Hotrods1936 Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 (edited) Can anyone tell me the correct height of the front and rear wheel well with good stock height coil springs. My springs are shot and I need to know if I want stock height or what amount of drop I would like to order new spring. Edited October 8, 2016 by Hotrods1936 add photo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 Here's a starting point for measurements: HERE Height of wheel openings will vary with type and size of tire. I can measure mine if you have original 7.60-15 tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buick5563 Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 Yours look a little worn, but I like it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotrods1936 Posted October 8, 2016 Author Share Posted October 8, 2016 Old-Tank, I have the Coker Classic 235-75r15 Radials on it but I have a set of the original wide whites I can put on. If you could measure it would be great, the link was to 1952 models. I am not sure if they would be the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 I know that measuring sheet metal-to-ground dimensions make sense, but can also depend upon the tire size, construction, AND air pressure in the tires (all variable situations). But there is another relationship which I noticed quite some time ago, which is NOT tire-dependent and not totally related to how the tire fits in the wheel opening area. Extend the "line" from the bottom of the rocker panel "through" each wheel's center point. Other than looking for that line being parallel to the flat surface the car is residing on, front to rear, there is also a relationship to how it crosses the wheel AND where. The attached picture is not of your car, but illustrates the relationship I'm mentioning. Looking at other Buick pictures (actual pictures and print advertising, rather than "artwork" pictures), some of them are basically like the pictures attached, as some are about 1/2" lower, but still above the "hand hold" slots in the steel wheels, slightly. It could well be that your springs are aged and weak, BUT what you're experiencing could also be weak shock absorbers! I concur with 5563 that you car does not look that "bad", as is, which is why I'm mentioning the shock absorber possibility. Good shocks can keep a weak spring from bottoming out in many cases, especially considering how soft some of the '50s Buicks springs' "ride rate" tended to be. In many cases, when new springs to the OEM specs for the car are installed, the cars sometimes look "too high" to me, but looking at Old-Tank's (and others') correct restorations, plus the older print pictures, the amount they seem "too high" is diminished. We've gotten too used to looking at coil spring cars with "sagged" springs, it seems. Your car HAS some great possibilities! The rocker panel "line" situation is also pretty much common on most cars up into the 1970s. Once you learn to look for it, it's easy to see. NTX5467 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotrods1936 Posted October 9, 2016 Author Share Posted October 9, 2016 NTX5467, Thanks for the information, Nice cars. My photo is a little deceiving, the car has 2-1 1/2" spring spacers on each side. I think my shocks also need rebuilt, they were dry for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 Thanks for that information. Spring spacers might be short-term "fixes", but can also further degrade the spring as it puts stresses on particular segments of the total spring mechanism. As I said, "many possibilities"! NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr. Buick Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 It does look a little low to me as well, but that could change under several circumstances. Stuff in the trunk? A full gas tank will bring you down a bit. To get a good idea, try leaning against the fender as you tank up, and you can feel it. The pic seems to be with the car parked on an incline. It throws more weight to the springs down-hill. Out of frustration and a lack of time, I have put spacers on my rear springs, at the top where they can't be seen. While browsing in the scrap boxes at the local metal supply, I was lucky to find a bunch of heavy-gauge steel disks just the right size and only needing a center hole to be drilled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 On 10/8/2016 at 9:27 AM, Hotrods1936 said: Can anyone tell me the correct height of the front and rear wheel well with good stock height coil springs. My springs are shot and I need to know if I want stock height or what amount of drop I would like to order new spring. 3 cars: front=28"; rear=30.5". Measured from ground to edge of stainless strip, center of wheel. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1953mack Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Back in the days, a ride was considered kool if the height from pavement to bottom of rocker panel or lake pipes was no higher that the height of a pack of the Tall Pall Mall's. Al Malachowski BCA #8965 "500 Miles West of Flint" 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotrods1936 Posted October 10, 2016 Author Share Posted October 10, 2016 Thanks guys for all the information and measurments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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