Shackles on a Challenger

[HP2]

Many of the early street machine cars were trying to copy the Super Stock, early Pro Stock, and Modified Production cars of the era.  The race cars sat higher than stock for a couple of reasons; 1st, they ran racing tires that tended to be 29-30 inches tall compared to the stock tires of 24-26 inches in height. To reasonably accommodate this taller tire, these competition cars were utilizing the Chrysler developed competition leaf springs, or Super Stock spring as they became known as from their introduction on the 1968 Super Stock Hemi cars. These springs tended to have anywhere from 3-6 extra leaves in them compared to stock, a much shorter length requiring special front hangers, and much higher arch when installed. It was not uncommon to see racing vehicles that sat 6-8" taller than an equivalent stock vehicle.

The same would hold true today - taller tires with modified suspension to get the height. Swapping in the SS springs is fairly straight forward and would create the higher rear ride height to allow taller tires. This will also require longer shocks. The front would require adjustment of the torsion bars to raise the height and similarly allow the taller tires, and again, possibly a longer shock depending on how high up you crank things.

So to safely get this look will require:
a) re-arched stock springs with longer shocks or
b)change to SS spring with new hangers and longer shocks plus
c) raised ride height in front with longer shocks and a new alignment plus
d) all new tires

Air shocks and shackles not required, although these were the "go to" budget alternatives back in the day. The approach above  would have cost a few hundred bucks back in the day. Shackles were maybe $5 and air shocks were $20. Since minimum wage then was around a $1.60, you can see why so many cars had shackles and air shock mods. Today the absolute prices have changed, but the percentage of difference is still the same.

[Mark_B]

Thank you very much for the very useful information. Much appreciated.

[dave73]

The shock absorber crossmember is designed, well to support the shock absorbers. It is not designed to support any weight that is why just about any car that ran air shocks had a destroyed shock absorber crossmember.

  If you decide to run air shocks, beef up and reinforce the shock x-member first.  If you don't have any fabrication experience and can't weld, then replacement springs that will get you the height you need is probably the best choice.

Do or have people actually done this?

[Burdar]

Not sure. People still run air shocks even though it's been proven to damage the x-member. Might as well reinforce it from the get go if you really want to run them.

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[Chryco Psycho]

 1 more thought , If you run air shocks runs a separate line to each shock otherwise the air pressure will transfer to the unloaded shock adding to sway / roll over
honestly why run air shocks though