[Mike C]

I’m also of the club of keeping the 8 lug pieces and lowering. 1/2 ton springs in the front is a great idea to improve ride. I would go stock height and then use 2.5” lowering spindle to get down more. Removing two leaves from the rear and then running an ECE drop shackle should get a pretty close to 3” drop for the rear.

If you want to go lower in the rear, a flip kit is cheapest. My 1/2 ton has a DJM flip that lowered the rear 7”. You can fab your own if you have welding skills. I will do that once I make sure I have the correct driveshaft angles. Otherwise you need to buy drop leaves which can get expensive.

So many tire sizes in 16” for cars getting away from the bigger rims not needed. And aftermarket wheel choices let you go to 17’s or 18’s as well.