ESPO XHD stock or 1" drop leaf springs
- Thread starter hunt2elk
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Just my 2 cents. Since the axle sits on top of the spring you can easily lower the car with a shim BUT if you are unhappy with a 1" drop spring you are pretty much stuck. Good luck.
Agreed there! A block between the leaf spring and the shock plate will drop your ride.
Not for nothing, stock rise height sits low to start with.
I used the espo.com 1 inch over bend spring in my last Duster and they road excellent.
Not for nothing, stock rise height sits low to start with.
I used the espo.com 1 inch over bend spring in my last Duster and they road excellent.
scatpackbee
Well-Known Member
Get these from AR Engineering and you will have the option of stock or 1 inch drop ride height
I wouldn’t use that as the sole part to drop the cars ride height because it is dropping or raising the front of the spring which in turn alters the pinion angle. A bad angle introduces vibration.
They are very useful in the correct application which this is not IMO. Try the lowering blocks first.
They are very useful in the correct application which this is not IMO. Try the lowering blocks first.
I should explain what I have going on. Bought this 318 car which hadn't been on the road for some time 1 1/2 years ago. Added a front sway bar and cheap shocks. The original springs were sagging bad, but I didn't know how much for reference. A buddy had a set of ss springs that I tried. This raised the rear way too much. Played around with lowering blocks but still couldn't get it down enough. So I talked to Laura at ESPO and ordered a set of +2" XHD 340 springs. They were higher than I wanted also, so I had them re arched to take out about 1 1/4". Thought everything was good, so I ripped the car apart and put it on a rotisserie. Bought Bilstein shocks, PST 1.03 torsion bars, welded in frame connectors, had a 408 built. Just got everything back together and it is sitting too high yet. Not sure if other components caused this or if the re arched springs are going back to where they started. So as you can tell, I still have nothing to reference what stock height springs would be. I am going to order another set of springs from Laura as I would prefer to not use blocks if possible. I have the front end where I want it, but have about 1 3/4" of rake.
Those don't drop the car a full inch. Lots of people think they do, but they don't. While the holes are 1" apart, they drop the front of the springs 1". That does not equate to a total 1" drop of the car, since the point where the rear axle mounts is behind the front bracket. A block right at the spring perch is more accurate.
First, the Duster looks wicked...I hope you keep black wheels on that thing. :cool:
My buddy with a Hemicuda went through a very similar process. Ultimately, the re-arching solved his problems and I would have guessed that it would have solved yours too. Could it be that ESPO just provided springs that are too stiff? How does it sit with a full tank? Any thoughts on relocating the battery to the trunk?
I'm looking at Hotchkis springs which advertise a 1" drop but it seems like there are multiple variables that determine where the car actually ends up.
Can you say why you'd prefer to avoid the blocks? It may be the cheapest solution to your problems by a long shot.
Don't know if the wheel opening for my 67 dart is the same as your 70 duster but my 50 year old stock 6 leaf springs (sagged for sure) set the ride height so that the wheel well is only a few inches above the lip of the rim. I like MrGTX's thought that the spring is too stiff so it holds the car up higher than you wanted. Cant say why it would be different before resto to after. In the old days we would sometimes remove a leaf, especially the smaller ones to lower and sag the rear abit.
roccodart440
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Those will reduce the pinion angle though.
@hunt2elk that thing is sitting crazy high in the rear. Maybe the tire size isn't helping though. I would use blocks to find the desired ride height and then you'll know how much drop you need and try to get it accordingly. But by the looks of it, I don't think you'll get enough drop out of springs and mounts. I thinik you'll needs blocks and there really isn't anything wrong with that.
dusterjoe
Active Member
i have 70 duster with 318 also,stock rally wheels i did replace rear springs and hardware through espo but went with 1" lift added.it sits just about perfect but probably has 2-3 inches above rear tire when sitting.Double check everything as it appears to me your car is sitting crazy high.check tire measurement as lower tires may be a change that improves ride.I do think if you have years since spring work rearched do flatten out again.Talk to laura at espo she was great
roccodart440
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These are stock springs with the front perch raised 1.5".
