Why is my Grande so high in the front ?

[Sly_drums]

Hello guys, since I have the Mustang I wonder why it is so high in the front ?

I checked the springs and they look like the original springs but I'm not sure.

What's sure is that the previous owner put 15" wheels with big backspacing in the rear so he used higher suspension. Now I've bought 15"x7" wheels with standard backspacing so I'm going to mount them and lower the car in the rear.

Still the front looks too high when I look at other 71-73 Mustangs pictures.

Here is a pic of my Mustang I took recently (sorry no better picture) :

http://www.7173mustangs.com/gallery/798_14_03_12_12_44_10.jpeg

What do you think ? I was thinking of buying stiffer and smaller aftermarket springs to get it right, but I'm not sure. Does it look normal to you ? (I know it's difficult to tell with such a pic but I'll try to capture a better one) Did the Grande models have special springs in the front compared to the standard Coupes or fastbacks ?

 

[will e]

Yes, it is hard to tell from the pic but it looks 'normal' to me. Mine looks the same.

 

[whitesoc]

Looks like normal ride height to me.

 

[Sly_drums]

Thanks !

My step father used to own a 71 Coupe he bought in 1980 ; he unfortunately sold it a few years ago, and the front height really looked lower than mine, here it is :

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/168841_184869291541732_100000559887138_593943_4006056_n.jpg

He didn't do any suspension/spring mod and from what he recalls it looked like the factory height. He says he couldn't get his head under the car, whereas it's totally possible on my Mustang. Strange !

 

[droptop73]

I agree the front could come down a little (1 - 2" (25 - 50mm) for my taste). Rather than buy different springs you can cut the existing spring. There are a couple of good threads here on the topic. For ride quality it's hard to beat the stock spring rate. Ride firmness is controlled by shock absorber valving.

 

[Sly_drums]

Droptop73, thanks for the input, I exactly think my car is 1 or 2" "too high" on the front.

I recently upgraded to Koni classic shocks everywhere and it's a totally different car right now ! It made a world of difference to me. Now I'm going to search for a cutting spring tutorial !

 

[droptop73]

Here's a good tutorial on removal

http://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-how-to-remove-front-spring-coils-the-easy-way?highlight=front+spring

Look at post #8 in this thread for how much to cut the spring to get your desired result.

http://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-stance-your-thoughts?highlight=cut+springs

 

[trainey]

I think all of our cars are too high in the front, and low in the back, just my opinion. I changed out all springs while rebuilding the suspension, and went with 1" lowering on the front coils, and 1" lift in the back. I like the new stance that I have now.

 

[Widowmaker00]

I actually like the way they sit, a little high in the front and a little low in the back. Just my opinion.

 

[Detector]

Being too high in the front means you need a bigger engine.

 

[Sly_drums]

Being too high in the front means you need a bigger engine.

Ahaha for sure ! Unfortunately finding a Ford big block here in France at a decent price is quite impossible Sometimes I wish I could live in the US :exclamation:

Lots of cool info on here. Do you think cutting the front springs to get the car 2" lower is a good idea for better handling ? Pictures of 2" front lowered Mustangs would be cool

 

[hyena429]

Being too high in the front means you need a bigger engine.

Ahaha for sure ! Unfortunately finding a Ford big block here in France at a decent price is quite impossible Sometimes I wish I could live in the US :exclamation:

Lots of cool info on here. Do you think cutting the front springs to get the car 2" lower is a good idea for better handling ? Pictures of 2" front lowered Mustangs would be cool

I wouldnt cutt the front springs...These cars are already too close too the ground up front...Heck just try runing a jack under the front...No room...You will be scraping like crazy...Mine does stock..Let alone any lower...Plus it gets rid of your supention travel will be rough ride...If i was you..I would get some better rear leaf springs and raise the back a inch or 2 booster leafs...These cars springs go bad after time and relax......Which im planning on doing the same....See my car has shackles on the back <~~old school way of getting the same results..It works thou but frown apon now days.....And my car still handles fine and rides good...And looks great while sitting in place...lol..But you can see my shackled in the picture im posting...Which you can get better leaf springs and shocks and get better results and looks that i have.

