Is there a block lift kit that will fit a 69 Barracuda

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sporkboy

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I have a 69 barracuda that I’ve been working on. After a front disk upgrade I had to replace the front wheels so I went ahead and replaced the rears as well. Went with the largest wheels/tires that would fit back there without any modifications to the car

Turns out they don’t quite fit. If I hit a bump the rub the inside of the quarter panels. Noticed that a few weeks ago. Not great but they don’t rub _much_ so I was planning on putting off doing anything about it sir slightly longer than I probably should.

But yesterday I realized that when they do this the sidewalk of the tire also rub the knife edge of the wheel well.

MUCH more significant issue. The suspension isn’t too bad for a 51 year old car so I don’t think it’s failing to function normally. I think I just need to raise the rear end to prevent this.

I’m trying to figure out the cheapest way to do this. I want to do the work myself but I don’t weld. Never raised anything in my life so I’ve still barely got any idea of the options available but it seems like a block kit is the way I want to go?

I’m thinking 3 inches of lift would both solve my issue and give me the look I’m going for. I would like to go further but I know the further you go the more parts become involved. More likely to need a new drive shaft, more likely to need to have some fabrication done.


Any tips on how I can get enough lift cheap(er) with no welding would be greatly appreciated.
Any tips on how much lift I can get away with without replacing any expensive non-suspension parts would be even more appreciated.

69 Barracuda, /6, stock suspension and rear end.
- Aaron
 
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Air shocks used to be pretty popular, but they transfer a lot of load to the top shock bolts.

Shackles also used to be popular, but they look pretty ghetto in my opinion.

You can also roll the inner lip of the fender up if you are REAL careful.
 
the correct size wheels and offset is the best way to fix it. how about some pictures first. it could be the springs you have are done and sagging too. are both side doing the same thing? lifting the rear 3" makes for a bunch of other potential issues
 
The largest tires that fit in a 69 Barracuda are 325/50-15s on 10inch rims.
Second largest are 295/50-15s also on 10s.
The standard backspace on those is 4.5 inches.
To install those. you will have to move the spring inboard to at least flush with the inner wheelwells.
Then you will need to narrow your rearend to move the wheels to that inner well surface less 3/8 inch per side, to allow for body sway in the turns.
Then you will still need to roll up the outter knife-edges vertical to prevent the tires being cut.
To prevent you having to narrow the rearend, you can increase the backspace to about 6 inches, but for 295s you will still have to move the springs.
My conclusion is twofold;
1) you are not trying to fit the largest tires that will fit, and
2) you got the wrong backspace wheels.

Your cheapest, and best solution therefore is to just get the right backspace wheels.
As to more height at the rear, that is a personal preference, and in a 6-cylinder car, anything goes.
But remember this;
do learn to drive it differently before you go testing the cornering limits.
And ; the brakes don't work when you are sliding sideways; you are gonna have to ride it out. So leave yourself some run-off room,lol.
And; 10" wheels with a 6" backspace, are IMO, ugly.
And if you are running adapters to use 4.5 lbp wheels on the sbp axles; well, now, you need another inch of backspace, so now up to 7, which IMO, is fuglier than 6 was.

BTW, on the bottom left of every post, is an EDIT button, that when you punch it, allows you to go back into your post and make changes to it. Changes like spelling and punctuation. Please take the time to make your post say what you mean.
 
Mike69cuda said:
Air shocks used to be pretty popular, but they transfer a lot of load to the top shock bolts.

Shackles also used to be popular, but they look pretty ghetto in my opinion.

You can also roll the inner lip of the fender up if you are REAL careful.
Click to expand...

