Body Dropping A 69 Chevy LWB - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

69ChevyGuy · 02-03-2003, 02:23 PM

I'm currently attending Wyotech and I'm planning on body dropping my truck in class. I need all the info I can get about anything that will be usefull to me. If anyone has performed a body drop on a 67-72 pickup let me know what problems you had and what I should look for. I plan on dropping it 3 inches.

. I'm going to start on it next week so any information will be greatly apreciated.

Crank · 02-03-2003, 02:31 PM

I think Lotik has. If he misses this post PM him, he'll prolly get back to ya soon.
Brandon

bouncytruck · 02-04-2003, 01:24 PM

There was a body dropped '69 long-bed in Truckin' a couple of issues back. It was brown. I don't know how much it was dropped but it looked good. I think it was rolling on 20's & 22's.

kxmotox247 · 02-04-2003, 02:48 PM

Hey...is "body-dropping" the same thing as channeling a car? Cutting the floor out and dropping it this way?

If anyone has pictures of this, please share them!!!!

paintpyro · 02-04-2003, 02:55 PM

Yep, body dropping is the same thing as channeling. There have been some advances used on some jobs, but a basic bodydrop is the same.

NSANE68!!! · 02-04-2003, 03:01 PM

The info I have gathered and that info that lotik has gave me is called a stock floor body drop. You lay 2"x3" thin wall tubing inside the frame. Weld in place then cut the excess frame material off the top of the frame. Giving you about 3" of body drop without channeling the floor. All you have to raise is the trans hump and bed floor. I'll try to find some pics. later for ya.

kxmotox247 · 02-04-2003, 03:19 PM

Interesting...never would have thought of that on my own.

Yep...some pics would be interesting. Thanks for the info.

crazy longhorn · 02-04-2003, 03:57 PM

I have a very mild 1 1/2" drop(channeled) on my longhorn.....I might have opted for a little more, but the top is also chopped 4", & space starts growing shorter in the cab! The only cuts made on the framewere on the front horns to drop them 1 1/2". the cab mount brackets were then removed from th frame, & moved down also 1 1/2".....all of the rest of the cuts were done to the body. The tunnel was raised, as well as a strip cut out of the floor on ea side for the rails,& filled with a 3 sided rectangle( I didnt remove the complete floor for such a minor drop). The mounting lip was cut off the box sides,& welded back on 1 1/2" higher, & the rear bumper has modifiedbrackets to drop the height to match the body...........crazyL

>X< · 02-04-2003, 07:49 PM

hows wytech? my friend is going there ate he graduates this year

orange72 · 02-04-2003, 08:35 PM

well i looked at lotiks photos he had and studied up on the art of body droping and im doing it right now im my ag class on a short wheel base frame. ok heres what i did. you take 2x3 1/4" boxed tubing as mentioned above and lay in frame channels. once getting it where you want it and welding into place, take a torch and cut the top of the frame off using the tubing as a guide. once you get it cut take some c-clamps and pull the outside of the frame up tight against the 2x3 tubing then weld up. take your time as to not warp the frame. after getting the channel welded up...take some of that 2x3 and put at each end of the new 2x3 frame but stand it up the width of the frame. this is kinda hard to understand but at the end it will look like a L. this is to give the frame support and keep it from buckling under the weight of the cab etc. once that is done i would take 1/4" plate and put braces at the front of the frame for extra support. once all that is done your done with the center section of the frame. since yours is a lwb the cab sits in front of the trailing arm crossmember so you can leave that alone or you might be going with a 4-link i dont know. the rest is like any other body drop. drop the front frame horns down so that the fenders will line up and then you just need to raise the bed floor up. on the frame that im doing i lowered the frame behind the axle 3 inches so that i could leave that part of the bed floor alone. anyways thats pretty much it. its a lot i know and its prabably kinda hard to understand. if you have any questions feel free to ask though.

lotik · 02-04-2003, 10:25 PM

i used 2x3 3/16" wall under the cab. then reinforced as many ways i could think of. raised the bed floor 3", lowered the core support 3 inches. i also cut out transmission hump and length of the cab for driveshaft clearance. i used sawzall for all my cutting. a local welding shop did all my welds. i posted pics a while back but if none of you can find them i will get some more.

orange72 · 02-04-2003, 10:30 PM

hey lotik. i was wondering how you are doing your exhaust. with the middle cross member braced like it is how are you running your mufflers. thanks

lotik · 02-04-2003, 10:41 PM

heh. thats a point i have been pondering lately. i have the summit block hugger headers. and hopefully i will be able to run it under the frame and then under the cab on the outside of the frame.

orange72 · 02-04-2003, 10:59 PM

yea thats what i was thinking of doing but i was just wondering what you had in mind.

