Looking to lower my '69...

[rikubot]

Hello guys
I'm looking to lower my ride a bit. Something like 1 1/2 to two inches. I was wondering how you all would go about doing this. I think I'm okay to drop the front with the torsion bars, but I heard lowering blocks aren't a great idea. I'm purely looking for an ascthetic improvement. What do you all think? Pros, cons, methods. I use the car for street cruising, never race, and never launch at the track. Thanks

[rikubot]

Here she is

[Lennard]

For street use there is no problem using lowering blocks and I've seen drag cars with lowering blocks also.
Lowering leaf springs is also an option.

[garner7555]

I used Hotchkis lowering springs on my car.   

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/hss-24366/overview/year/1969/make/dodge/model/charger

[chargerbr549]

http://www.manciniracing.com/bialspkit1.html

http://www.manciniracing.com/marasphaset5.html

For the rear I used lowering blocks to drop the rear on my 69 Charger an inch but the front leaf spring hanger from Mancini Racing looks like another good option, you can do stock ride height or drop it that way with the two different holes.

On the front of my car I believe it took about 5 turns on the torsion bar to drop it about an inch, it gave me more neg camber and more positive caster just by lowering the car, of course I had to realign it when I was all done.

[rikubot]

Those are super nice. Do you have a pic of the car on the ground or is she in resto mode?

[rikubot]

http://www.manciniracing.com/bialspkit1.html

http://www.manciniracing.com/marasphaset5.html

For the rear I used lowering blocks to drop the rear on my 69 Charger an inch but the front leaf spring hanger from Mancini Racing looks like another good option, you can do stock ride height or drop it that way with the two different holes.

On the front of my car I believe it took about 5 turns on the torsion bar to drop it about an inch, it gave me more neg camber and more positive caster just by lowering the car, of course I had to realign it when I was all done.

Very nice. Also, very wallet friendly. Definitely in the running.

[rikubot]

I also meant to get a little feedback on her stance. What do you guys think?

[Mopar Nut]

I also meant to get a little feedback on her stance. What do you guys think?

She looks like that in my opinion.   

[garner7555]

Those are super nice. Do you have a pic of the car on the ground or is she in resto mode?

I'm still assembling the car, the drivetrain is installed but the car is on the lift.  I hope to have it driving by spring.   

[375instroke]

How high is the K-frame from the ground?  Do you really want it 2" closer?  If you want it that low, cut a little off the lower rebound bumpers or you'll be riding on them, and they'll likely split and fall off.  Flipping the leaf spring hangers upside down lowers the rear almost an inch.  The four bolts are offset, so you'll have to drill a hole in each one.  With that trick, you may only need 1" blocks to get the back down where you want it.

[SGAmmo]

Hi Guys

I am new here, I thought I would use this thread rather than starting a new one, hope you can help. I have a 1968 charger that I want to lower too. However it seems that the fender has a support bracket inside the wheel wheel, and if we go much lower the tire will rub. How do you guys recommend getting around that bracket? I have a few pictures I can post but for guys with this kind of car it should be something most of us know about. It looks like some guys are getting these cars fairly low to the ground and short of modifying or removing that bracket I do not see how they are doing that

Thanks!

[Lennard]

I'm pretty sure Chris didn't cut that bracket out, and his is sitting very low.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,122140.325.html

[SGAmmo]

It looks like he built a bracket on the upper inside, Sweet car too, that might solve the fitting problem. I don't think going that low is not practical for my car, but I'd like to get half way.

[Lennard]

It looks like he built a bracket on the upper inside, Sweet car too, that might solve the fitting problem. I don't think going that low is not practical for my car, but I'd like to get half way.

Sorry,  I was wrong.  I just asked him and he did cut it out.

[cbrestorations]

drop spindles and leaf spring blocks

[Dino]

1 1/2 - 2" ?

Pfft that's easy, just let the air out of the tires! There. You're welcome!   

