their stuff here in the States.  But if Eaton works for you great.  It doesn't for me though.

 

 

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I believe Eaton is successful in the market for their quality and performance while displaying total stock look and fit...and they have a high satisfaction rating among their customers.

 

The other markets are the flip side to the coin, those more familiar with building and altering have these choices which often are better pricing albeit there are certain names in that product lineup that are "name dropper" and as such sell at a higher price though quality and fit are the same at the lesser cost.   Why doing your homework is so important here...

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Most all of the above input is valid.

That said, I have not scene a coil-over modification into the stock suspension geometry.  If cost and the requirement or interest to explore a new solution are not a concern,.... go for it.

That said,...that said, cutting a coil and relocating the spring pocket will get you a decent drop, at virtually no cost. And the original spring has already "settled".  And yes, remounting the shocks are a given.  The ride will be stiffened and drivebility improved 'tho understand that in extreme cases the suspension may bottom out which is the cost of having a car with a more contemporary appearance.

I did all that but eventually ended up with  a IFS clip because I can't resist messing with, exploring the options.

Good luck.  How 'bout some pics.

 

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When/if I get around to it I'll put up pics and a write up on my website and link it over here.  Though right now I am hanging on to my spare cash for an Edgy head and a Thickstun dual 1bbl intake.  I know, seems disjointed coilovers with a hopped up flatty, lol.  I prefer not to be another bellybutton I guess.  Right now the coil over idea is in the "will it seem to work" stage of getting measurements and looking at what's available.  I think I have the basic package sorted out.  QA1 coilovers, which exact ones depends on me measuring the stock travel, QA1 springs with spring rate pretty much decided, 650 lbs/in, but which specific one I need remains to been determined by the stock upper spring mount diameter and shape.  Of course all of this is may be moot if I need to drill the upper shock mount hole and it turns out that's right where the upper control arm pivot sits. and even there I have an idea on how to deal with that.

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