~ 1969 Stance on all fours

[Raven R code 281]

So I got 4 15x7" rims and 235R15 tires......should the car sit level with all 4 rims and tires all the same? Right now it sits higher in the front. 

 

A little irritated at the moment .

[Caseyrhe 650]

The front will go down some more once you get all the bolt-ons on. I went with a slightly shorter tire in front to help compensate also. 

[MAC390 327]

Mine sits a little high in the front also, i would like to drop it about 1inch in the front.

I will wait till everything is on the car.

[Raven R code 281]

Sounds good. I don't have the fenders on yet( and headlight buckets/grille). I just never thought about tire size when I bought the tires almost 2 yrs ago. 

[barnett468 418]

if you have lowering springs on the front you can  cut them to get the height you want.

[RPM 1,190]

I found that the front sheet metal and windshield didn't lower it much if any. Figure two 350# front springs takes 175 lbs to drop it 1/4". Trying to get these cars a symmetrical stance will drive a man to drink. You've got to take many measurements of the frame rails and compressed spring heights. A high right rear may be due to a low left front. Good luck!

[Caseyrhe 650]

Most people won't notice it, there to interested in the whole car, wishing they had one......or had kept theirs

[JayEstes 172]

I've got the same setup.  Stock rebuild on all the suspension, and I put KYB gas-adjust shocks in, which I have been very pleased with.  Only change I made was a Shelby (Arning)  drop on the front - do you have that mod? it lowers the front "maybe a little bit", and a 1in sway bar  which shouldn't affect ride height.

To me, my car doesn't "sit higher in the front", but let's face it, one mans "too high" is another mans, "just right".  If you put in racing shocks, or upgraded springs, or any other mod, your front could be sitting higher. Also, if you have "old shocks" or worn out leafs in back, perhaps the rear is just too low.  A lot of stuff can affect this.  

To me, my car is fine.  But so many guys today though want the front end literally dragging the ground, and rims which vanish up into the wheel wells, that I've concluded I'm kind of a minority.  To me, sitting on 15x7in rims with 235 R60's, and a stock suspension looks pretty damn good.  I've included pics so you can judge for yourself.

[Brian Conway 264]

Interesting stuff Jay and maybe a bit more info might help Raven and me out ?  Pictures are of my car all stock except for the KYB's front and rear and the Arning/Shelby 1" drop up front. Very much like your car ? Measurements from the fender edge to the wheel center may give a better idea of where Raven's problem lies ?  Again from my car; front 14-1/8" and rear 14-3/4".  Jay do you recall the BS for your wheels ?  I too would like to go with the 15x7 w/3-3/4" BS wheels and the same 235-60-15 tires but am concerned with tire rub up front ?  Brian 

[JayEstes 172]

I can put some measurements on it when I get home.  I am pretending to be working right now... so car is not with me....  LOL

I worried about tire-rub A LOT.  I used to have that with diff wheels/tires, and I just HATE it - like nails on a chalkboard (especially so if you have new paint!).

I did some research, mainly on here, and decided I wanted 4-1/4 in backspace based on what I read (but nothing was an exact match).  When I went to buy the Cragars, only option close to 4-1/4 in backspace was 4-1/8, so I took a chance and bought it.  Works great, not ONE instance of wheel rub in 3Kmi, and I am very satisfied with the stance and everything.  The KYBs are by far the best shocks I have ever owned, and the sway brace makes a HUGE body-roll improvement too.

I'll post measurements when I get home.

[JayEstes 172]

ok.  Here we go.  Interesting results:

Left Front: 14 in

Right Front: 14-1/8 in

Left Rear: 15-1/2 in

Right Rear: 15-1/2 in

There is probably +/-1.8 to 1/4 in in these measurements.  I found it more difficult to measure than I thought, and how I held the camera made a difference too.  It does look like my right front is maybe 1/8 in higher, but it seems unnoticeable.

The surprising thing is my car sits significantly higher in the back than Brian's.  I have no idea why.  I didn't even disassemble the rear leafs or the rear axle for my rebuild - I left those in place.  I just put new KYB shocks in and that's all.  That said, I have literally NOTHING in the trunk.  I don't have a spare in there right now, no jack, floor covering, nothing - literally painted metal.  here is some dynamat around on the floor - but that should add weight if nothing else.  So maybe it will lower some, but 3/4 of an inch?  IDK.

Odd that mine sits that much higher.  Ready to hear folks theories, and ways to test them....

Jay

Left Front:

Right Front:

Left Rear:

Right Rear:

[det0326 179]

different levels of fuel will make some difference too. May not be 3/4" tho.  It's strange how different cars react different. I put new standard height leafs on mine and it was too low, had to replace with 1 3/4 lift springs.