For that fender bracket I'd remove it. You can make another one that will run above the tire when dropped. Shouldn't take much.

[SGAmmo]

We just got done going a little lower on the front of this car. All we did is adjust torsion bars for about a 2" drop on the front and get an alignment, no added parts other than a new set of rims that fit so well in the rear I really do not think we need to go lower there. This is as low as we could go and not rub the fender bracket and to have clearance for a full range of steering. Now on to 4 wheel disc with 14" drilled/slotted rotors for a cool look and this one will be done until the next time something breaks

[rikubot]

I really like it!

[Kern Dog]

I know that people suggest to realign a Mopar after adjusting the ride height but....
I have had several Mopars over the years where I have adjusted them up and down with no obvious difference in how the car steered. Maybe the toe changes slightly but not enough to notice. A  1 to 2 inch change affects camber, I can see that. I doubt it has much effect on caster.

[alfaitalia]

I really like it!

...me too....exactly the ride height and poise I'm aiming for on mine......slightly nose down.....top of the rubber covered by the arches (ok...fenders!). Even those wheels appeal.....but I have others in mind at the moment. Would look cleaner without the chrome arch trim....but that is just my opinion and I know lots on here like the chrome strips. Each to his/her own!

[Dino]

Nice! Sits kinda like mine, but I have more rubber and less rim.

[ACUDANUT]

Shoot me now, if the rest of us like Mexican low riders. I am out.
However, if this is your style, so be it. Give me your 15 inch rims and tires for free since you hate the 70-80's.
I'll also take your 426 Hemi's and you can find your own Prius powertrain.  

[Sublime/Sixpack]

I also meant to get a little feedback on her stance. What do you guys think?

Looks like it should to me.

[Kern Dog]

Shoot me now, if the rest of us like Mexican low riders. I am out.
However, if this is your style, so be it. Give me your 15 inch rims and tires for free since you hate the 70-80's.
I'll take your 426 Hemi's and you can find your own Prius powertrain. 

In the 70s, a jacked up ass end was the current trend. People did it to all sorts of different cars. You think guys in their 50s  liked that trend then? Now in the new age of the 20teens, trends are different. The taller wheel, shorter sidewall came about for 3 reasons as I see it: Fitting bigger brakes, shorter sidewalls for better handling and finally.....Personal preference for the sake of fashion.

[ACUDANUT]

Shoot me now, if the rest of us like Mexican low riders. I am out.
However, if this is your style, so be it. Give me your 15 inch rims and tires for free since you hate the 70-80's.
I'll take your 426 Hemi's and you can find your own Prius powertrain. 

In the 70s, a jacked up ass end was the current trend. People did it to all sorts of different cars. You think guys in their 50s  liked that trend then? Now in the new age of the 20teens, trends are different. The taller wheel, shorter sidewall came about for 3 reasons as I see it: Fitting bigger brakes, shorter sidewalls for better handling and finally.....Personal preference for the sake of fashion.

Your car, your way.  Just not my cup of tea.

[Lennard]

Shoot me now, if the rest of us like Mexican low riders. I am out.
However, if this is your style, so be it. Give me your 15 inch rims and tires for free since you hate the 70-80's.
I'll take your 426 Hemi's and you can find your own Prius powertrain. 

In the 70s, a jacked up ass end was the current trend. People did it to all sorts of different cars. You think guys in their 50s  liked that trend then? Now in the new age of the 20teens, trends are different. The taller wheel, shorter sidewall came about for 3 reasons as I see it: Fitting bigger brakes, shorter sidewalls for better handling and finally.....Personal preference for the sake of fashion.

Your car, your way.  Just not my cup of tea.

The stage coach look isn't my thing either.

[alfaitalia]

Its not that low....compared to some...the big wheels make it look lower than it is....the body has fair clearance to the road.

[Lennard]

Low is awesome .Big wheels with rubber band tires... nope.

