In the last issue of Custom Rodder we renovated the front suspension of Eric Smith's '50 Ford sedan using the Ultra-Cruise ball-joint-conversion kit and a disc brake setup from Jamco Suspension. Of course, with the frontend updated, Eric naturally wanted to fine tune the car's rear suspension, too, bringing us to the story at hand.
We turned to Jamco once again to procure a new set of rear springs. While the company's Ultra-Cruise frontend equipment is currently limited to '49-53 Fords and Mercurys, its custom coil and leaf springs can be had for nearly any '50s and '60s domestic car. New springs can be made to stock specifications, or they can be designed to lower a car 1, 2, 3, or 4 inches from stock. When an altered ride height is called for, spring rates are increased accordingly so the suspension will be less likely to bottom out during normal use, and so that the car will retain its ability to haul around a full complement of passengers and luggage. Additionally, the springs use poly slider material between leaves to reduce friction and noise.
In the case of Eric's Ford, we ordered de-arched leaf springs designed to provide a right height 4 inches lower than stock. Now, since we were pretty sure Eric's car had settled a bit from "stock height" during its 55 years of service, we also had some lowering blocks on hand to adjust the ride height as needed. In using the de-arched springs, our goal was to minimize the need for blocks, as anything more than about a 3-inch block can create a dangerously low scrub radius.
In addition to the springs, Jamco supplied new shocks, shackles, and bushings. Eric also opted for one of the company's hefty rear sway bars to provide balance to the sway bar we installed up front. Installing the bar created a little extra work, as the trunk floor had to be modified slightly for clearance. Otherwise, the rest of the install was essentially a remove-and-replace operation.
We returned to KA Customs in Huntington Beach for installation, putting the car in the capable hands of owner Kevin Francis. The accompanying photos and captions should give you an idea of how everything went.
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 It's pretty easy to see how...  It's pretty easy to see how much less arch the new Jamco spring has compared to the original one. It also has a higher spring rate (or, more simply, it's stiffer) since its use will result in less suspension travel. |
 With the axlehousing supported...  With the axlehousing supported by a jack stand, Kevin removed the nuts from the U-bolts that hold the spring pack to the axle. |
 Unbolting the rear shackles...  Unbolting the rear shackles was simple. However, the front bushing bolts use a type of carriage bolt that tends to just spin when you try to remove the nut on the other side. Kevin welded a nut to the bolt head to allow for disassembly and easier assembly. |
 Jamco supplied new urethane...  Jamco supplied new urethane leaf spring bushings, which were greased before being installed. |
 Installing the new springs...  Installing the new springs was essentially the reverse process of removing the old ones. |
 New spring shackles were part...  New spring shackles were part of the package... |
 ...and fresh shocks from Jamco...  ...and fresh shocks from Jamco were installed to help ensure the best ride quality possible. |
 The sway bar assembly came...  The sway bar assembly came complete with everything needed for installation. |
 Two L-shaped brackets were...  Two L-shaped brackets were secured to the frame using the upper shock mount bolts. These interfered with the existing exhaust on the car, so Kevin cut the pipes behind the mufflers and Eric will have them re-routed. |
 This U-shaped bracket bolted...  This U-shaped bracket bolted to the two L-shaped frame brackets. Kevin found that the U-bend needed to be increased slightly for the bolt holes to line up. |
 The sway bar was attached...  The sway bar was attached to the axlehousing using the supplied U-bolts and bushings. |
 This is what the assembled...  This is what the assembled sway bar looked like. The bar ends were secured to the frame bracket assembly with bushings and end links. |
 Jamco told us that the sway...  Jamco told us that the sway bar would probably hit the floor when used with these lowered springs. That wasn't much of a problem. Kevin just marked where the bar would hit, trimmed the floor ... |
 ... and built a small sheetmetal...  ... and built a small sheetmetal relief to provide clearance. After that, it was just a matter of tightening up the bolts, lowering the car off the lift, and going for a testdrive. |
 After getting the car back...  After getting the car back on the ground, Eric decided he wanted it just a tad lower, so Kevin slid in some 1-inch lowering blocks to achieve the desired stance. Eric reports that the car's ride quality is less bouncy and more sure-footed with the revamped frontend and new rear springs; the sway bars have also helped handling and stability. |