body drop/channel

[Wildstreak]

Im new to the whole lowing thing and have a few questions. whats the difference between a channel and a body drop? if there is one....I figured since everyone is cool and knowledgeable around here it would be a good place to ask.

sorry if this is the wrong place to ask, if so mods please move.

[SCOTI]

Channeling just cuts the floor above the rails to drop the body.
Body dropping usually raises the entire floor.
Stock floor body drops usually cut the upper portion of the frame (notch & box it) & relocate the mounts so the body sits lower on the frame but the distance between the cab floor & the roof remains the same as stock.

[dv8customs]

Channeling is a form of a body drop. You have traditional body drops, stock floor body drops, and channeling.


With a traditional body drop you cut along the firewall, around the floor, and across the back cutting the entire floor out. You then lower the cab to the ground and weld in filler plates to connect it all back together again.

Channeling is a similar process but you cut out only the area above the frame rails. You then move the cab, body mounts and all, down and weld it back up. Since you only raise the area where the frame is you maintain more room in the cab.

Stock floor body drops usually require modifications to the frame height. You shorten the frame to the desired height and move the body mounts down accordingly. This lowers the cab on the frame and since you have shortened the frame rails you are allowed to keep the stock floor. Even though it is called stock floor you will have to modify the transmission hump so it's not exactly stock.

[Imperial Kustom]

FYI. What evrybody refers calls "body dropping" now was originally called channeling. Same thing, just different names now that the mini truck kids have created the term body drop and adjusted other terms to fit their uses.

[mullit]

Originally Posted by Imperial Kustom

FYI. What evrybody refers calls "body dropping" now was originally called channeling. Same thing, just different names now that the mini truck kids have created the term body drop and adjusted other terms to fit their uses.

Actually channeling and body drops are 2 diffrent procedures but get the same end result. Channeling raises the area above the frame rails only to make room, bodydrops are when the whole perimiter of the floor is cut so the cab can then be lowered and welded and patched back up.

[dv8customs]

As I said, channeling is a form of a body drop. And like Imperial pointed out channeling is the way it was done for years before the term body drop even came along.

[Inverter]

I remember hearing the terms "chopped and channeled" as a kid.I wonder what the next big innovative mod will be?

[Wildstreak]

Originally Posted by dv8customs

As I said, channeling is a form of a body drop. And like Imperial pointed out channeling is the way it was done for years before the term body drop even came along.

well thats what brought on the question, my dad and I were talking and I mentioned in an article in one of his mags they were doing a body drop, and he said thats called channeling so I was wondering myself if the terms had changed.

[69 longhorn]

Chopped & channeled is old school....my truck is chopped 4", & channeled 1 1/2. Its not a body drop.... CHANNELED, leaves the floor tin on the outside of the rails STOCK. Cut the center of the floor, drop the body mounts, Then rebuild the center of the floor. Its a little more involved than that...Z the front horns for the drop, & channel the box on the old truck.....involves cutting the bottom angle off the box, & moving it up the amount of the CHANNEL. when you get to the azz end, you can Z the rails, or what I did was opt to drop the bumper brackets. I have seen some damn cool tricks(such as a stock floor body drop), but old school is cool as he!! I have heard the ? many times....dammmmmn, how low is that truck? 3/5 drop static, with 1 1/2" CHANNEL, & a 4 " chop top& NOTHIN drags on the road! Its all low buck /lo tech, but it FLAT AZZ WORKS....& I will tell you it was a LOAD of work....he!! the old truck has stock spindles up front, with 1 ring lopped off the coils, flip on the rear, with spring perches relocated. Just a low tech redneck Pics in my signature, just copy & paste. if you look, you will see the floor mod in the cab. crazyAL

[AceX]

Originally Posted by Inverter

I remember hearing the terms "chopped and channeled" as a kid.I wonder what the next big innovative mod will be?

Sectioning should be bigger than it is. Not too many people do it because its really hard to get right and even more work than any of the previously mentioned mods. When done right though, on the right car, it looks so nice...

This '32 Ford (its got a BBC!) has been chopped and sectioned a total of 6.5";

[Inverter]

Thats nice.
I have seen some sectioned vehicles that had poor symmetry.I like the look,on certain vehicles,and agree that it's not done often,,,probably due to the amount of labor required,as you mentioned.