Thread: Front suspension too low

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I have a 1936 Plymouth P1 Two Dr sedan with 318/904, PS,PDB, Vintage Air,Etc. Many years back I updated the front suspension with a Fat Man mustang II kit. Installed per the instructions the front end of the car is way too low. I only have 2" under the grill shell and this is with using too strong front springs which force the lower A arms down past horizontal. This situation caused losing the brakes when making very tight left turns in parking lots. Fat Mans tech guy diagnosed this (correctly) as the lower A arm being past horizontal and striking the caliper forcing the puck back. My question is: Is there is some way to fix this short of grinding off the FatMan crossmember and remounting it on some kind of a spacer lower on the frame kick up? Any creative ideas will be appreciated. I have had this rod over 30 years but don't like to drive it in ths condition. Thanks!

Welcome to CHR, Larry.. Could you post a pic of the front end? Having trouble visualizing the set up. Guy here in town has a Fat Man on his '34, had the same trouble......

As I recall the '36 Ply had pretty fat front fenders so you might be able to gain 1" or more with a taller tire/wheel combination. There will be a limit however and appearance is another problem. With the same wheels the simplest fix would be to go to a higher sidewall profile, but if you are already using "75" sidewalls that won't help. Maybe 17" wheels would help? Otherwise it looks like serious chassis changes. Here is a site that will tell you the tire diameter and maybe you can gain some height with just a tire change:

http://home.tampabay.rr.com/1bking/c...calculator.htm

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Do you have dropped spindles, or stock? If they're stock sounds like time to re-do.

i agree with bob , if it has droped spindles take them off and use stock height spindles that will raise it up 2 in . if it has stock spindles , your screwed .

I'm using stock spindles and have tried various tire/wheel combinations. Sice I really need to actually put in shorter springs to level the lower A arm I have to agree with the I am screwed answer. Thanks

Yep, if the lower control arms are down past horizontal, then you have installed the crossmember too high in the car. Remove it and re-mount.

One other commentary Larry, a picture (probably side shot) of the crossmember/frame attachment and configuration might be useful if you've got any question in your mind about how to drop the crossmember. It's my personal opinion of the Fatman design that the amount of overlap of the crossmember to the frame is less than optimum. Perhaps polling for suggestions before you start cutting would give you some solutions you haven't considered as to remounting the crossmember. Another comment on the spring height, even using the lighter MII springs I've had to trim 1/2 to 1 full coil to get lower arm angle correct depending on front and overall weight.

I will get a picture taken as soon as possible. Dropping the crossmember will also solve some engine clearance problems that forced me to notch into the crossmember. Fatmans solution to this problem that "they have never run into before" was to pitch the Mopar and put in a small block chev. Thanks for all of your help!

i have a friend who used a fatmans frt for a 55 chevy , probally sold 10,000 of them , there instructions showed him how to install it . i was called to go figure what he did wrong , you could not install the fenders after looking over the instructions the template you get is wrong and when you cut your frame to install it it sits the frt up to high .