Front spring interchange?

[Eric W]

Anyone know what part number the front springs for a '55 Special are, and what they interchange with?

The interchange book I have doesn't list these. (What's the right interchange book to get? The one I have has a bunch of stuff, but never what I'm looking for...)

Group 7.412.

Thanks

[Leif Holmberg]

Seems that you can change between all 1954-1956 ser 40 and 60,but I think the diffens to ser 50 and 70 those years are that they are for a havier car,even Oldsmobile model 88 those years will fit.But be sure to change both springs.

Leif in Sweden.

[Eric W]

Thanks!

[old-tank]

My 55 parts manual lists lots more numbers depending on model, transmission, a/c, etc. My crappy interchange lists only 1165049 for all 54-56. It is not likely you will find NOS of any number. If sourcing used, just replace in matching pairs. Since I am too lazy to do it more than once, I would just buy new replacement and specify what I want.

Willie

[Eric W]

Willie - that's what I was leaning - for what junkyards charge, may as well pay the premium for new. Just for info, my '55 is somewhere on the order of 3"-4" lower. It was that way when I got it. They did the front the old fashioned (read: free) way - torch the springs until they collapse. This leaves roughly negligible actual suspension travel. The rear end was also done with a tried & true (read: really cheap) way - u-bolts pinching a couple of coils together. So I was going to approach this in 1, possibly 2 stages:

1. Get it back to stock height, with new springs in front & release the u-bolts off the rears.

2. If that feels &/or looks too high, then go with drop spindles in the front & a set of lower springs for the rear.

With these 2 steps, I'm not buying the same thing twice & may decide step 1 is enough.

Right now, the car goes around corners way too fast for a car of this size. Handling is absurdly good. But the ride is not so great.

One thing that's kind of funny with the suspension so squashed is when I jack it to remove a front wheel with a jack up near the front, the rear tire comes off the ground well before the front...

[60FlatTop]

Something about locating a pair of 60 year old springs, traveling to where they are, removing them, and bringing them home to put into another car doesn't give me the warm fuzzies. And I'm driving on a set of 54 year old ones. My 50 year old car has all new ones, though.

Bernie

[old-tank]

I have some serviceable used springs ( I never throw anything away )...you pay shipping$$$. Any replacement that corrects the suspension travel will change handling...consider: http://forums.aaca.org/f117/1954-56-buick-performance-front-sway-353635.html

If interested in springs, PM for details.

Willie

[TexasJohn55]

Something about locating a pair of 60 year old springs, traveling to where they are, removing them, and bringing them home to put into another car doesn't give me the warm fuzzies. And I'm driving on a set of 54 year old ones. My 50 year old car has all new ones, though.

Bernie

Gee Bernie, they ain't made out of plastic you know!