Ride heights

[kirky2]

Hi Folks,
As a Brit/Florida snowbird, I have just completed my first 'year' back on the road in FL with my refurbished '57. All is well BUT the 'nose in the air' attitude has not subsided significantly with time and I am sure is partly to do with the fact that I unwittingly replaced the old front shock absorbers with new gas-filled ones but regarded the rear un-pressurised ones as perfectly serviceable. This issue is now beginning to really irritate and I do not want to raise the rear of the car. Can anybody recommend either shorter front springs or lowered spindles as a remedy. I am only looking for 1-2 inches max. reduction in ride height at the front. (I suppose that I should disconnect the new shocks just to see exactly what contribution to raised ride height they are making but I suspect not as much as I am looking for.)
Regards
kirky2

[LowBikeMike]

Shock absorbers will typically not raise ride height unless you have air sytle shocks on front with a significant amount of air in them. I would definitely stay away from shorter springs or spindles on a retract. Are you sure your rear springs are not worn out and causing the rear to sag? Trying to drop the front 1 to 2 inches in front is a pretty big amount. One easy way to test your rear springs is to check rear ride height with the top up and with the top down. You will see a little difference with the top down, but its a huge amount in the rear you have rear spring trouble.

[SSsssteamer]

Recently on the "Ford Barn" an owner of a '57 Fairlane 500 installed new shocks that were too long and he said that he had the same problem of his car standing too tall. To me, it sounds like if he tried to bounce the car's suspension, he would have found that he was bottoming out on the end of the throw for the shocks. As you had suggested, you could also quickly disconnect the bottom of the front shocks just to see if that is your problem for the car's front end standing too tall. The gas in the shocks does nothing to give you lift, it only gives your shock proper action in its travel.