Lowering the rear of a 65 Cruiser

[starliner62]

I need to lower the rear of a 65 Cruiser I am working on by one inch. I can find plenty of lowering blocks but the u-bolts are looking like a problem. The housing is an original flanged axle unit and it looks like it is 2.5 to 2.75 inches in diameter. Does antone know of a source for the u-bolts? I just got a set from Summit Racing and they are the standard three inch u-bolts, but I am not sure they will work. Any help/advice is appreciated.

[gordr]

Most any spring shop can custom-bend you a set of U-bolts.

[Dick Steinkamp]

I've used the standard 3" U bolts, but crushed them in a vise to get them slimmer. A press would probably work better. Use a pipe or block of the desired diameter to keep things parallel

[Jeff_H]

I had some made by a big truck shop. Got to watch the guy make them. They are not hardened steel. They started with straight lengths of rod with threads on each end. The rods were set on a fixture with a gas flame to heat the center until orange. Then, they were picked up with a tongs and placed over the appropriate diameter mandrel and bent around it with another hand tool. Then allowed to slow air cool.

You could likely modify some wrong ones or make your own in a similar way.

[Doug M]

got my u-bolts for 66commander at NAPA

[55s]

Apparently, the best way to lower the rear end of a Cruiser is to raise the rear bumper up, like a Mustang or the 67 prototypes.

[sweetolbob]

I had some made by a big truck shop. Got to watch the guy make them. They are not hardened steel. They started with straight lengths of rod with threads on each end. The rods were set on a fixture with a gas flame to heat the center until orange. Then, they were picked up with a tongs and placed over the appropriate diameter mandrel and bent around it with another hand tool. Then allowed to slow air cool.

You could likely modify some wrong ones or make your own in a similar way.

I have mine made at the local truck shop also. The last set of four cost $24 total. The rod they bend is a commercial product with, I believe, rolled threads. Modifying existing ones by heating and bending over a smaller mandrel should work fine but I'd avoid bending my own from anything like threaded rod "all thread". Too much chance of notch failure in my opinion.

The $24 is cheap insurance that they are made correctly from the right stock as these guys build them for Avantis to Class 8 rigs and trailers.

Bob

[kmac530]

Dorman offers them in about any size and pretty cheap, available at most AP stores or online...it is where I got mine.

http://www.dormanproducts.com/p-19746-35636.aspx

[kmac530]

http://www.dormanproducts.com/gsearch.aspx?type=keyword&q=u-bolt