72 A Body (Cutlass) Drop Spindle and Springs

[72cutlassS]

Sorry for the long post, didnt intend it to be so wordy but here it is.

I have a 72 Cutlass Supreme that is getting some new handling goodies and I want to sort out my stance and how to achieve my desired look. Way back in 2007 I got the suspension refreshed, poly bushings in a arms, boxed rear lower control arms, hotchkis 1" lowering springs (dont think height actually changed because sagging stock springs), bilstein shocks, hotchkis sway bars. I have always wanted to go the pro-touring route with the car but spent time and money on other projects. This winter I finally got around to working on the car and collecting parts and am looking into my options for getting a great looking stance and nice ride/handling.

I have BMR upper a arms on hand, BMR lower a arms are ordered, g-comp 2" drop spindles ordered, and just swapped out the 1" hotchkis rear springs for BMR 2" drop rears. I also am ditching the oem 14" wheels for year one ssII 17x9 with 275-40R17 all around. Old worn out rubber body mounts have been replaced with polygraphite which made a noticeable difference in height. I wanted to go afx spindle but the wheels will not fit c5/6 brakes, would have given me the drop i wanted with existing springs i think.

Here's how the car sat Oct 2019



Heres how it sat w/ just wheels



How its sitting with the BMR 2" rear.



I think the 2" lower springs made a big difference in the rear even if the pictures dont show it (wouldnt mind another .25-.5" lower but thats ok). My concerns are how it will sit once the 2" drop spindles are installed. How I understand it I have the following options.



1. run it how it sits with at 3" drop front, 2 rear
2. spring spacers to raise front back up slightly (where can I get them? searching SPC i get part number not found?)
3. stock height UMI springs (530 lb/in)
4. Viking coilovers

Springs on the car are speced for SBO and AC. The ac is no longer on the car because I was dumber in my younger years even though it didnt work at the time. future plans for the car might include 425 bbo with aluminum intake/heads or I might go another route but springs could be changed then.

I would like to go the cheapest routes, I think spacers would be my preferred option so that I can save money towards brake and rear end upgrades but need help with know where to get and what works.

post some photos of 70-71 a bodys with lower spring and spindle combos.

[jetmech442]

I was running SPC spacer 1106 to counteract the drop from the "tall" lower ball joint, I think it was 1'' tall.

[72cutlassS]

I ended up ordering gm #3789664 3/8 in spring spacer. Should provide 3/4" to 1.5" of lift.

From what I read the coil spacers should provide a raise roughly 2x the spacer height. I was thinking about getting the SPC 3/8" but couldnt find it in stock anywhere.

All parts should be here by the end of the week. hope I can find the time to install, spring is coming.

[72cutlassS]

well here we are. Installing with the rubber spacer on the bottom of the spring probably added 3 hours to the job, very frustrating. Im roughly half inch lower than ideal? Not sure if it can be driven as it sits.

BMR upper and lower A-arms, G-comp 2" drop tall spindle, Hotchkis 1" lowering springs, GM 3789664 3/8" spacer, bilstein shocks, year one 17x9 with 275/40r17 square.





Im afraid stock height spring might bring me too high. Ideal solution would be coilovers but its just not in the budget right now. Front look too low?

[jetmech442]

Hey 72CutlassS,
i guess it depends on what look your going for. There's definitely more gap from the wheel to fender in back than the front, I don't think it looks bad, but if your going for a level approach then one of the sides needs to change. Have you considered taller springs and removing a partial coil to get the stance you want?

[cdrod]

The front looks too low; you'll be rubbing the front fenders on every turn. Comparing the front fender clearance to the what you have in the rear, I think the stock height spring is what you'll need. If it's too high you can always remove the 3/8" spring spacer for fine tuning. Also, you need to remember that that the car will settle over time as the springs have some weight on them. What might look too high immediately after install might settle down to the perfect height after driving it some.
Rodney

[72cutlassS]

I agree that rear needs to go down or front up, doesnt look good as it sits. Stock height spring is probably the way to go. I have clearance lock to lock but any turning/body roll could create havoc.

Nice to see some Oldsmobiles together

[72cutlassS]

UMI stock height springs are here. Pulled one front spring to compare with the Hotchkis I have. UMI spring is 1 inch taller than my 1" drop springs, and has about 20 more lb/in rate than what was in there. Trying to decide if I should install with the 3/8 spacers or not. I am thinking no, that way I will be 2" drop front and rear. Considering old springs are roughly 15 years old at this point.

I really dont want to install and then have to adjust either way.

[Hotwire]

Our front suspensions have a 2:1 ratio. Meaning anything you take away from the coil spring will be multiplied by 2 at the tire. This video explains it best:

https://www.globalwest.net/video-tri...obal-west.html

If you install the UMI spring you will probably see a 2" height increase.

[72cutlassS]

Our front suspensions have a 2:1 ratio. Meaning anything you take away from the coil spring will be multiplied by 2 at the tire. This video explains it best:

https://www.globalwest.net/video-tri...obal-west.html

If you install the UMI spring you will probably see a 2" height increase.

That's what I was thinking, but since I had the spacers installed (maybe correctly) previously, if I go without them I will likely see 1.25" height increase. That and the minor extra rate it should site ok.

[72cutlassS]

Thankfully i decided to not go with the spacers. Hope the front settles a bit.

Umi stock height springs with 2 inch lowering tall spindles, bmr upper and lower arms in front. Bmr 2" drop springs rear.

Unfortunately couldnt drive it yesterday because no fuel pressure. Need to solve that new issue.

[csouth]

Looks good! the car will settle with a few miles of drive time...