[darbgnik]

Shoot me now, if the rest of us like Mexican low riders. I am out.
However, if this is your style, so be it. Give me your 15 inch rims and tires for free since you hate the 70-80's.
I'll take your 426 Hemi's and you can find your own Prius powertrain. 

In the 70s, a jacked up ass end was the current trend. People did it to all sorts of different cars. You think guys in their 50s  liked that trend then? Now in the new age of the 20teens, trends are different. The taller wheel, shorter sidewall came about for 3 reasons as I see it: Fitting bigger brakes, shorter sidewalls for better handling and finally.....Personal preference for the sake of fashion.

That's more like the progression, than different reasons. Want a larger brake, wheel has to get bigger, want it to still fit? Sidewall gets shorter. Big wheels first appeared on sports cars, then pop culture took it in a whole other direction. I personally wince when I see a modern SUV on 22" wheels from the factory with an 11" brake rotor under it. To me it screams: I'm a person who likes the look without a clue as to why. To the buyer it screams cool.

Less sidewall increases handling over taller sidewalls, indeed. But only to a point. You won't see any racecars with 20's on them. And for serious track work, a lot of track cars go with smaller wheels and higher sidewall than they came with. An example would be cars that come stock with 19" wheels will cram a custom cut 18 over the caliper. The new Viper ACR comes with a 19 inch front to fit the massive carbon ceramic brakes, but the hot ticket for track junkies is a custom 18 that just barely clears the caliper. Low sidewalls are for performance, rubber bands are for posers.

To me, a large wheel, that is nowhere close to the brake caliper on a sports car looks just as silly as rubber band "offroad" tires on jacked up pickups. If you actually had any intentions of going offroad you'd want as much sidewall as possible. But I digress, that's only my opinion, and guaranteed I'm in the minority.

Back on topic, I prefer 15's on muscle cars, but I appreciate a 17 or 18 if there's a big brake under it....... To me, if it looks useful, it looks cool.

[Kern Dog]

I absolutely agree that if a man is paying his own way with his own car, nobody has the right to tell him what tires or wheels to buy.
I saw a 70 Chevelle today, driven by a black guy. The body and paint were beautiful. It looked like an OEM restoration except for the 24" wheels. I have seen white guys do this a few times but it is more common for the black guys, just as it is common to see Mexican guys building low riders on 13" wheels.
That Chevelle looked great except for the wheels. I'd never tell the guy that I thought his car looked wrong, I'd give him a nod and a thumbs up  because he obviously took pride in the car and expressed himself in the way that he wanted. Sometimes, Black guys like to show off a bit when they are doing well. In fact, this occurs in every race and creed. Rednecks with 20" lifts  and 40" tires on a quad cab diesel truck sound familiar? Lowered Acura with a 4 foor rear spoiler driven by an Asian guy?
Hell yeah...Do your own thing, man! Black, White or whatever.
In 2003 when I bought my wheels, the large diameter trend was gaining steam. I sold a nice lowered 76 Camaro that had a 245-50-16 tire on IROC wheels. I knew then that better handling meant a lower profile tire. I didn't want the Charger to sit so low as the Camaro did. To maintain a streetable stance while having better handling, the diameter of the wheel has to increase. I was looking to have a near stock tire height because I wanted to fill out the wheelwells.To me, a small diameter wheel and tire look bad in a big wheelwell.

[alfaitalia]

I agree with that about 100%.....with the possible exception of the racial/national stereotyping! Anyway...I'm off to the Palace for a garden party with Her Majesty then a bit of punting on the Cam and then polish the Roller before a spot of fox hunting just in time for high tea on the lawn. Tally ho old bean.

[garner7555]

The number of people who don't like larger wheels and pro touring/resto-mod builds is dropping.  More and more people are coming to realize that the brakes that fit under a 14" (or even 15") wheel are not great.    I went to the extreme with brakes on my 69.  14" drilled Brembo 2 piece rotor with 4 piston Brembo calipers.   My setup needs 20" wheels to clear well.   I would prefer to have 18" wheels but I'm willing to go with 20"s in the name of awesome brakes.      

