I believe mid-eye and reverse-eye are for lowering without the use of lowering blocks.
Stock is 4-leaf.  I believe 4.5 leaf and 5 leaf are to get a stiffer spring rate.

I put stock replacement springs on my '67 coupe (standard eye, 4-leaf) and I am happy with them...but I'm only running 16 inch wheels... not sure if that matters.

Air shocks are definitely not normal...someone probably added them to lift the rear end, but that should really be done with springs, not shocks.  Given enough time air shocks typically destroy the upper shock mount because they weren't intended to support the entire weight of the rear of the car and they get over-stressed.

Last edited by Michael H. (4/04/2017 9:09 AM)

Ditch the air shocks.  Just get regular KYB, Billstein, etc.

The eye location of the spring is exactly as Michael H said, to provide a lower ride height with the same spring rate.  Stock springs have the eyes wrapped upward from the main leaf.  If you move the eye to the middle of the leaf or the bottom you lower the ride height.

Adding leafs or half leaves are to stiffen the spring rate, usually in the interest of improving handling, but it can also be to reduce the chance of bottoming the suspension when a lowered car hits a bad bump. 

Probably really hard to figure out now.  Stock leaf springs are standard eye (eyes wrapped upward from the main leaf) with 4 leaves with stock spring shackles.  It was popular at one time to jack up the back end of the car to get what many loathingly refer to as "stinkbug stance".  This was often accomplished with longer spring shackles, air shocks, etc.  Then lowering became popular, often taken too far.  A lot of the time guys would just use blocks to lower the rear end, by spacing the axle housing upwards off the springs.  Blocks are pretty mickey mouse, so smarter guys started dearching the springs (reducing the arch for the same spring rate, but a lower ride height), and eventually aftermarket companies responded with mid eye and reverse eye springs so guys could buy them off the shelf instead of having to find a good spring shop that could monkey with the packs.

I would say your best bet is to talk to people who have similar cars and what they've done spring wise to achieve a certain look.  This way you can hopefully buy parts once and be happy. 

I'm kinda old skool .. I think!(I know I'm old and I went to school soooo you figure it out) anyway......I like the rear a little higher than the front. "California rake"...swat-eye always called it. Heck far BulletBob/RPM.....ya'll from California...IS it a California Rake?!
I have the 4 leaf standard eye and when I hit a dip(especially with Mochaman in the pass seat!) I get a little scrub from rear tire. (215-65-15) Shocks are old though.
I would go with the 4.5 standard eye if I did it again butt..........Tubo made me a smok'in deal on these so...........hay!
6s6

Mochaman wrote:

superior girth.

No doubt that super-duper spaghetti sauce your cuter half can whoop up! Had some the other day......even better with some age-on-it.
6s6
 

Mochaman wrote:

Hey now. I blame the old shocks instead of my superior girth.

I would blame the installation of wheels with the wrong offset and tires that don't clear the fenders!


 

MS wrote:

On a 66 with 245x45/17 rear wheels, if you use the 4 leaf reverse eye spring, there will be 1/4" to 1/2" between the top of the tire and the wheel opening. In my opinion, perfect.
Also, see the Mustangasteve RIDE HEIGHT page which was published for this purpose. Link is at top of forum.

I just did a 68 coupe with same tire and spring and got same result.

Fantastic.  Just looked over the page.  I'll be sure to add my ride to the collection when the time comes.  I'm eyeballing 4.5 leaf springs w/ reverse eye and regular shocks.  thanks

TremendousWand wrote:

Has someone figured out a way to calculate ride height with the changes?  Is there a standard?  What is stock?

There is no way to calculate ride height as they were all over the place stock.  Some came with nice rakes on them and some looked like boats going down the street.

Here is mine now.
Front - 215-55-16. Shelby drop.  1" lowering GT springs
Rear - 225-55x16.  4 leaf. reverse eye springs.


 

The set that are waiting for me to bolt them in came from Mustangs Plus.

BB

Here is a picture of my '67 coupe with standard-eye 4-leaf springs.
The front suspension has the Arning/Shelby drop and stock replacement GT coil springs.

Last edited by Michael H. (4/06/2017 12:48 PM)

Since I have gotten good consistent results from them, I buy my rear springs from Mustangs Plus.

What is this???! Show-me-yours....Show-you-mine!?
This is mine with stock (replacement) 4 leaf springs and "original" front springs with 1 coil removed and the Shelby drop and then a   poly1" spring isolation pad added to the top of spring.  Rear is "maybe" 2 inches higher than front.

Last edited by 6sally6 (4/07/2017 8:24 PM)