Dropping my '64 stepside without messing with the suspension...

[Todd_a]

Originally Posted by ChiefRocka

To each is own...but I'm going to have to disagree with you on whats "right".

I have need dropping vehicles now for about 16 yrs...(not too long, I still have alot to learn ).....but if done correctly, spring modification will not affect the ride as dramatic as you say.

What I recommend to my customers on a budget, is pull some 3/4 or 1-ton front springs from the wrecking yard (cheap), cut a 1 1/2 to 2 coils max, and remove the bumpstop mount on the lower a-arms. (this will give you the ride back you lost from modifing the suspension position). By running a heavier spring rate on a 1/2 ton, you still retain some "strength" when you cut them down...versus cutting a stock 1/2 ton spring...

Combine that with a dropped spindle (yes there is a cost there), and a nice set of oil shocks (oops, another cost there) and you WILL HAVE an excellent ride.

Now, as far as suspension geometry, any qualified ASE certified alignment shop CAN realign the truck back into spec. If you notice, there is plenty of stud there to get the front wheels back out to correct camber.....


Otherwise, the channeling looks good man

Good Job !!!

Thanks!!!

I'm with ya on that long term stuff... I lowered my first square body back in 1985/1986. I've heated springs, cut springs, used 4 cylinder or 6 cylinder springs in V8 cars, used aftermarket springs, etc... I may not have chosen the correct words when I said it messes up the suspension geometry - not that an allignment can't bring the caster/camber/toe in back into the right settings, but it does cause you to have a more limited range of adjustment, and the biggie for me is that lowering with springs causes the vehicle to have a limited amount of travel in the suspension. Removing the bump stop does increase this but it is a work-around, a band-aid type of adjustment.

I know that you can get an excellent ride with a good spring/shock combination. Many things are adustable.

My thoughts with this were to drop the truck and retain factory suspension completely. Sort of a best of both worlds scenario. There are compromises elsewhere that I have to deal with though. I am not saying this is the best option for everyone, or even many people at all. But for some in certain situations, this is the best answer.

I would like to get a squishier ride in the rear still. It is really bouncy like it is. I am hoping that adding the fuel tank behind the rear wheels will help that some.

I think that what you are advising your customers to do is probably right on for them in their situations, and it would be for me in a different situation also.

BTW, I have front springs off of a 1988 Suburban (still square body) with somewhere around 1 coil removed - did that to bring the front down so it was not higher than the rear several months back. So that was my starting point with this one.

[Todd_a]

Originally Posted by L0WRIDE

hoping to get started on my 65 in a week or so.as for your truck i would not give a damn what any thinks about chopping it your the one that owns it your the one thats paying for it and as long as it is done safely and your happy with it who cares. I've been told buy people that i cannot chop and channeling my 52 sedan but guess what i'm going to so good on ya

Yeah, there are a lot of "Purists" out there that are getting upset that older cars and trucks are getting rare and that the number of them that are restored to factory is dwindling down now. I can understand that somewhat. But, there are tons of those cars that have gone to the crusher because no one decided to rescue them at all. So, a modified antique car that is still out there to be seen and appreciated is still better than a squished one at the scrap yard somewhere.

I would love to have a completely stock Model A and a completely stock early 50's chevy truck. But I also want 2 more of those with extensive mods done to them. lol

Some times people take modifying to an extreme but some times channeling a car (to me) adds to it more than it takes away. Think of a '32 coupe or roadster. with the factory stance it still looks cool, but if you channel it and make the framerails dissapear, hidden just inder the body, it seems to really enhance the look of that car as far as I am concerned.

Un-Channeled Roadster


Channeled Roadster

[Todd_a]

BTW, here is a before shot and a Photoshopped pic of what I am looking to achieve...

[Todd_a]

DAY 5:

I didn't get a lot of time to work last night on it, but I did manage to relocate the radiator down so that the hood will close now. I was going to cut into the front crossmember and add an extension to it but that looked a little harry, so I just left it in place and mounted the radiator at a slight angle and built brackets that hold the bottom down and away from the crossmember. I need to do some bending on the tranny cooler hard lines because they are against the lower radiator hose now. I also have to find an electric fan setup now because the engine mounted fan would hit the radiator and the upper hose if I attempted to put it back on.

