FRONT DISC BRAKES WITH DROPPED SPINDLES (LINK PIN)

[johnl]

Finally and possibly the best choice is to leave the car alone at stock height with the 5.5 Porsche style chromies on it as I know that has worked and worked well for over 30 years.  Now back to pondering................

... but what would you be if you didn't even try, John? You have to try.

Sometimes while pondering it's possible to over-analyze. I know, I do it all the time
TxT

... but what would you be if you didn't even try, John? You have to try.

I'd be the same except still have clean hands and fingernails if I don't go there.....   

[TexasTom]

Well, I'm sure they'd look good ...
And I don't think I  could help trying them, especially on a black car!

[Jon]

Lowered spindles brings only one good thing... softness. And mounting stock disk brakes if you need them.
I definitely see the need for it on a balljoint car, but a linkpin beam has a better suspension geometry for lowering.
So it's not feeling that stiff in use.

All other aspects of them are bad, they ruin the geometry like Chris say, and they are only supported beneath the wheel centre (linkpin).
And not least they ruin the look of a Cal-looker... moving the wheel out of the cal-look position (front half of the wheel arch). To me this looks like that car has been hit.

[Bryan67]

I think that if a link pin car is lowered too much without drop spindles then the wheel gets pushed forward and it looks bad. If it`s only dropped a couple of inches then there is no need for them. And as far as scrub radious goes, don`t you think John has already affected this by running 5.5 inch chromies? Seems that with the offset of these it would affect it. 4.5 inch chrome wheels on the front would be ideal.

[johnl]

I think that if a link pin car is lowered too much without drop spindles then the wheel gets pushed forward and it looks bad. If it`s only dropped a couple of inches then there is no need for them. And as far as scrub radious goes, don`t you think John has already affected this by running 5.5 inch chromies? Seems that with the offset of these it would affect it. 4.5 inch chrome wheels on the front would be ideal.

When I purchased my '63 from the original owner 30 years ago it had 4.5 Porsche style chromies on it.  The wheels were not in good shape cosmetically and in a very short time I pulled much of the car apart, built a 1600 dp motor, switched it to 12 volts and installed an alternator, repainted the exterior black as it was originally,  installed a new headliner and a set of over the tunnel red, black and white coco mats.  Those mats are still in it today.

The final thing I did was install the first set of 5.5 chromies after rebuilding the front end along with a new set of 165x15 tires.  I'm now on the second set of chromies and tires that have been on the car at least a dozen years.  In recent times I've installed a full set of Koni red adjustables and I've got to say the car has always driven excellent in this format.

[hotrodsurplus]

I think that if a link pin car is lowered too much without drop spindles then the wheel gets pushed forward and it looks bad. If it`s only dropped a couple of inches then there is no need for them. And as far as scrub radious goes, don`t you think John has already affected this by running 5.5 inch chromies? Seems that with the offset of these it would affect it. 4.5 inch chrome wheels on the front would be ideal.

Good points, bryan. I would go so far to say that a bug lowered too much looks bad in itself. Too much of a good thing can be bad.

Regarding the 5.5 wheels' effect on scrub. They increase scrub by 3/4-inch more than a pair of 4-inch smoothies. that's the same amount as the american-style wheel that he wants to run. it's narrower by half an inch but it has less backspace. As I wrote earlier, 3/4-inch is probably not much to really affect things. It's not correct by the book but it's not terrible either. Now if that was increased by another 3/4-inch by suspension or brake changes...well that MAY  cause  handling problems.

Of course simply lowering a car and downsizing the tires has its own set of consequences. But  just how many compromises we stack on a car is a decision we have to make. It's nice to at least know the consequences so we can make an informed decision.

[Jon]

I think that if a link pin car is lowered too much without drop spindles then the wheel gets pushed forward and it looks bad.

The movement of the wheel is evident by the time you have lowered the same amount as drop spindle gives. Look at DKK Fred's signature.
This would mean that all bugs lowered from the early seventies to mid ninety's looks bad, and I'm just not of that opinion, I actually prefer the early traditional lowered look. Just my opinion.

If it`s only dropped a couple of inches then there is no need for them.

My point exactly

And as far as scrub radious goes, don`t you think John has already affected this by running 5.5 inch chromies?

From a theoretical point of view he has, but I doubt he will notice it. But it will add up with spindles in addition.

[Zach Gomulka]

I can't stand how it looks with the wheels pushed forward! I think that is one of the advantages of using drop spindles, the tire remains in the center of the opening, where it started out and where it belongs.

[hotrodsurplus]

the tire remains in the center of the opening, where it started out and where it belongs.

if the wheel placement is so great then why do we change it by lowering the car? 

I totally see your point and I especially agree if the wheel sits too far back. But I have to side with jhu on this one.  if you're trying to replicate an era it pays to copy the flaws common to it...at least the endearing ones.

[Zach Gomulka]

the tire remains in the center of the opening, where it started out and where it belongs.

if the wheel placement is so great then why do we change it by lowering the car? 

I totally see your point and I especially agree if the wheel sits too far back. But I have to side with jhu on this one.  if you're trying to replicate an era it pays to copy the flaws common to it...at least the endearing ones.

I agree, and as much as I hate it, the next car I build will have that "flaw"

[Rick Meredith]

The movement of the wheel is evident by the time you have lowered the same amount as drop spindle gives. Look at DKK Fred's signature.
This would mean that all bugs lowered from the early seventies to mid ninety's looks bad, and I'm just not of that opinion, I actually prefer the early traditional lowered look. Just my opinion.

I agree with you Jon.. I'm working to get that same "wheel forward" look on my '67. It's part of the era that the car was originally built.