Help Picking New Leaf Springs UPDATE

[MarkStang]

 Here is the deal. I ended up buying shocks Gr2's. I had a set offered to me free if I paid shipping but I live close enough to NPD and I only have one more week of time off.

Get this. I took Those load levelers off and a cup of oil pored out of each one. THEN the rear settled with  The exhaust one inch above the axle swallowing the rear tires. The springs were almost reversed , flat for sure.

Question. Do I want Mid eye?
Question. Bushings. Midolyne, Polyurethane, Prothane or rubber ?



Steer me right Please . .
Note: car has not been sanded and Buffed yet

[gwstang]

That's a nice paint job you did there!  :coo   I really like the new look of the white out back tires...lol.   I know, I have an old set of tires that I use for painting too.   :vic

[Jonk67]

Mideye 4 1/2 leaf put my '67 about 1/2" between the tire tread (225/60/15) and the fender lip so just about flush. I used Energy Polyurethane bushings F&R on the leafs, lubed liberally with a large tube (~$5-10) of dielectric grease and didn't have a squeek in a year of driving. I think they'll help keep the leafs from twisting during high speed turns better than the rubber and I don't get any harshness from them (also GR2 shocks). I had read that the Prothane's are pure urethane (not poly impregnated) so they're more solid but may crack/crumble sooner according to some.

The standard leafs give a stock jacked up look with ~2" of space between tire and fender lip from pics I've seen and I'd guess that the reverse eye would put the tire tucked into the fenderwell.
Jon

[silverblueBP]

This is one of the few pics of the car with street tires on; I have 4 1/2 mid eye springs, Koni shocks and 215/60/15 tires.

[MarkStang]

Mid eyes are looking pretty good so far. I am going swimming with the kids now so I have just a second. Your car is so tuff looking with the side exits. Very pleasant to look at. Are you ever afraid of hurting it racing?

Be back in a while.

[silverblueBP]

Are you ever afraid of hurting it racing?

Tracking the car, I don't have the nads to race it!



To answer the queshion, no....I don't care if it gets cracks, chips, scratches, blobs of gooey hot rubber, etc....it's all part of having fun. Now, If I were to wreck the car, THAT would be a rant for the ages  :ep

[MarkStang]

I am glad to here that. I will love using my car again and I do not care if it gets touched by hands and bugs and such. I want to drive it again every day. I am pretty sure why this post has not had many replies. It is so hard to tell car to car and there are many variables of wheels size and likes and dis-likes. I probably should have stuck the question more to , "Are you happy with standard leaf springs with rubber bushings"?

If I get it wrong I can raise it or lower it. I do not want to off more than an inch though. I am lucky that my front lowered so PERFECT with the help of John at OPENTRACKER. He asked me many questions regarding my use of the car and suggested standard control arms that he de-burrs with 480# springs cut 1/2 coil and a larger sway bar that just plain mates with this softer coil, slightly over an inch thick one. The rear leafs are just another piece of the puzzle and I should have done it when I had the rear out. I admit I got discouraged when I could not get out one bolt and just put it all back together. Then I read about the trick to getting that bolt out but never went back at it. Well here I am.

So after this it will be Tin man subs tires and lots of fun for the summer.

Do the mid eyes come with the front bushing pressed in?

[cmayna]

4.5 Mideye with polyurathene bushings, GR2s in back.  Shelby drop up front with 620 coil springs.

[MarkStang]

You see ...that looks great. Where do I look for the 4 1/2 mid eye? Do they come with bushings front and back or do I buy the complete kit that has the front and back half pieces. At least I think I remember that those bushings are not pressed in. If they are then I think you use Vaseline?

My question mainly is do the front parts come with the bushings in them. Thanks a bunch I just about have the info I can run with and then the Pictures and results will be here in a week or so.

[Jonk67]

Do the mid eyes come with the front bushing pressed in?

Yes, mine did at least, I pressed them out and replaced with the Energy Poly's as mentioned.
Jon

[cmayna]

Yes, mine did at least, I pressed them out and replaced with the Energy Poly's as mentioned.
Jon

+1

[MarkStang]

I can figure how to use a "C" clamp to press them in but how do you press bushing out?

[cmayna]

Mark,
What I have done is to turn the leaf on it's side and support the front end on a large vice.  With someone holding the leaf in place I use a large drift and a BFH and tap around the bushing's metal collar.  It will pop out.

[MarkStang]

Thanks , I have The BFH and a BFV  :ecit I just needed a little visual.

[cmayna]

If you look carefully at the standard rubber bushing you find on today's repro leafs, you will see a very thin metal collar sleeve between the leaf's loop and the rubber itself.  Dig the end of the drift down until it makes contact with the edge of the collar and then start tapping around the collar.  Round and round you go.  Suddenly it will break free and you will see the bushing start to drop.

Obviously you need to support the leaf on the edge of the bottom or longest leaf and away from the loop so that there is no interference that would prevent the rubber bushing from dropping all the way out.

[tarafied1]

for what it's worth my leafs are Grab-A-Track 5 leaf standard eye and heavy duty shackles, poly bushings and Grab-A-Track shocks. I got it all at Mustangs Plus. The car sat "high" at first but has settled down now.

[MarkStang]

Checking it out right now...love it.


um... do they carry the scoop up front too? :ecit

[tarafied1]

no you have to get that on your own  :lol

[65fast]

I have mid-eyes with a 1" lowering block in the back on the car in the sig.

[Fast68back]

Man, that is a sharp looking car!

[MarkStang]

I have mid-eyes with a 1" lowering block in the back on the car in the sig.

Hmmm It almost make me think that reverse eye would be fine.

[65fast]

If I had to do it over, that would most certainly be the route I would take!

[cmayna]

Mark,
Are you rear fender lips rolled?    I'd be very careful if you went reverse eye.  I'd stay with mid eye.

[MarkStang]

I do not know LOLOL

Really , I think they are and if they are the PO did it, so.....if I go take a pic and post it in a few minutes could you tell me if there rolled.

[AtlantaSteve]

I have a set of 4.5 leaf reverse eyes on the shelf.  I got them for a song, but I'm really nervous on how they'll do once I bolt them in.  Not so much the look as the tire-rub, as Craig mentions.