How low can I go?

[69burban]

I have a 65 longbed. The springs currently on the front are western chassis 4" drop springs and I believe the back are jeep springs (all on it when I bought it). I'm finally done piecing my disc conversion together which includes 2.5" drop spindles
Can I use those drop spindles with 4" drop springs? As long as I can creep over a speed bump I'm ok.
The rear will also get new springs and blocks to level it as well a notch. Pics of how the truck sits now are here. http://www.garagebuiltrides.com/home...lt-rides-truck
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[glos55]

Originally Posted by 69burban

I have a 65 longbed. The springs currently on the front are western chassis 4" drop springs and I believe the back are jeep springs (all on it when I bought it). I'm finally done piecing my disc conversion together which includes 2.5" drop spindles
Can I use those drop spindles with 4" drop springs? As long as I can creep over a speed bump I'm ok.
The rear will also get new springs and blocks to level it as well a notch. Pics of how the truck sits now are here. http://www.garagebuiltrides.com/home...lt-rides-truck
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I'd try it....put it altogether and then see where your crossmember and everything else sits. I had my crossmember 3" off the ground...looked great but was a little scarey driving on Michigan roads!

[kieth]

Originally Posted by 69burban

I have a 65 longbed. The springs currently on the front are western chassis 4" drop springs and I believe the back are jeep springs (all on it when I bought it). I'm finally done piecing my disc conversion together which includes 2.5" drop spindles
Can I use those drop spindles with 4" drop springs? As long as I can creep over a speed bump I'm ok.
The rear will also get new springs and blocks to level it as well a notch. Pics of how the truck sits now are here. http://www.garagebuiltrides.com/home...lt-rides-truck
Posted via Mobile Device

You will soon need to go to air bags so you can drop the truck lower and then raise it back up to drive it down the road. If you want to slam it all the way to the ground then you will run into the front A arms dragging, this is when you will need to go to a porterbilt front end. On the rear of the truck you can put in a C notch for the initial drop, add 2" lowering blocks between the trailing arms and the rear end, then the next step is a really big arch and then relocation of the air bags. It gets complicated. Kieth


http://kieth.smugmug.com/Trucks/65-C...2702&k=MVSMwkr

This is a 65 c10 we are lowering on a budget and this is what the back looks like as we go. We are doing the front end conversion disc conversion using a 84 pickup front crossmember then cutting the lower control arms and adding pipe so the air bags will go even lower. This does not cost much but it does limit how much ground clearance we will have. Look for other threads to see how they did the low cost approach. Coulter is one that has some good how do photos to show you step by step. Kieth

[SoNorth]

I'm kind of wondering the same thing. I want to know how low I can get the back with just a c-notch and static drop. Right now I have 5" drop coils in the rear and the axle is about 3" from the frame rails without a notch.

[69burban]

Yeah the original plan was a porterbuilt stage 1 kit front and back, but photography gear for the website took some financial priority for the time being.

I have all the parts now and would like to have the safety of the front disc conversion until I build the funds back up to do bags. I guess even if it is too low, it would only be for a little while. I just can't bring myself to buy new springs when I'm going to have the bags next year. 6.5" front drop does sound like a lot

I'm planning on putting the step notch in now also, in prep for the bags. I think I may just give it a shot

[chevyrestoguy]

The control arm clearance to the ground is the biggest issue with our trucks. Anything lower than a 4" drop in the front puts you in the danger zone. That's why the Porterbuilt and Scott's suspension set-ups are so appealing. They give the clearance you need while upgrading the steering and improving the caster and camber. They are not cheap, though.

Pancaking the crossmember is another way to gain clearance. There is a lot of info on this site from guys who went this route. It's a really effective way to gain clearance for hardly any money. Do your homework on this before you start, because there are a few key tips you need to know before you start chopping up the crossmember. There is a limit to how much you should cut before it starts causing clearance issues with the steering.

You can also "Z" the frame. This will give you a bunch of ground clearance and keep all of the steering linkage and suspension geometry to the factory specs. It requires some careful measuring and some fab skills because you're cutting the entire front frame section and moving it up. You'll need to trim the inner fenders, and also change the mounting for the front sway bar. You will need to notch the driver's side upper control arm if you go more than a 2" Z.

After I dropped my '64 5" in the front, I loved the way it looked but did not want to bang the lower control arms on everything in the road. I considered all of the above mentioned methods but decided to "Z" the chassis 2". It cost essentially nothing, and I have gained enough ground clearance to drive the truck with much, much less fear of banging the lower arms. I've had lowered vehicles for over 30 years, and I am very good at knowing how to drive them. You have to change your style, and be able to look far down the road for upcoming potential issues to give you enough time to safely react. Even the best planning doesn't work all the time, though, and that's why you need all the clearance you can get.