72gmcshorty · 02-05-2003, 01:21 AM

Check out this site. They did a couple of our trucks. Look in the past projects page.

http://www.ifcustom.com/

02-03-2003, 02:23 PM	#1
69ChevyGuy Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 48	Body Dropping A 69 Chevy LWB I'm currently attending Wyotech and I'm planning on body dropping my truck in class. I need all the info I can get about anything that will be usefull to me. If anyone has performed a body drop on a 67-72 pickup let me know what problems you had and what I should look for. I plan on dropping it 3 inches. . I'm going to start on it next week so any information will be greatly apreciated. __________________ 1969 Chevy Longbed

02-04-2003, 01:24 PM	#3
bouncytruck SKINNY TIRES RULE! Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Bothell, WA Posts: 11,038	There was a body dropped '69 long-bed in Truckin' a couple of issues back. It was brown. I don't know how much it was dropped but it looked good. I think it was rolling on 20's & 22's. __________________ bouncytruck 1972 K5 The Hauler 1994 K1500 Suburban The Daily2010 Kia Soul Wife's Ride2014 Fiat 500L

02-04-2003, 02:48 PM	#4
kxmotox247 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Champaign, IL Posts: 1,397	Hey...is "body-dropping" the same thing as channeling a car? Cutting the floor out and dropping it this way? If anyone has pictures of this, please share them!!!! __________________ Baby Blue's Build Thread: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=652776 Project 68's Build Thread: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...17#post8442117 www.stonecolumnclassics.com Email: Josh@stonecolumnclassics.com

02-04-2003, 02:55 PM	#5
paintpyro Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Santa Fe Springs, CA,USA Posts: 1,579	Yep, body dropping is the same thing as channeling. There have been some advances used on some jobs, but a basic bodydrop is the same. __________________ 70 shortbed stepside "Schleprock" 350 w/TH400 rallys and BFGs -We can rebuild it, we have the technology-lower,shinier,faster

02-04-2003, 03:01 PM	#6
NSANE68!!! SLICER AND DICIER Join Date: May 2001 Location: Quuen Creek Posts: 1,383	The info I have gathered and that info that lotik has gave me is called a stock floor body drop. You lay 2"x3" thin wall tubing inside the frame. Weld in place then cut the excess frame material off the top of the frame. Giving you about 3" of body drop without channeling the floor. All you have to raise is the trans hump and bed floor. I'll try to find some pics. later for ya. __________________ 01 Tahoe 22's 2/4 drop and tv's 68 chevy money pit 51 chevy belair 95 Honda 900RR 05 GMC Siearra (company truck)

02-03-2003, 02:31 PM	#2
Crank Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Crittenden, KY Posts: 1,965	I think Lotik has. If he misses this post PM him, he'll prolly get back to ya soon. Brandon

02-04-2003, 03:19 PM	#7
kxmotox247 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Champaign, IL Posts: 1,397	Interesting...never would have thought of that on my own. Yep...some pics would be interesting. Thanks for the info. __________________ Baby Blue's Build Thread: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=652776 Project 68's Build Thread: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...17#post8442117 www.stonecolumnclassics.com Email: Josh@stonecolumnclassics.com

02-04-2003, 03:57 PM	#8
crazy longhorn Fabricate till you "puke" Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ill Posts: 9,402	I have a very mild 1 1/2" drop(channeled) on my longhorn.....I might have opted for a little more, but the top is also chopped 4", & space starts growing shorter in the cab! The only cuts made on the framewere on the front horns to drop them 1 1/2". the cab mount brackets were then removed from th frame, & moved down also 1 1/2".....all of the rest of the cuts were done to the body. The tunnel was raised, as well as a strip cut out of the floor on ea side for the rails,& filled with a 3 sided rectangle( I didnt remove the complete floor for such a minor drop). The mounting lip was cut off the box sides,& welded back on 1 1/2" higher, & the rear bumper has modifiedbrackets to drop the height to match the body...........crazyL __________________ 69 longhorn,4" chop,3/5 drop, 1/2 ton suspension/disc brakes,1 1/2" body drop,steel tilt clip, 5.3/Edelbrock rpm intake/600 carb, Hooker streetrod shorties,2 1/2" exhaust/ H pipe/50's Flows , 6 spd Richmond trans,12 bolt/ 3.40 gears....

