I want to lower my 600. Witch is the best solution? I know that the reverse eye leaf spring is cheaper than the indipended suspension and will lower the front of the car a few cm, but witch solution gives better handling of the car for steet use???
In case of the indipended suspension is ther any modifications needed to install such kit?

Hi Chris.  For street use, the leaf spring setup is.  Unless you have bags of money, are trying to build a late TCR replica, or are planning on high level competition, you don't need the independent coilover setup.

I would suggest looking at installing Konis, swaybars, urethane bushings, etc., to really make your car handle.  You can lower the front by reversing the spring leaf with the eyelets, re-arching the whole spring, or using lowering blocks.  If you haven't got one, I'd get a BM catalogue to see all the really cool stuff that you can buy.

Gil

Its  right but I prefare the AVO shocks  because the works up and down and Koni only one side (up)

It is nice to hear that AVO shocks you prefer but please write which exact type is good. I am sending you photos ot front axle with spring leaf which contains just one leaf.And what is price ot this shock (for front and for rear)

 The car is for road use only. I have KONIS in all wheels for about a year now and the car is very stable iwth the standard 750cc engine. Now I have upgraded it to 950cc and I need to lower the car to make is more stable. The problem is in the front axle because in the rear I can cut the springs and lower it, but the front system is not that easy. I was thinking of the reverse eye leaf spring and maybe add sway bars in the future. Is this good for a 60hp 600????

Hi Chris.  I just bought this front spring with reverse eyes on ebay in Italy for 134 Euro.  I am pretty sure the seller has more.  You can get them from BM, and I am sure Guy has them too.  The last I lowered a 600, I took the entire spring into a spring shop and the heated the leaves up, re-arched them, and re-tempered them.  This way, the eyes stay in the original orientation.  You can also customize the amount of lowering you want this way too.  BM also sells a lowering block that bolts onto the stock spring and kingpin housing that lowers the car.  This is also adjustable to make camber changes.  If you are in the US, BM has a US agent.

Gil

Hi Gil,

This is what I was thinking of. I do not want to do any convertions of this type though, I just need to remove the original leaf spring and install the revere eye. How low will the car go this way? The lowering block you mention lowers the front the same as the reverse eye leaf spring? Can it be used with the reverse eye or only with the original setup? I want to change the camber a little bit to make the front more stable during cornering.

P.S. I am lockated in Greece in a town near mountains so I want to make the car as safe as possible on cornering

Hi Chris.  Can you please contact me by email and I will send you some photos and scans.  I tried your email address and it didn't work.

Gil

What does this setup do? Is it some kind of sway bar for the leaf spring or it just keeps the suspention in a small travel???

you must fix it on the body(chassis) not on spring and this is almost like a independed suspention after .Also very good for the 500 types

Chris,

I agree with Guy that the proper method of installation for the "horizontal link" is from the center pin on the leaf spring assembly to the chassis rail.  Attaching it to the spring binding has no beneficial effect.    The link has two functions.

1.  It locates the spring laterally and keeps the spring centered on the chassis (presuming that it was adjusted so that the spring actually is centered to begin with), and;
2.  By limiting the deflection movement of the center section of the leaf spring, you are converting the system to two quarter elliptical leaf springs (right and left hand side), and increasing the rate of the spring at the same time.   These actual working length of the leaf spring becomes from the end eye to the center of the clamp that holds the spring to the chassis rail on each side.  The transverse leaf spring becomes a crude lower a-arm and spring combined.  If you use this modification you could remove the rubber blocks and clamp the spring to the chassis rail using the aluminium block only (this lowers the car the equivalent of the thickness of the rubber block).

Keep in mind that the more compliance that you remove from the stock suspension, the more of the suspension shock that you will transfer to the chassis.  A unibody chassis, like the Fiat 600, can only take so much without having some reinforcing work done in specific locations.

Regards,

Paul
Scuderia Topolino
USA

Hi Paul, lots of great info. lately!!!  Many thanks and keep it coming!.

Where should a 600 chassis be reinforced for high HP motors?  Is there information or photos available anywhere?

Thanks,
Gil

I believe Mahlon Craft may have some info on his site.

Regards,

Paul