K frame lowering blocks

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Princess Valiant

Princess Valiant

A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
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has anyone dropped a k frame for hood clearance before??

Is one inch too much ? I'm thinking it shouldn't throw everything else off too much but I'm wondering if I should have gone 3/4 inch.

I want to avoid getting into the hood because a hood scoop or cut hood goes against the motif of the car.

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Use a low rise or dropped base air cleaner. I think dropping the K frame down is going to screw up the alignment of the torsion bars to it.
 
I had started a thread awhile ago. The consensus was not too. I was asking about lowering the K frame like the hemi darts and cuda’s. So that the 518 tail shaft wouldn’t be on so much of an angle. I didn’t want to cut the top of the torsion bar mount. The bolts have a big taper on them for locating the K, so u would have to duplicate that. Lowering it will also make the top control arm shorter so to speak. Kim
 
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oldkimmer said:
I had started a thread awhile ago. The condenses was not too. I was asking about lowering the K frame like the hemi darts and cuda’s. So that the 518 tail shaft wouldn’t be on so much of an angle. I didn’t want to cut the top of the torsion bar mount. The bolts have a big taper on them for locating the K, so u would have to duplicate that. Lowering it will also make the top control arm shorter so to speak. Kim
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" The condenses was not too."

What do you mean???
 
I think it would put a bind on the LCA pivots and T/bars plus change the drive shaft angle to the pinion.
 
As said, the Hemi Darts and Barracudas dropped the K frame for hood clearance- I think it was 3/4 or 1" off the top of my head. They do sell reproductions of the proper spacers. The hemi guys claim it doesn't affect geometry too badly, but there's always people that aren't comfortable with anything other than strict factory specs. But if you're overly concerned with it, you can use the F/M/J body spindles which are another 3/8 taller than the stock A body spindles and gets you back into a comfortable range. Plus it gets you 4.5" BC discs, too; if that's something you're after...
 
Professor Fate said:
As said, the Hemi Darts and Barracudas dropped the K frame for hood clearance- I think it was 3/4 or 1" off the top of my head. They do sell reproductions of the proper spacers. The hemi guys claim it doesn't affect geometry too badly, but there's always people that aren't comfortable with anything other than strict factory specs. But if you're overly concerned with it, you can use the F/M/J body spindles which are another 3/8 taller than the stock A body spindles and gets you back into a comfortable range. Plus it gets you 4.5" BC discs, too; if that's something you're after...
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If it made for an inch more clearance between the top of the front tires and the body, that would be a side benefit for me because I was looking to raise the whole car for a very early 60s super stock look.

I don't need the car to carve corners as they say. I need to go in a straight line and look as early 60s as possible.
 
Professor Fate said:
As said, the Hemi Darts and Barracudas dropped the K frame for hood clearance- I think it was 3/4 or 1" off the top of my head. They do sell reproductions of the proper spacers. The hemi guys claim it doesn't affect geometry too badly, but there's always people that aren't comfortable with anything other than strict factory specs. But if you're overly concerned with it, you can use the F/M/J body spindles which are another 3/8 taller than the stock A body spindles and gets you back into a comfortable range. Plus it gets you 4.5" BC discs, too; if that's something you're after...
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I was going to leave drums on it if possible
 
I'm not sure how much of a bind the T-bars would tolerate. Alters the suspension for sure. Might lower the roll center a bit. Could be an improvement.
 
Another option may be to modify an air cleaner of fab one up from scratch?

If you do that you could add a subtle cold air intake through the inner fender like the F-bodies used or possibly fresh air through the radiator support.
 
Flip the intake over and the carb will be on the lower side. Plenty of hood clearance that way.
 
Straight axle would be your only choice for suspension. The SS cars couldn't dropped the motor unless they made a Gasser . You will have to drop the whole sub frame. Good luck with your project You''l need to drop the trans also .

Now just think about this before you do it and ruin your car. You will need to drop the torsion bar cross member with the trans mount You will be better off putting a Camaro or Nova sub frame under it and put Bow Tie emblems on it.

You must have had a bad dream about doing this because I have never seen this done without installing a straight axle and making a trans mount. This wasn't a dream you had a nightmare. Get rid of the K-member and build a Gasser but it has to be older then a 66 to enter that class.

I just don't understand ruining a car to save a hood?

I used a dropped air cleaner base and made my own sides out of aluminum. Note the base is almost the same level as the heat shield under the carburetor And almost against the fuel lines I used a filter top to help the air to come in
flow on the street. Took it off when racing the car and only used the base
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Use a remote filter.

96 Jeep Grand Cherokee has a carb inlet that is super low profile
 
Oldmanmopar said:
Straight axle would be your only choice for suspension. The SS cars couldn't dropped the motor unless they made a Gasser . You will have to drop the whole sub frame. Good luck with your project You''l need to drop the trans also .

Now just think about this before you do it and ruin your car. You will need to drop the torsion bar cross member with the trans mount You will be better off putting a Camaro or Nova sub frame under it and put Bow Tie emblems on it.

You must have had a bad dream about doing this because I have never seen this done without installing a straight axle and making a trans mount. This wasn't a dream you had a nightmare. Get rid of the K-member and build a Gasser but it has to be older then a 66 to enter that class.

I just don't understand ruining a car to save a hood?

I used a dropped air cleaner base and made my own sides out of aluminum. Note the base is almost the same level as the heat shield under the carburetor And almost against the fuel lines I used a filter top to help the air to come in
flow on the street. Took it off when racing the car and only used the base
View attachment 1715570202

View attachment 1715570203
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Hurst used a spacer on everyone of the 1968 Hemi SS cars they built for Chrysler. They never lowered the trans crossmember or the mount either. Look it up if u don’t believe me. Kim
 
I would go for it, You are talking about 3/4" drop in 35" of torsion bar. It wont make a big difference.
 
brian6pac said:
I would go for it, You are talking about 3/4" drop in 35" of torsion bar. It wont make a big difference.
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That isn't really germane. The torsion bar is designed to carry a load in rotation (transmitted through the control arm). This would add a straight vertical deflection load. It is not in any way designed for that.

I don't understand why the SS cars would have had spacers. They had enormous hood scoops — there wouldn't have been any kind of hood clearance problem.
 
mvh said:
That isn't really germane. The torsion bar is designed to carry a load in rotation (transmitted through the control arm). This would add a straight vertical deflection load. It is not in any way designed for that.

I don't understand why the SS cars would have had spacers. They had enormous hood scoops — there wouldn't have been any kind of hood clearance problem.
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HaHaHa I under stand what you are saying but it's not that drastic of a angle.
If your that smart, figure out what the angle is in 3/4" at 35" long
 
I spaced my 65 A K to get a B block in there plus Pro-parts headers. I used 4 3/4 nuts and they just slipped over the original bolt threads. It gained me about 5/8 of an inch for the 727 I was running in the tunnel. I didn't notice any suspension issues. If I saw that spacer thread I would have dissented on using them. "inner fender delete" mode.....or 'fitting a latter A-body big block header in a narrow A'
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The lower control arm is always moving up and down several inches, making a constant vertical change to the torsion bar. 3/4 of an inch? I think you'll be fine as long as the steering shaft still reaches the box.
 
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