 

Dave

[Mike65 475]

Jay I think the stance of your Coupe looks fine to me. I too am in the minority referring to big wheels, to me they look poor & out of place on a classic car/muscle car. I have the same tires as Jay on my Coupe but I have 215/70R-14's in the front & 225/70R-14's in the rear. The distance from the ground to the center of the quarter panel wheel opening is 26 3/4" on new 4.5 mid eye rear leaf springs w/Koni STR-T shocks all the way around. I also have 1" lowering front performance coil springs & the Shelby/Arning UCA drop, & the engine is not in the car now.

 

[Raven R code 281]

Jay.....first....your car is sweet looking(love that color!). Second, your stance looks perfect to me.  I took my measurements from the front and rear of the rocker panel when the did mine.

[RPM 1,190]

On 7/7/2017 at 2:45 PM, Brian Conway said:

Interesting stuff Jay and maybe a bit more info might help Raven and me out ?  Pictures are of my car all stock except for the KYB's front and rear and the Arning/Shelby 1" drop up front. Very much like your car ? Measurements from the fender edge to the wheel center may give a better idea of where Raven's problem lies ?  Again from my car; front 14-1/8" and rear 14-3/4".  Jay do you recall the BS for your wheels ?  I too would like to go with the 15x7 w/3-3/4" BS wheels and the same 235-60-15 tires but am concerned with tire rub up front ?  Brian 

Those numbers are interesting Brian. Using the same measuring process, my car with 18" wheels  is only 1/2" lower in the front and 1/4" in the rear. I figured mine were much less.

 

[moodster 55]

I had those same tires and rims (15x7 235/60) and mine sat much higher in the front.  I got lowering springs all around and switched my rear rim/tire to a 15x10 and 275/60 and now I'm level.

 

[RPM 1,190]

I love the look of your stance and those big 15" tires David. Wishing I hadn't put 13" front brakes on mine.

[moodster 55]

Thanks so much for the compliments, I sweated the decision quite a bit before ordering them and especially before mounting the tires.  I really love the deep rims and wide tires in the rear.  

david

[Mach1 Driver 560]

1 hour ago, moodster said:

I had those same tires and rims (15x7 235/60) and mine sat much higher in the front.  I got lowering springs all around and switched my rear rim/tire to a 15x10 and 275/60 and now I'm level.

 

Those look really good. So 15x7 235/60 front and 15x10 275/60 rear. Do you know the backspace on the fronts and backs?

[moodster 55]

I don't remember the front backspacing... they came in a package of four.  Do they make different 15x7 backspacings in the Magnum 500s?  The rear is 5.5" backspacing.  Here is a pic to show the difference in the front and rear tires... the rear is about 2 inches taller which really helps to give a very slight rake with reverse eye leafs.

[moodster 55]

Another pic to show that I don't rub around the wheel well.  I didn't have to modify any sheetmetal.

david

[69 Cruzin 4]

On 7/7/2017 at 2:59 PM, JayEstes said:

I've got the same setup.  Stock rebuild on all the suspension, and I put KYB gas-adjust shocks in, which I have been very pleased with.  Only change I made was a Shelby (Arning)  drop on the front - do you have that mod? it lowers the front "maybe a little bit", and a 1in sway bar  which shouldn't affect ride height.

To me, my car doesn't "sit higher in the front", but let's face it, one mans "too high" is another mans, "just right".  If you put in racing shocks, or upgraded springs, or any other mod, your front could be sitting higher. Also, if you have "old shocks" or worn out leafs in back, perhaps the rear is just too low.  A lot of stuff can affect this.  

To me, my car is fine.  But so many guys today though want the front end literally dragging the ground, and rims which vanish up into the wheel wells, that I've concluded I'm kind of a minority.  To me, sitting on 15x7in rims with 235 R60's, and a stock suspension looks pretty damn good.  I've included pics so you can judge for yourself.

Very nice! Thinking of going back with the GT strip on mine. What do you think?

[69 Cruzin 4]

Now looking at yours , I think mine is lol too low in back.

[RPM 1,190]

5 hours ago, moodster said:

Another pic to show that I don't rub around the wheel well.  I didn't have to modify any sheetmetal.

david

Big time envy here :(

[Mike65 475]

1 hour ago, 69 Cruzin said:

Very nice! Thinking of going back with the GT strip on mine. What do you think?

69 Cruzin, nice looking Coupe. I like the look of the GT lower body stripe, I would add it to your car, once my Coupe is painted I am putting it on mine.