Not sure what to do about my z'd Frame

[04 orange]

Ok guys I'am stuck and not sure what to do so any help would be great. My frame on my truck is Z'd 6in, with the z and 2.5 drop spindles the frame lays out. The hei is in the firewall and the valve covers are above the edge of the fenders, and theres not even a carb or breather on yet, so the way it looks now is that i'm not going to be able to run a hood. I am thinking i should redo the z to 4in, and cut a 1in off my lower bag cups but i'm not sure how much that will lift the truck back up or if it will at all. Do yall think that will solve my problems and not lift the truck back up.

Thanks,

Jeremy

[laidout]

wow thats one hell of a z i zed mine like 2 something and im in the prosses of lowering my engine down

[BK]

what year truck? i z-ed mine 4" with 3" spindles and plates/cups. i moved my engine ahead 3", to a forward set of holes on the frame, only had to drill an extra hole in the crossmember. plenty of dizzy clearance, hood clearance is still up there with a quadrajet and 3" filter. whats funny is with the engine moved to this set of holes, and a 700r4, you can use a buick roadmaster driveshaft with just a different rear u-joint, and the length is perfect, with a coil sprung rear.

just curious, what made you decide to go with 6"?

[boomer]

With a 6 inch z i can't give any advice however on a 4 inch z'd i have a question. Couldnt you put on a cowl induction hood on so the cleaner and so forth wouldnt hit and you could close it up. Moving the engine 3 inches, is this something that i am going to have to do that is mandatory with my 4 inch z. Did you move it ahead because of the indifference between the engine and rad once you lowered the rad. I was gonna get and electric fan and maybe lengthen some of the lines to reach. Just let me know if i am missing something as i have been told different things and one is different strokes for different folks. All ive done so far is z the front 4 and lower the rad support. Thats it.Besides ofcourse the 87 is already bagged. Time to test fit the bodylines by throwin the cab,doors and fenders on now.

Hey what else am i gonna run into. Steering wise etc etc etc etc for modifications on this 87 since ive z'd it 4 inches. Besides ofourse the tranny crossmember and the cab need to be higher inside. Those things i know already but what are some of the little things im missing.

[04 orange]

The truck is a 68 swb. Well we did that big of a z because we were trying to get all the way down without having to buy spindles, but it didn't work out anyway. I have thought about moving the motor forward that's no problem, but I am not sure how to go about lowering the motor perchs. Any ideas on that.

Thanks,

Jeremy

[camaro__thunder]

Wow a 6" z is way too much you are going to have all kinds of fun with your steering. We did a 3" z on mine and with spindles it killed the rockers.

[67Fleet]

I'd cut it back up and start over. You're going to spend way less time doing that than leaving it as is and having to figure out a way to make everything else work around the 6" Z.

[7deuce]

2 3/4 Z here and see ya rockers. I wanna see a pic of a 6in Z I think that is a worlds record.................... And unless you move the motor forward a ton no HEI for you. I have my motor in the front 2 holes on the frame and Im using a mallory unilite Dist.

[04 orange]

Here's a pic of the z and a few others of what the truck looks like together.

[Jaredm82]

I don't know how you guys are "destroying" your rockers with only a Z or sectioned crossmember. As far as I know, only the pinch weld touches the ground unless you mess with the body mounts...? Maybe 67-72 are different?

[Slmd92DIME]

that trucks looks cool man

[boomer]

Maybe the shadows or maybe because its 5 am in the morning but am i wrong to say that yor truck with a 6 inch z isnt sitting on the concrete flat out. Or is it slammed right into mother earth at least with respect to the cab. I z'd mine 4 inches, lowered the rad support friday as well and my bumper is eating up the floor hard you cant fit a piece of paper between the 2.. I gotta sneaky suspicion that when i throw my cab back on for the first time it's gonna be slammed real hard. I trimmed 2 inches off the bottom of frame,box tubed it in for reinforcement and left cab mounts where they were. I wonder if my pinch welds are going to be bye bye.Ill have to setitup on something like a piece of wood under the tires and see.

Anyway by the way youre truck looks killer bro, keep on keepin on, shes a head turner foresure.

[camaro__thunder]

I would set some boards under the tires to see how high you can get the tires off the ground and keep the body on earth. I say this because mine set down hard into the rockers with the 3" Z(no pinch weld). Its funny when the body is on the ground and you can pick your wheels off the ground.

[pharcydekm]

Ok I have a hard time explaining this but here it goes...

When I built my Z'd frame I tacked a 2x4 to the front cross that way it kept the Cross member off the ground 2". I built the frame on the ground from there. The body mounts are set to keep the cab off the rails by about 3/8". Not sure what this would add up to for a Z but I would say 6" beings that my front horns are reversed just like yours 04Orange. I had to trim the firewall to clear the dist. Also cut 1 5/8" off the rockers.

I still haven't figured out what to do for a hood. The best I can figure is probably a 2" or 3" cowl hood. But... I may have the wife talked into a Blower and then will just stick it out through the stock hood

Good luck with your build and it looks great!!!

[XXL]

Originally Posted by pharcydekm

I may have the wife talked into a Blower...

Uh....

[pharcydekm]

Originally Posted by XXL

Uh....

Ya well some guys don't get em and their wives won't alow them. Sucks to be THEM!!

More serious note is I wouldn't have a problem with a 6-71 sticking out of the hood!!

[milehightoyz]

Originally Posted by pharcydekm

I may have the wife talked into a Blower..

hahaha....that aint right......I guess that would suck, wouldnt it??

[04 orange]

I am redoing the z today. Can't decide to go 3" or a 4" z. What to yall think.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

holely notches batman....

[7deuce]

2 1/2"........ will save you money in the long run. And clip 2in of the bottoms of the frame rails. Youll be planted pretty good.

[04 orange]

Well i got finished up with the re z today. Decided to make it 3". Now the Frame rails are about 2" of the ground in the front, that is with it bare frame. I thinking that it will go down another 1" with everything on it. What do yall think.

Another question that I have is, do aftermarket control arms upper and lower give any amount of drop. Because I am using the stock ones with the suicide doors bag plates, and cups. I have cut an 1" off the cups already.

[7deuce]

I have air rides techs and NO.

[67Fleet]

Cut those cups all the way down to 1/2". You just need enough to grab into the stock lowers.

[IvelDesigns]

i'm about to cut my cups and want to clarify. when you say cut them down to 1/2", are you including the 1/4" plate on top of the tube? or are you saying to make the tube 1/2"? either way, i'm planning to cut mine down to 1" including the plate.

[7deuce]

Just bagged a 71 blazer and I junked the lower cups and welded a 1/4 flat plate on the arm. Works good and you get another 3/4 to 1in.