• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

Rubber bumper B - Best way to lower ride height

Share this page

boxofparts

boxofparts

Senior Member
Country flag
Offline
I have seen lowered spindles, shorter springs, use a pre 74 cross member... Has anybody just cut off the raised pads on the existing rubber bumper cross member. I have a nice rust free crossmember and hate to get an old one and have to clean it all up and such and also worry about a new rack.
 
With the prerequisite of not wanting an earlier crossmember, I'd go with lowered springs (not cut stock ones), and a proper front end alignment... But I have to ask - why do you want it any lower? Mine is stock hight for a '77 model, and drags over speed bumps and sometimes when driving on potholed roads. I guess I can understand if it's a 1975-1976 model that doesn't have swaybars... But then I'd just want swaybars. My 77 can corner with the best of them... even if it sits a whole inch or so higher.
 
If you cut off the raised pads, you basically have a chrome beam...then, your late steering rack won't work & you'll have to change it!
 
The proper way is to use an early cross member up front. But if you’re worried about it looking old you can always clean it up & paint it before swapping it out. Otherwise you can just go with the lowering springs. In the rear you have two options and for a street car either are fine – a lowering kit (blocks) or lowering leaf springs.

Me? I went with springs up front and some new leafs with lowering blocks in the rear to give my B a ~2” drop up front & ~1.5” in the rear.

I also added some Polyurethane bushings all around & some up rated brakes components (pads, slotted/X-drilled roters & SS brake lines) and a set of sticky 195/60R14s. Couple those modifications with the front & rear swaybars of the later Bs - should make an otherwise well maintained rubber bumper B handle as good if not better than most any chrome bumper B with the same modifications.

newfoglights.jpg


Not for everyone but I like it. My only regret is in parking lots. I always make the folks behind me upset when I have to creep over those “monstrous” speed bumps. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif
 
Re: Rubber bumper B - Best way to lower ride heigh

Whenever I approach one of those mountains of pavement they ironically call "speed bumps" the people behind me only see my reverse lights coming on! I like my exhaust just how it is--attached to my car.
 
Re: Rubber bumper B - Best way to lower ride heigh

Durn, that's a fine looking set of wheels Bret. Go over the speed bumps at an angle if possible.
 
Back
Top