[ChevRon]

 Been working on the roadster now I have my own shop next to the house. Working on the front end. These parallel leaf cars are hard to get low. I like mine to bottom out on the white lines in the road  .
 Exhaust  Got the exhaust back to the rear axle, have to finish my gas tank before I go any further. Still have a lot of welding to do.
  Side Note.. I've been building this  car for a number of years, and am  finding I'm having to redo some of my earlier "engineering". That being said I had to do a few "whoop de dos" to get the tubing through the frame.
  Some visuals ( Pics)

[ChevRon]

 Front end Just a couple...  Still have to finish .

[TFoch]

Looking great Ron!  Doing the exhaust on my 33 was a fun project.  You figure it out after a while.
Tom

[chopper526]

It's always fun doing things a second time! I had the same problem with the parallel leaf springs. I ended up taking out a couple leaves and having the eyes reversed (I can't tell in your pictures what you have). That got my front end as low as I wanted it.

[ChevRon]

  Question What are you guys with straight axles running for caster??

[ChevRon]

Looking great Ron!  Doing the exhaust on my 33 was a fun project.  You figure it out after a while.
Tom

  Tom Thanks.. I know I love doing exhaust. Probably done 30 of them. Sometimes trying to make them "flow" is the hard part. Ron

[ChevRon]

It's always fun doing things a second time! I had the same problem with the parallel leaf springs. I ended up taking out a couple leaves and having the eyes reversed (I can't tell in your pictures what you have). That got my front end as low as I wanted it.

  At least I hope to learn something the 2nd or third time around.. My front spring set up is goofy. Not using shackles created  a huge problem.. I post pictures later. Thanks Ron

[sixball]

YES! Getting low with parallel springs is way tougher than a Ford setup. Are you using a Chevy pickup axle? Did you Z the front of your frame rails? On some of the old cars they either turned the rails around or added rear sections to the front to use the step up. Some put the springs outside of the rails. Some put the spring on top of the axle. I've been trying to plan this part for a long time. Mine can't be too low because there is the 2 miles of dirt road to deal with. The bottom line is that in order to support the front of the springs the axle has to be under the frame, no suicide option. Dropped axles can help but much more of a drop than the AD pickup axles looks goofy. You also can end up with the springs in the way of the steering links. I'm sure you know all of this.
Right now my plan is to modify a pickup  axle to mount on top of the spring and build spring packs that get me as low as possible before the axle hits the frame. The engine pan can be an issue. I have broken MANY lightened spring packs on my '53 pickup and there is a small dent in the pan from the axle. The truck is hardly noticeably lowered.

[ChevRon]

  Frame is a modified 27 Chev. No kickup , not Z ed. After adding leafs and a wedge for caster to support the car "only had one leaf with a block in between spring and axle" It raised the front 1" and and left 2 1/2 " of clearance.
 Front is little higher that I want, but don't have much choice other than putting axle in the mill and cutting groove for the  springs to set in. Being it is a light car  I think the axle would still be strong enough. I would add strength by adding some 1/4" plate under the spring in the front and rear of the axle . Axle has already been narrowed 7 1/4". so its already been welded. Probably won't do it. I'll see how well it drives first.
  My road is bad enough I'll have to haul it to the hiway anyway..
 A couple pics

[Rattiac]

This might help. Off-roaders have been using these "slider boxes" , it eliminates the shackle and allows the spring to slide front to back during spring travel.
It may effect castor angles if stock axle.

[ChevRon]

Thanks  Rattiac.. That"s kinda what I did.  And you are right it really affected my caster because my front spring eye is lower than the rear so my axle leans forward. I have added angle wedges which because of their thickness raised the front.
 which I didn't want. I did get my caster back, but it is only 3 degrees.  As I said before my engineering is causing problems. Thanks again appreciate it. Ron

[sixball]

Ron, That's pretty low to me. How much drop is in the axle? You did a great job with your frame. I stole pictures of that before.
Rattiac, Those are cool.
Here are some interesting old drawings showing ways to attach leaf springs.

[ChevRon]

  Hope I'm not bothering  you guys with all this , but I appreciate the help.  The axle is 6" total I think , but I'll have to measure it. . There is still  clearance from the ground for the scrub line.  The front spreader is low to the ground but a side view doesn't leave much of a rake.   I love those drawings and I may do a 1/4 elliptic just to get past all this, but wanted to use as much Chevrolet chassis parts as I could .  It's on jack stands now. When I get it down I'ii get a side  shot.  Ron

[sixball]

I'm enjoying hearing about your roadster and seeing how you are solving some of the same issues I have.

[Rattiac]

I guess you could always put a short shackle back in and have a spring made with reversed eye's.
That would get your caster back and a tad lower.
My neighbor accross the street works at AAA spring and can make you anything if you need it.
BTW what springs are in it ?
Being a parallel spring guy myself, im always curious of what people are doing with thier front axles.😊
This might sound crazy but if your axle pin is exactly centered in between the eye's of the spring like stock springs are, you could flip the spring but that might get you way too low, hitting frame.