I also worked on the throttle again. I realized that what I was trying to do was begining to be sort of a crap job, and determined that I may have to totally redo this from scratch to make it work in there. I may have to build a bracket to mount it on under there to get it where I want it to be. I need to move the pedal toward the front a few inches and relocate the lever that pulls the cable to the left and to the front a few inches.

Yesterday morning before work I cut down the seat brackets and rewelded them and painted them so the seat is lower now. I ca not go any lower with it without removing some of the tall part of the tranny hump. So this will be the seat height for now.

At this point I am interested in getting everything in order to get the truck on the road again, then I will finish the cosmetics once I can move it around. I am attempting to get it to a car meet that is coming up this Thursday and I am less concerend with having things like the floors and all those panels welded in place as I am with getting the cooling fan, throttle and gas tank installed and getting the truck drivable.

Anyway, finally some pics with the hood shut...

[Lemondrop63]

Startin to look good

[Todd_a]

Originally Posted by Lemondrop63

Startin to look good

Thanks man. Might help if I'd clean it up some. lol

[Dinos63]

Todd,looks like alot of work,turned out nice, some guys like doing more body work ( sheet metal ) some guys like suspension, do what you like and what fits you

[Todd_a]

That is an awesome looking truck!!!

[Todd_a]

DAY 8:

I didnt write on day 6 that I worked on it, because I only got a few things done to it like part of the throttle set up.

Yesterday would actually be day 7, but I was pooped when I was done for the day and I didn't get any piucs from then either. I did manage to get an electric fan mounted, and I installed the fuel tank in the back under the bed and ran a fule line to the existing line under the cab. I also finished bolting the bed to the frame.

Today I readjusted the linkage to the tranny shifter and finished hooking up the electric fan with a toggle switch. The distributor was loose and the timing was all wrong when I got it cranked up so I had to deal with that also. I need a tach in there because it seems to be idling too high and I can't tirn it down with the throttle speed screw on the carb. I checked for vacuum leaks but I didn't find any. I think the previous owner may have had the timing retarded more to lower the idle, because with it set right is feels better. The carb needs rebuilding anyway, maybe that will straighten this out. I think it is drivable now anyway.

I discovered that I broke my brake light switch when I was messing with the steering column, so now I have to go buy a new one.

I still have a lot of work to do to finish it like welding in all the interior and the back of the cab. It has a little rust here and there that I will be cutting out and replacing with good metal.

I removed those big side mirrors but I don't have a little one to put back on there yet. Now I also have to fill in the 4 holes per door where the mirrors were mounted! ugh!

I still beed to run the fule gauge wire to the tank and hook that up and I'll have to do something about a bed floor at some point, but here it is the way is sits now. I decided to wash it off for the first time this summer.....





It almost looks like the rear should come down some more, but it is on a hill so I will have to reevaluate when it is sitting flat somewhere...




You can see the tank under the back in this pic. I may need to get a roll pan to try and hide that .

[Jdub]

man, that looks great. definitely coming along nicely. have you taken any exact before and after measurements from the ground up to see how much you dropped it overall in the front and back?

[Todd_a]

Originally Posted by Jdub

man, that looks great. definitely coming along nicely. have you taken any exact before and after measurements from the ground up to see how much you dropped it overall in the front and back?

Thanks!!!!!

Yep, I did measure before and after and the front came down almost exactly 5" and the back of the truck was closer to 4.5" for some reason. Possibly not having a bed floor in there and a few of the brackets are out, but I swept up huge pile of dirt that had fallen out from under it towards the rear. I mean a good 5-6" tall by about a foot diameter pile! That has to weight something.

There is also a lot of metal that was cut out of the truck and the gas tank was in the cab and it was full, and the new tank in the rear only has about 4 gallons in it right now.

it has this rake to it almost exactly before dropping it, but I guess it was not as noticible before when it was all up in the air.

I may have to try to pull the rear suspension down about an inch or two to level it out a little more, as much as I hate to mess with the suspension. It's gotta look cool though.

[63 & 64 Bowties]

Todd, anything new to report????

[WinDancer]

Hey, Todd a
None of your pics are showing now- I wanted to see your work ?

[sixtyfour]

Originally Posted by WinDancer

Hey, Todd a
None of your pics are showing now- I wanted to see your work ?

Same here!

[Hillbilly Deluxe 65]

looks good todd a, nice work

[badriand]

Todd looks like you have your pics in photobucket but your account uses a password and they aren't public so not showing up.. You can upload the images thou. Where you at in Tyler? Not to far from you.