 

[goodnigh]

My '71, even with the factory competition suspension package, looks just like your car. I sometimes carry a heavy load, astronomy equipment, and then

the rear really does ride low. As another member mentioned all of our cars ride low. I think that was the reason for the federally mandated side mirrors,

'cause you can't see out the back window. Actually, when driving a Mustang, what is behind you is not important. I put air shocks on mine and they do

raise the rear a bit. Air shocks work fine on my daily driver. If I were going to race it I would get different shocks and they are easy to swap out.

I can feel a pencil if I drive over one in the road and my suspension is all factory.

mike

 

[Sly_drums]

Smartly lowered cars with good suspension equipment may ride a lot better especially when going fast on a road or track. The Koni adjustable shocks made a world of difference when it comes to handle, and I want a bit bigger sway bar now. Anyway when I'm looking at my Mustang from a side, I immediately notice it's too high compared to other 71-73 Mustangs pics I see around here, maybe one inch or two in the front and 3 inches or more in the back, I have to say it bothers me. I really want to lower it a bit without making it look like a lowrider of course. Cool suggestions though !

 

[droptop73]

I have 2" lowering blocks on the rear and have cut about 1 coil off the front springs. It rides great and drives perfectly. The only scraping has been the front spoiler on some bumper blocks in parking lots. I have not scraped the ground ever! Not on speed bumps or big dips in the road. I do watch the road and drive very defensively. I never take it off road.

 

[BigPinoyHunk]

when i had all stock suspension with the 351w infront (yes i had a windsor in front cuz that was a motor that my dad put in for me to drive around while in HS and college), i measured the height of the front and rear lips of the fender and the front naturally looks higher. thats normal for our cars and some people call it the "tug-boat" ride.

generally, people will lower the front end 1 inch to make it match. now, if you want some used/new stuff i probably got what you'd like.

i got some mustang unlimited 1 inch lowering spring in the shed i used last with some KYB shocks. i also got the 1/4 insulator with them or the one inch spacer for them (i think they could actually be mustang plus springs).

for the rear, instead of putting 1 inch lower springs in the rear, i just put 5 leaf 69 springs in there to sag down a little more than a 5 leaf 73 spring. i only wanted a .5 inch lower in the back.

now i use stock springs up front with a 460 sitting up front so i already got a natural 1.5 inch lower and a stock height in the back with calvert mono leaf springs.

 

[mach71351c]

Looks ok to me. I would install the tires and wheels you want and adjust the ride height then.

 

[mickmatt]

Smartly lowered cars with good suspension equipment may ride a lot better especially when going fast on a road or track. The Koni adjustable shocks made a world of difference when it comes to handle, and I want a bit bigger sway bar now. Anyway when I'm looking at my Mustang from a side, I immediately notice it's too high compared to other 71-73 Mustangs pics I see around here, maybe one inch or two in the front and 3 inches or more in the back, I have to say it bothers me. I really want to lower it a bit without making it look like a lowrider of course. Cool suggestions though !

bonjour Slydrums i spent hours looking at mine and asking the same questions as you in the end i decided to go lower front springs by one inch decent front shocks and the chin spoiler it still looks like it is about to take off even when it is parked in the kerb!!! but hey thats fine by me in my opinion i dont think there is a standard / ford factory correct measurement (stand back incoming) i think in the day god old henry and the boys were banging them out as quick as they could because as we all know they were going to be the last of their breed still on target for le rallye des jonquilles at Hazebrouk ne france april 13 if we meet up we could compare ride heights p.s also back in the day the fashion was for large rear tyres and jacked up rear suspension and small skinnys on front cheers mickmatt KEEPING THE FAITH AND THE THROTTLE IN