[alfaitalia]

Its amazing how a shorter side wall tightens up the handling.....my DD is a CLK200 Kompressor Mercedes 6speed . A friend has the same car with much lower miles and we both have original shocks. My car rides on 18in AMG 4 wheels with 225-40/18 on the front and 255-35/18 on the rear (factory sizes for the optional AMG wheel package) and his runs the standard 16in wheels with 205-55/16 front and 225-50/16 rear. Well....not being nasty to him (Hi Pete!) ...on the limit his handles like a pig on stilts compared to mine. We both like to have a bit of fun "steering from the rear" on the local country roads and mine is far more predictable on the limit and the slides much more controllable. The obvious disadvantage of mine is the ride comfort....his feeling rather more compliant on the highways.....but I like my cars in the slightly stiffer, more alive feeling, side so that's a price I'm willing to pay.....look much cooler than Petes too imo!!! LOL!

[rikubot]

I don't think Kern was trying to be offensive by stereotyping. He was just making a couple examples, and coincidentally, stereotypes tend to be true a lot of the time. It's just the way the human mind works, it sees patterns, stores them, then recognizes them. I think the whole point is "to each their own." My preference tends to look for logic in a thing, so big wheels and big brakes make sense for a street machine. Newer technologies make these boats handle better and have easier adjustment. I'm kind of in the middle. I want my car to work better and smoother, but at the same time, I enjoy it for what it is: a 50 year old economy cruiser with too big a motor . Maybe I'll change it up in a few years and do a fuel injected hemi with all modern suspension and tubular k-frame 

[Kern Dog]

Thanks, Rikubot. You are right in that i wasn't trying to insult or disparage. I think we should be able to identify each others differences without being branded as a sexist/racist type.   

[rikubot]

Welcome! Very well said. Wouldn't it be a shame if everyone and everything was all the same? I sure as hell wouldn't wanna live in that world! Haha

[alfaitalia]

Thanks, Rikubot. You are right in that i wasn't trying to insult or disparage. I think we should be able to identify each others differences without being branded as a sexist/racist type.    

I was, of course, joking! I would have thought my comments on the stereotypical Englishman would have been a clue....maybe Brit humour does not cross the puddle sometimes!

[darbgnik]

Thanks, Rikubot. You are right in that i wasn't trying to insult or disparage. I think we should be able to identify each others differences without being branded as a sexist/racist type.    

I was, of course, joking! I would have thought my comments on the stereotypical Englishman would have been a clue....maybe Brit humour does not cross the puddle sometimes!

Too dry to make the trip, lol.

[rikubot]

Thanks, Rikubot. You are right in that i wasn't trying to insult or disparage. I think we should be able to identify each others differences without being branded as a sexist/racist type.    

I was, of course, joking! I would have thought my comments on the stereotypical Englishman would have been a clue....maybe Brit humour does not cross the puddle sometimes!

It loses its effectiveness without the accent! Lol 

Red Dwarf is my fav TV show 

[Kern Dog]

What other stereotypes are true?

Is British food bad?
Do the French smell?
Are Norwegians a group of haggis eating cave men?
Are Americans fat, lazy and violent???

[cdr]

Thanks, Rikubot. You are right in that i wasn't trying to insult or disparage. I think we should be able to identify each others differences without being branded as a sexist/racist type.    

I did not take it as sexist/racist , you were speaking truth,  as long as they dont FORCE me to be like them, & change my "Dirty white boy" ways,, it's a free for all.

[Kern Dog]

Dirty White boy.....
I'm sure you shower more than 5 times a week.   

[alfaitalia]

What other stereotypes are true?

Is British food bad?
Do the French smell?
Are SCOTS a group of haggis eating cave men?
Are Americans fat, lazy and violent???

Fixed that for ya!!

