I am wondering about the 2 inch difference in my 65's front and rear ride heights. Is this probably just sagging rear leafs and shocks? Could this be fixed by replacing the rear leafs alone or should the shocks be done too. How about the front? Best and most cost efficient way to get the rear about 2" higher than the front. I want that classic aggressive stance!! Thanks for any help!!!!!

 

shocks dont set ride height...springs do. replace ur rear leafs. of course they are saggin if they are 43 years old. if you want to lower ur front i guess you could always chop the spring a bit...but imo be careful...too much of a forward lean starts to look stupid and that was popular in the 70s anyways...times have changed



if you're not doing this every weekend, keep the lean to a minimum. thats my .02

 

Yeah, I agree. While you can get lift springs for the rear and drop the front, a 2" rake isn't going to have a good effect on handling. It will also have a negative effect on weight transfer, and therefore traction during acceleration.

Definitely replace the leafs, though

 

to add to this, with a new set of stock springs on say a 64-66 where should the top center of the wheel well or center of the bumper be at?

I know i have stock 43 yr old leafs in my '65 and im wanting to change them out at some point over the winter. im just curious how much its going to affect the height.

say 1 - 2 " higher be a safe guess? im looking at putting stock springs back on

 

Thanks alot to all. You made a good point...at 43 years old alot of rear ends sag !!!!
Do you guys have any recommendations about what springs are good. Year One replacement set seems to be reasonable and very application specific !?! Also, do any of you know the correct length of shocks for front and rear??

 

you can pick up the correct shocks from any of the mustang parts places.

www.cjponyparts.com is where ill probably order mine. the 2 different KYB sets are something like $105 & $150 for all 4.

otherwise theres edelbrock,bilstein,monroe, koni that make them as well

 

they sagged that much brand new...if you replace it with brand new original parts I bet you wont be happy with the results.

-Gun

 

Do you guys think going with heavy duty vs. standard leaf springs there would be more of a difference in ride height?? Which would you use??

 

My handling is good. I have about a 3" rake, rear is about 3" higher than front. I like the look and my handling is still good.

 

BA, no offense, but I'm sure your idea of "good" handling doesn't even touch what I'd consider decent handling. It may be acceptable for you for the way you drive, but the difference between say your car and mine (1" drop in the rear) would be staggering. Moving the rear center of gravity up makes the rear of the car more prone to body roll, which has a detrimental affect on handling.

68Pone, you can get springs for whatever ride height you want, completely independant of spring rate. Many people are happy with GT 4-leaf springs as they provide good ride quality and decent handling. If you want a firmer ride and better handling (at the cost of ride quality), 4.5 leaf springs may suit you better. You can get most springs at stock ride height, 1" lift, or 1" drop.