02-04-2003, 07:49 PM	#9
>X< registered IWATA user Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Baton Rouge Posts: 4,481	hows wytech? my friend is going there ate he graduates this year __________________ -'63 Ford Fairlane 500 coupe, v8, auto, faded and rusty. awaiting built roller 302 and some flat black -'99 Honda Prelude. vtech/5spd. no pipe, no intake, bone stock. awaiting new top end. -01 GMC Yukon SLT 5.3 dented and scratched with a noisy tranny. Take off that Von Dutch hat before i stab you with a 000 Mack.

02-04-2003, 08:35 PM	#10
orange72 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: huntington,texas,united states Posts: 399	well i looked at lotiks photos he had and studied up on the art of body droping and im doing it right now im my ag class on a short wheel base frame. ok heres what i did. you take 2x3 1/4" boxed tubing as mentioned above and lay in frame channels. once getting it where you want it and welding into place, take a torch and cut the top of the frame off using the tubing as a guide. once you get it cut take some c-clamps and pull the outside of the frame up tight against the 2x3 tubing then weld up. take your time as to not warp the frame. after getting the channel welded up...take some of that 2x3 and put at each end of the new 2x3 frame but stand it up the width of the frame. this is kinda hard to understand but at the end it will look like a L. this is to give the frame support and keep it from buckling under the weight of the cab etc. once that is done i would take 1/4" plate and put braces at the front of the frame for extra support. once all that is done your done with the center section of the frame. since yours is a lwb the cab sits in front of the trailing arm crossmember so you can leave that alone or you might be going with a 4-link i dont know. the rest is like any other body drop. drop the front frame horns down so that the fenders will line up and then you just need to raise the bed floor up. on the frame that im doing i lowered the frame behind the axle 3 inches so that i could leave that part of the bed floor alone. anyways thats pretty much it. its a lot i know and its prabably kinda hard to understand. if you have any questions feel free to ask though. __________________ 1972 chevy long bed. Currently under construction!! Bagged, 383/700r4.

02-04-2003, 10:25 PM	#11
lotik drag it like you stole it Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Louisiana Posts: 542	i used 2x3 3/16" wall under the cab. then reinforced as many ways i could think of. raised the bed floor 3", lowered the core support 3 inches. i also cut out transmission hump and length of the cab for driveshaft clearance. i used sawzall for all my cutting. a local welding shop did all my welds. i posted pics a while back but if none of you can find them i will get some more. __________________ negative camber //LA\\

02-04-2003, 10:30 PM	#12
orange72 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: huntington,texas,united states Posts: 399	hey lotik. i was wondering how you are doing your exhaust. with the middle cross member braced like it is how are you running your mufflers. thanks __________________ 1972 chevy long bed. Currently under construction!! Bagged, 383/700r4.

02-04-2003, 10:41 PM	#13
lotik drag it like you stole it Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Louisiana Posts: 542	heh. thats a point i have been pondering lately. i have the summit block hugger headers. and hopefully i will be able to run it under the frame and then under the cab on the outside of the frame. __________________ negative camber //LA\\

02-04-2003, 10:59 PM	#14
orange72 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: huntington,texas,united states Posts: 399	yea thats what i was thinking of doing but i was just wondering what you had in mind. __________________ 1972 chevy long bed. Currently under construction!! Bagged, 383/700r4.

02-05-2003, 01:21 AM	#15
72gmcshorty Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: North Delta, British Columbia Posts: 1,344	Check out this site. They did a couple of our trucks. Look in the past projects page. http://www.ifcustom.com/ __________________ 1992 Gmc 2wd 1972 Chevy Blazer 2wd



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