Help! 1969 Nova Multi-Leaf Spring Perch Width?

Hi folks. I'm having Strange Engineering build me an old school Dana 60 housing for my '69 Nova. They just sent me a message asking which of the two spring perch widths I want for the housing -- 2-9/16-inch or 2-3/4-inch. I contacted Eaton Detroit Spring and the tech guy there never heard of it. He claims the stock multi-leaf spring is 2-1/2-inches wide, which leads me (and Strange) to believe the perch should be 2-9/16-inches wide.

Help! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/confused.gif[/img]

Wayne

[Xplantdad]

Narrowed Dana 60? Ohhh...I want a ride when you are done!!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Xplantdad</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Narrowed Dana 60? Ohhh...I want a ride when you are done!! </div></div>
[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/haha.gif[/img]

You have a deal Bruce, but you'll have to be patient...it's going slow...L-O-L.

Truth is, it's narrowed 3/4-inch per side, which allows me to use a &quot;normal&quot; 4-1/2-inch backspace wheel....and a &quot;big&quot; tire...or at least a big tire for a Nova (M&amp;H P275-60 bias ply &quot;cheater&quot; tire). The shell is still in body shop purgatory, so I'm working on everything else. I'm still slow collecting pieces like skinny tires on the nose (on 15X5 five spokes)...and the rest of the normal go-fast Seventies stuff ...4-gear, Super shifter III, Sun Tach, C-E slapper bars, Hooker Headers, etc. It oughta peel out real good [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img]

Wayne [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]
.

[WILMASBOYL78]

I don't often chime in on technical issues..because there are so many gurus who have more knowledge....but, since I had a 12 bolt housing sitting in the garage with new spring perches plus a 69 car with springs installed to measure...I figured..why not contribute.

The springs are indeed 2 1/2&quot; wide...but the opening in the spring perch is almost 2 7/8&quot; wide...when the spring is installed the rubber mount surrounds the spring on each side, so you need additional width in the spring perch for it all to fit. I would say the rubber on each side is at least 1/8&quot; - 3/16&quot; thick...so the larger width is probably correct.

Hope this helps...wilma

[Salvatore]

I don't think there are to many that have more novas or looked at more novas than you so speak up. We will let you know when you are wrong, don't worry.

[WILMASBOYL78]

Thanks...Bite it off... [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]

Wooo Hooo! Thanks Tom! You saved me a ton of trouble! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/youguysrock.gif[/img]

Wayne [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]

[Xplantdad]

You guys are too funny! Wayne, my first car was a big block Nova....so I can wait for a ride in yours [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]

[mockingbird812]

Wayne - what is going to be in front (all the way in front) of the dana 60?

Hi guys....

I'm still deciding whether or not to use a Ford Top Loader but I'm seriously thinking about an iron case, aluminum tail shaft Super T10, with a special close gear set (that's 2.64:1 first). I used to sell 'em (Borg Warner's aftermarket transmission) and they were definitely reliable and shifted like butter. I'll use a Super Shifter III (with the separate red reverse lock out handle), and some sort of Borg &amp; Beck plate (McLeod more than likely) with an L88 disc and a light steel flywheel.

If I can <span style="font-weight: bold">sell one or both of my late model Z/28's (2002 Anniversary car and the 1995 1LE I have for sale here....gratuitous plug...L-O-L)</span> then I can get serious about the power. If the cars go away, I'm leaning toward building a pump gas 491 dressed to look (at least a little bit) like an L88 -- it would be based upon a Dart 4.56 bore block; a 3.76-inch stroke 427 crank, 6.535 rods and a piston with a little dome (20 cc's or so). Upstairs, the plan is to use set of MBE reworked GMPP 401 heads (these are the heads that replace the L88 bits for NHRA Stock &amp; SS), Matt at MBE gets some serious airflow from them without killing the volume (NHRA Legal), and simultaneously evening out the flow discrepencies between the intake ports. In any case, I'll dress it up with a dual plane Chevy intake, a single 850 double pumper and a set of 2-1/8-inch Hooker headers. I have a set of M/T valve covers on the way, and I've reworked a &quot;stock&quot; distributor for it. Normal stuff will include a vintage (style) deep Moroso pan, Crane roller rockers, and if I can hook up (find) my old acquaintance Harold Brookshire, I'd love to use one of his custom cams (I'm old school, so I'll use a flat tappet solid). For those who don't know of him, he at one time owned and actually founded Ultradyne. In the racing world, Harold is simply the baddest cam designer on the planet. Hope he's doing ok.

In the end, the plan is to make it look like any number of cars that frequented my old speed shops in the seventies. Like many folks, I'm struggling with paint color. The Nova was originally a cool color (Azure Turquoise), but most of the favorite cars I've had over the years (and there have a been too many of them... [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/crazy.gif[/img] ) were black. So I'm leaning toward basic black with a red stinger.

Whew. Sorry for the long winded answer.

Wayne [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]