Air shocks are an option I was considering. If I do air shocks and use that to lift it I assume that The higher I go the stiffer the rear suspension gets resulting in a bumpier ride?
(Which might not stop me.)
 
sporkboy said:
I have a 69 barracuda that I’ve been working on. After a front disk upgrade I had to replace the front wheels so I went ahead and replaced the rears as well. Went with the largest wheels/tires that would fit back there.
Turns out they don’t quite fit. If I hit a bump the rub the inside of the quarter panels. Noticed that a few weeks ago. Not great but they don’t rub _much_ so I was planning on putting off doing anything about it sir slightly longer than I probably should.

But yesterday I realized that when they do this the sidewalk of the tire also rub the knife edge of the wheel well.

MUCH more significant issue. The suspension isn’t too bad for a 51 year old car so I don’t think it’s failing to function normally. I think I just need to raise the rear end to prevent this.

I’m trying to figure out the cheapest way to do this. I want to do the work myself but I don’t weld. Never raised anything in my life so I’ve still barely got any idea of the options available but it seems like a block kit is the way I want to go?

I’m thinking 3 inches of lift would both solve my issue and give me the look I’m going for. I would like to go further but I know the further you go the more parts become involved. More likely to need a new drive shaft, more likely to need to have some fabrication done.


Any tips on how I can get enough lift cheap(er) with no welding would be greatly appreciated.
Any tips on how much lift I can get away with without replacing any expensive non-suspension parts would be even more appreciated.

69 Barracuda, /6, stock suspension and rear end.
- Aaron
Click to expand...
If this is just a cruiser, for now I would get air shocks and be done with it. As long as the integrity of your suspension is fine and you're careful routing the air lines and mounting the schrader valve all should be fine.
 
Although we got away with it for years, as mentioned above, air shocks place a lot of stress on the upper and lower shock mounts that they were not originally designed for.
 
kursplat said:
the correct size wheels and offset is the best way to fix it. how about some pictures first. it could be the springs you have are done and sagging too. are both side doing the same thing? lifting the rear 3" makes for a bunch of other potential issues
Click to expand...

I don't actually want the correct size. I'm looking for a little bit of that 70s "stink beetle" look. (but not too much.)
 
+2 inch.... you can get new springs with a rating of +1 , +2 inch higher ride height over what stock springs are supposed to be.
 
AJ/FormS said:
The largest tires that fit in a 69 Barracuda are 325/50-15s on 10inch rims.
Second largest are 295/50-15s also on 10s.
The standard backspace on those is 4.5 inches.
To install those. you will have to move the spring inboard to at least flush with the inner wheelwells.
Then you will need to narrow your rearend to move the wheels to that inner well surface less 3/8 inch per side, to allow for body sway in the turns.
Then you will still need to roll up the outter knife-edges vertical to prevent the tires being cut.
To prevent you having to narrow the rearend, you can increase the backspace to about 6 inches, but for 295s you will still have to move the springs.
My conclusion is twofold;
1) you are not trying to fit the largest tires that will fit, and
2) you got the wrong backspace wheels.
Click to expand...
You're right, not the largest, the largest that would fit without requiring other modifications. (op updated)



AJ/FormS said:
Your cheapest, and best solution therefore is to just get the right backspace wheels.
Click to expand...
I think we went with the deepest backspace which they could get in those wheels.
The wheels are 15/8 (would have liked /10 but any larger rubbed without hitting bumps)

My invoice says "15x8 5-101.6" I'm not sure if that tells us backspacing info or if that second bit is SBP?

Tires say "255 /60 R15 102S SL RWL" Not sure what the numbers after the 255/60 mean.

AJ/FormS said:
But remember this;
do learn to drive it differently before you go testing the cornering limits.
And ; the brakes don't work when you are sliding sideways; you are gonna have to ride it out. So leave yourself some run-off room,lol.
Click to expand...
Roflcopter
 
Last edited:
sporkboy said:
Air shocks are an option I was considering. If I do air shocks and use that to lift it I assume that The higher I go the stiffer the rear suspension gets resulting in a bumpier ride?
(Which might not stop me.)
Click to expand...
To get something, you have to give something. Also stiffening the rear will cause the front suspension to respond like a boat bouncing on waves. Your front shocks must be in great working order.
 