Me personally, I don't like to see any (or very, very little) airspace above the rear tire. That's just my opinion. However I'm also not really a fan of the rear opening cutting across the wheel either. That IMO is too low.
Me personally, I don't like to see any (or very, very little) airspace above the rear tire. That's just my opinion. However I'm also not really a fan of the rear opening cutting across the wheel either. That IMO is too low.
roccodart440 That is about how my stock 67 dart sits
yellow rose
Overnight Sensation
You have the incorrect spring rate. You can have them dearched all you want. The spring rate is wrong.
Went through this with my bone headed cousin. After he wasted months dicking around, he pulled two leaves out and it sits correctly. If he would have listened, he would have saved a bunch of time and money.
Look up the stock spring rate and then look at your spring rate and my bet is your spring is way too stiff.
Went through this with my bone headed cousin. After he wasted months dicking around, he pulled two leaves out and it sits correctly. If he would have listened, he would have saved a bunch of time and money.
Look up the stock spring rate and then look at your spring rate and my bet is your spring is way too stiff.
I have 2 3/8" from the top of my 255/60/15 to the bottom of the wheel lip. What size rear tires are you running?
Spring rate would be determined by the # of leaves, correct? 318 cars came with 5 leaves and 340 cars with 6. I think I do want the 6 leaves as I would have better control with the added horsepower that I have. Or am I thinking wrong?
Yes, I do plan on staying with black wheels.
Haven't put any gas or water in the car yet so that might change things a bit, but I doubt much.
I will use blocks if I absolutely must, but would rather not. Just think I can get the right height with spring selection.
yellow rose
Overnight Sensation
On my cousins car that was how GM changed the spring rate...by adding leafs. I'm not sure how Chrysler did it. The trick is finding the OE spring rate and then getting ESPO to tell you their spring rate. Unless ESPO make it public.
Kind of surprised that she told you to go with the +2 springs to begin with. Based on how it is sitting right now looks like a -2 drop on the spring is where it should be. I'm getting ready to replaced mine on my Dart and like where it sits now and a -2 drop is what she recommended to me to keep it about where it sits now with the 40 year old worn out springs.
I had the 1 inch overbend espo springs in my Duster. Excellent rake. Not like the SS springs. They sat between the stock height and the SS spring height. I always got a compliment on them.
I don’t remember a there pound rate. All I can say is that they road nice and the car stayed straight when I hammered it.
I don’t remember a there pound rate. All I can say is that they road nice and the car stayed straight when I hammered it.
I'm not 100%, but I think the holes are farther apart than 1", & provide the 1" drop, I flipped My hangers on the Cpe & drilled them over for the larger eyebolt.
I used some on my Valiant and did not get a full 1".
Mopar did add leaves, not sure about the strap thickness, the ESPO 2" drop 6 leaf I have the strap used is ~.020-.025" thicker than the stockers.................
SuperStockers are notoriously high, but not XHD's , adding 2" to them as they are stiffer is gonna leave You up in the air alright tho'! If You've got stock hangers & shackles,
I'd see if those can be de-arched appropriately, I agree with not using blocks at all if possible. Did You test the set after the re-arch before adding the other upgrades? The
bilstiens are probably more aggressively gas-charged & ain't helping matters, not a lot of weight back there to begin with.
I did bolt the springs in after getting them re arched and thought they would be ok. Talked to Laura yesterday. She asked me to unbolt the Bilsteins and see what happens. Didn't change the height at all, but there definitely is some up pressure there. I am really starting to wonder if she didn't give me the wrong set to start with. She won't tell me the spring rates, and makes it sound like she doesn't know. I find that hard to believe though. She wont recommend anything specific, but told me to look on the internet for old sales brochures to see how the 340 cars sat. Every pic I can find has the rear fairly low and right about where I would like it to be.
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