Best options for lifting Skylark front end?

[puertodeluna]

Hello everybody,
I've been lurking here for about a year now because I have been wanting to restore my first car, A 1972 Buick Skylark which I purchased new in March of "72". I babied the car for about 20 years and then I began to have electrical problems around 1993 which most mechanics were unable to solve without creating additional electrical problems. Because of the problems with the car during the year 1993 I was forced to purchase a new car for the wife and consequently I parked my baby for the past 11 years only taking it out for an occasional spin and sometimes a couple of years would lapse between drives.
Now I have a 17 year old son who has expressed interest in assuming ownership of the car and attempting to restore the car to as new condition as possible.
Now on to my first official question on this forum.....The front end suspension is sagging excessively and we would like to lift it at least a couple of inches or maybe even more so that we can achieve a traditional muscle car look. The rear end is no problem because I have already installed a pair of Gabriel Hijackers air shocks. Does anyone have any ideas on how to best lift the front end other than the obvious replacement of the springs which I will probably end up doing anyway?

Thanks, Robert

[Madcat455]

Best way to do it is to get new springs...

[evan11]

I have a nephew that has a car he's wanting to restore, and I've just built pages that are car specific for him and all my friends. You're welcome to try the skylark page. It's FREE and will give you Skylark specific parts lists on eBay without all the hassle of sifting and sorting.
Link is at the bottom.

Regards,

Evan11


www.muscle-car-parts-list/skylark1.html

[462cid]

I know this is an old post, but hopefully you still check in...

the rear...in my opinion (owned a '70 Skylark since '89, daily driver), the rear springs are so so so so easy to replace, and the air shocks....you're screwing up your shock mounts and your suspension. Think about this- the spring rate is supposed to be the right rating for the vehicle weight. Stock shocks...I can compress by hand. Can you compress a spring by hand? No. I don't care what aftermarket shock you'll be using, setting the ride height with air shocks is a '70s solution and all you really need are the correct springs. I've changed rear springs in my '70 twice, without doinging more than jacking up the rear (not the suspension) and reaching in, and removing the srpings. No tools needed

Shocks aren't to set the ride height. Never were, and on your A body, you're going to fatigue the shock mounts and cause a problem

Since the shock mounts are by the gas tank, most pro welders won't fix them

This is a very poor idea in my opinion

[williamskinner16]

Hello I am a Buick enthusiast who doesent currently own a Buick. In fact, I am a new California transplant who has inherited a 1966 Ford F100. I troll this forum in rememberence of Buicks I've owned or have had the pleasure of being a rider in. I came across this post and the discussion turning into one of shocks, springs, and otherwise modifying the stock suspension, and it cought my interest. This is the situation I find myself: This Ford Pick up I have access to needs work. Mechanicly it has a very good running and so far a dependable motor. The cassis and braking are my primary consearns. I thought so far, as far as shocks go, premium street up front and coil assisted in the rear. Now Im reading this post, and it has me reconsidering my plan. Now that I think of it I seem to remember an old friend who complained of his S10 having such a setup complain of poorer handling and responce. The more I thought of it, How can you compare a 1966 F100 to a 1996 Chevy S10 or even to a Buick?


I hope this isen't too off topic, but what would you do?(aside from selling the ford! LOL) Is there a place to go to further understand about tuning the suspension? aside from the shocks I plan on getting a PST front end kit and dual resevoir power master cylender and booster change out and new tires. I hope this information will apply to your Buicks sagging problem, I wish I could come up with helpful advice for you. I agree with the earlier responce by peurto, that a lift device would only band aid your problem and you would probably end up getting a new set of coils in the end anyway.