Hey guys! I need some help on this one...I have hotchkis lowing springs in the front of my 78, so it lowered my car about 1.5'. The problem is that I'm bottoming out when I hit a dip on the highway. It rubs on the outside of the tread and its ANNOYING! I think I need to replace my shocks because they are old and worn out, but which ones will fit now since I lowered my car? Any suggestions on shocks I can get that will stop me from bottoming out?? Thanks a lot!

 

what kind of shock do you have and how old are they?

what size tires do you have?

 

You can switch to a stiffer shock, that may cure the rubbing and give you better handling. But, if the picture is current, it looks as though the backspacing on your wheels might be the culprit. Increasing the backspace will put the tires back into the wheel well. 1969 SS also has a good point, oversize tires can add to the problem.

 

Thanks for responding guys. 1969ss, They're just regular shocks from Kregan auto parts....Monroe Sensa-Trac that I bought about 2-3 years ago. I don’t know if Monroe’s are good shocks but I want to invest in something more expensive and better. The tires in the front are 235/60/15...JR, you’re right, I believe the backspacing is off (other owners fault) and that has something to do with the rubbing. So, I guess all there is to do is to buy stiffer shocks?? What kind? Here's the current pic with lowering springs installed

 

your tire height isn't really your problem then. the bottoming out is just something you are going to have to live with after such a radical drop, although your pics don't show that much of a drop at all. your car actually looks like it sits too high for even stock?

alsoyour shocks aren't going to stop you from bottoming out. that's what the spring does. your shock works the opposite way of the spring. one other thing is that if your car truly dropped 1 1/2", you should be looking onto a shock that is designed for that much of a drop. without the right shocks, they will bottom out on themselves and you will blowout the seals in no time

 

1969SS is correct, the shocks only absorb the spring oscalations, they have nothing to do withyou bottoming out, you would have to switch the springs back to something with either a smaller amount of lowering, or you may be able to replace the springs with stock ones and put in some drop spindles, that may do the trick.

 

any updates on your progress?

 

as others have mentioned shocks will not solve the problem but the back spacing is too little and the wheel is out too far

 

for the frnt i'd go with 215/60

 

those are way too tiny to get any decent performance out of them