Shorter Shocks?

[69halfton]

How low can i go with only drop springs in the front of my 69 halfton truck with out changing my shocks?

Im new to this suspension lowering stuff, and I am a little confused, i read a thread that said somebody sells a spring that is 1 inch shorter, and that means the truck is 3.5" lower

does that mean if i were to order 1 inch lowering springs from LMC the truck would actually sit 3.5" lower?

thanks guys.

[LONGHAIR]

No one ever said that a 1" drop spring was 1" shorter than your stock one, did they? Drop springs are generally sold with an "estimate" of how much they will lower the truck, but there are lots of factors involved.
First, your original springs are old....who knows how much they have sagged over the years? So how could they guarantee that?

Second, "spring rate" has an effect upon the ride height too. A softer spring of the same uninstalled height would sit lower in the truck, because the weight of the truck pushes it down more.

Yes there is a difference between how much height is taken from the coil and how much the truck is actually lowered. The coil is trapped in the middle of what is essentially a 3rd class lever. It exerts it's force in the middle of the lower control arm, so there is more movement at the end of the lever where the wheel is mounted.....but I couldn't tell you the exact ratio.

Oh, and on your original question, "In theory" you don't need a shorter shock in this situation. The stock shock is not the limiting factor in upward wheel travel, the lower bump-stop is, so until you have modified things beyond this point it does not matter. You will be "using" the shock in a different place in it's travel, but that's ok.
You only need a shorter shock when it becomes the limiting factor in suspension travel....Meaning that it bottoms out (collapses totally) before the bump-stop would hit.

[69halfton]

thanks longhair! that is exactly what i was looking for.

In the LMC cataloge, it says more then a 2 inch lowering spring will need a shorter shock, but I think that only 2 inches should be fine, and that the stock bump stop should still hit before the shock bottoms out. am I wrong?

how does the truck ride with lowering springs in the front? stiffer? does it bottom out more easily?

[protrash64]

Anything I lowered 2'' rode basically like stock, except 2'' lower. I'm wondering if what you read had included a 2.5'' lower spindle combined with the spring.

[Sammy]

If you lower the front without lowering the back also you will encounter too much rake running short on enough adjustment for your head lights. Basicly pointed 12 feet in front of your truck.

[Sammy]

Here are two pics. One shows the stock rear with a 2 in drop spring in the front. The other shows after installing 3 in drop in the rear.

[69halfton]

I will be dropping the rear also, about 3 inch or so, but that wasn't my concern as i can just use some blocks and im ready to go.

so i can go ahead and order 2 inch lowering springs for the front of my truck, and not worry about the shocks? just double checkin'

[protrash64]

IMO........yes. 2'' is not much.......just enough to make you start buying spindles, 3'' springs, cutting something out of the way, notches, etc, etc, etc, etc...........