[cdr]

Dirty White boy.....
I'm sure you shower more than 5 times a week.   

Just poor  privileged white trash  !!!  it's a frame of mind

[Kern Dog]

Same here. High school graduate and that is it. College was not pushed in my family. Graduating and staying out of jail were encouraged though!

[phantom]

What other stereotypes are true?

Is British food bad?
Do the French smell?
Are SCOTS a group of haggis eating cave men?
Are Americans fat, lazy and violent???

Fixed that for ya!!

Thanks We dont eat that stuff in Norway 

[phantom]

Oh, and i want in on the discussion  

As we speak, my brand new 20x12" and 20x8,5" are on the way from the states, custom made for my car. I like the low car/big wheels-look, but i also have fairly big brakes behind them, so they have a sort of purpose as well. I know many think that big rims and rubberband tires dont belong on our Chargers, but i really dont care. I am building my car as i want it to look. Those who dont like it can look away    

And to answer the op: Mine will be lowered with Air ride, both to get the stance i want, when i want it, and to be able to clear trailers, speedbumps and so on. My car is built for the street and for show, wont be much racing. It's a costly upgrade, but it comes with top shelf parts, like 4 link in the rear. 

[alfaitalia]

That's cool..I'm a big fan of individualism. I'm probably going somewhere between 17 and 19th inch rims.....at the stage I'm at wheel size is the least of my problems!

[SGAmmo]

I like all chargers, really all classic muscle cars, lowered, not lowered, big wheels, original wheels, Dodge, Chevy, Ford, etc, they are all fun. Personally I preferred lowered cars with bigger wheels, but that is the kid in me that refuses to grow up. The Blue 68 Charger I have has become one of my favorites but I have a 69 charger on 20s & 18s that I love too with an insane 528 Hemi, It came with 15s, but they were just too old fashion for me, probably would have been too old fashion for me when I was a kid getting into hot-rods in the 1990s. Also a 69 Camaro I got from Smoky Mountain Traders that is rolling on 18s and 20s that it came with that gave me the first taste of big wheels, plus a couple mustangs that I like too. In the car world it seems like some people just get too into only liking one thing, one way, to appreciate all different cool stuff that is going on out there. They probably order the exact same meal at the exact same restaurant whenever they go out to eat but that is their choice to make.

[rikubot]

Dear Lord that is incredible 

[Kern Dog]

Holy bejeezus....What do you do for a living? I'm willing to consider a career change!

[twenty mike mike]

I also meant to get a little feedback on her stance. What do you guys think?

The way your car sits now is just fine. A very classic stance. However, if you want to lower it, this is what the Hotchkis rear springs with 15" wheels and plenty of sidewall will give you.

[darbgnik]

Seems the last few posts are of guys trying to justify liking what they like. If I had anything to do with the thread going this way, it wasn't what was intended.

Just because one person explains why they like what they like, it doesn't mean anyone else is wrong. The world would be a dull place if everyone liked the same things.

For example, just because I like the look of 15" steelies on second gens, doesn't mean they are any better than another choice. On the contrary, the 15's will handle poorly compared to 17's, but will ride much more smoothly than 20's. It's all in what you want out of these 40 year old trucks. Some want cruisers, some want sportscars, heck some just want garage art.

And for the record, my old Charger, in stock form isn't my worst handling vehicle, my 30 years newer H1 Hummer takes that title, by a country mile, and I try new things at restaurants all the time, lol.

[Kern Dog]

  your Majesty////

[Draco]

    My two cents, If the wheel and tire combo fit the look and function of your ride then why not go for it. I spend over 8 years restoring my car and driving it hard was always the plan.                             
Bigger brakes was a must so larger wheel size also. Besides anything bolted on can be changed back.

[375instroke]

I remember not seeing the top of the rim on my first Mopar, a '69 Coronet.  I had 15X7 steelies on it, and the K-frame was less than two inches off the ground.  Man, that was a pain in the ass to drive, but it sure looked cool.