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You guys are great.
Lots of info to look into.
The hardest part about this is not knowing what I need to look up. Really trying to fill in the gaps so that I can make an educated decision. Y'all are doing a great job of filling them, TY.

I will get some more detail and some photos and post an update.
 
sporkboy said:
I have a 69 barracuda that I’ve been working on. After a front disk upgrade I had to replace the front wheels so I went ahead and replaced the rears as well. Went with the largest wheels/tires that would fit back there without any modifications to the car

Turns out they don’t quite fit. If I hit a bump the rub the inside of the quarter panels. Noticed that a few weeks ago. Not great but they don’t rub _much_ so I was planning on putting off doing anything about it sir slightly longer than I probably should.

But yesterday I realized that when they do this the sidewalk of the tire also rub the knife edge of the wheel well.

MUCH more significant issue. The suspension isn’t too bad for a 51 year old car so I don’t think it’s failing to function normally. I think I just need to raise the rear end to prevent this.

I’m trying to figure out the cheapest way to do this. I want to do the work myself but I don’t weld. Never raised anything in my life so I’ve still barely got any idea of the options available but it seems like a block kit is the way I want to go?

I’m thinking 3 inches of lift would both solve my issue and give me the look I’m going for. I would like to go further but I know the further you go the more parts become involved. More likely to need a new drive shaft, more likely to need to have some fabrication done.


Any tips on how I can get enough lift cheap(er) with no welding would be greatly appreciated.
Any tips on how much lift I can get away with without replacing any expensive non-suspension parts would be even more appreciated.

69 Barracuda, /6, stock suspension and rear end.
- Aaron
Click to expand...
Here's my 69 340 in 1969 with extensions on gabriel hi jackers with N50's on Cragers

IMG_4109 (1).JPG
 
By the time you get your air shocks installed with extensions on those weakazz 6-cylinder springs, You could have a new set of correct backspace wheels.
Or;
if you have bought 2-piece welded wheels like Rallys, you can get a machine shop to cut them apart and slide the spider over anywhere you want it to be, on that center plateau.
 
sporkboy said:
You guys are great.
Lots of info to look into.
The hardest part about this is not knowing what I need to look up. Really trying to fill in the gaps so that I can make an educated decision. Y'all are doing a great job of filling them, TY.

I will get some more detail and some photos and post an update.
Click to expand...
sounds like you want a 70's street look
b2c15887cbf8be3654dc5e81af554e42.jpg

c55b51f288be952622ba0dc47e935fc2.jpg
 
AJ/FormS said:
By the time you get your air shocks installed with extensions on those weakazz 6-cylinder springs, You could have a new set of correct backspace wheels.
If you have bought 2-piece welded wheels like Rallys, you can get a machine shop to cut them apart and slide the spider over anywhere you want it to be, on that center plateau.
Click to expand...
lmao, spend your own money, not his.
 
kursplat said:
sounds like you want a 70's street look
Click to expand...
Basically yes. I’m going for a bit of a Mad Max feel.
I’ll get some photos once I have all the plastic off of it. I’m in the middle of a very sketchy paint job. 0.0

here’s what it looks like now. But I know those asking for pics probably want to see rear suspension And wheel details.

7BBBAB89-8A1D-4E55-A88E-8F3820257114.jpeg
 
Measure the back spacing on those wheels. The picture in my avatar are 15x8 with 4.25 BS I run 275x60x15 Nitto drag radials.

625C0A1F-D2E3-471E-839E-573353591CA3.jpeg
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
Forgot to mention. With 002/003 Super Stock springs.
Click to expand...

Very nice.
Those measurements are pretty close to mine but slightly larger tires. BS on mine is 4.<something> I'll pull a wheel and confirm later today.

The superstock springs are those the same as the 6 leaf they put on the 69 'cuda with a 383 or larger or are they something different?
 
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