I Finally Z'd my frame!!

[loweredd]

I'm so happy I finally got it done! Now I can get down to finishing my "stock floor" body drop, and dropping in the LT1. Check out the pictures for those interested. MUCH easier than the crossmember drop, and for those of you, like me, that like a BIG wheel, or more than electrical tape for a sidewall, this is the ticket. A crossmember drop would not have cut the mustard for me, so I Z'd the frame. I moved the crossmember up 4". When the frame hits the ground now, the a-arms are about 2 1/2 inches off of the ground. I will be removing about 1 1/2 inches off of the lowest hanging portion of the frame so I will actually be sitting on the pinch weld of the cab.

[loweredd]

In the process.

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finished up at the firewall

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Up at the core support

[TIMSPEED]

Originally posted by loweredd
I moved the crossmember up 4". When the frame hits the ground now, the a-arms are about 2 1/2 inches off of the ground. I will be removing about 1 1/2 inches off of the lowest hanging portion of the frame so I will actually be sitting on the pinch weld of the cab.

CHRIST! So, now you can actually drag the BODY while driving!

[shimp]

So I guess you haven't gotten the motor back in yet. What kind of clearence on the firewall/engine will you end up with? LT1's are crank trigger ignition right?

I thought about doing this to my 76 but running a stock HEI setup I'd probably have to mod the firewall a little.

And are you doing the stock floor bodydrop just to clear the trans? Just cutting out the hump and moving it up? Shouldn't have to do anything to the bed right?

Why did you notch it 4". I would think 2.5" would have done it. How big of tire you gonna run in the front?

What about the driveshaft vs. the rear cab crossmember? You mod the cross member?

As you go please post more pics.

[loweredd]

Yes, the body will be the lowest part on the truck now. Well, I will have 2 or 4 drag blocks actually so I dont smash the rockers. (maybe)

2.5 or 3 MIGHT have been enough. I wanted to make sure that once I got it all done and back together, I wouldnt be 1/2 short. (story of my life) LOL!!

On stock floor, I was talking about cutting the bottom portion of the frame off. I just got the driver's side finished up tonight, I will get the passenger side done tomorrrow. I will post pictures at work tomorrow, when I get the camera hooked up to my desk computer. I also think that there will be slight tranny to tranny hump clearance issues. No problem, I will add about 2 inches of sheetmetal around the tranny hump. It will be a little shorter than a manual tranny cab hump. (too bad that's not what I started out with.)

My fuel cell problem has forced me to revamp my bed plans. I was going to install wheel tubs in the back, and a rolled ribbed bed floor patch panel to cover the gapping hole for the rear end. Well, the street rod fuel cell I wanted from Summit keeps getting back ordered in the 2 colors I wanted, so now I am going to get the whole floor from a Suburban from a junk yard, and have one of the local sheetmetal shops roll that into a huge bedpan/wheel tub combo. So much for what's left of the bed.

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a few more before shots.......

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sorry about that one being fuzzy. Oh well. here is a finished picture.

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Here is the inside of the framerail. Now I will need to fab a crossmember for the Corvette tailshaft transmission.

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Last one finished. Let me know what you guys think!! C'mon. Get me excited about the project.

[BaggedC10]

Looks good. Repair the rust while your at it.

[loweredd]

What, you dont like my "custom" see through rockers?

It is going to the body shop for all new sheetmetal and paint as soon as I get it finished up.

[shimp]

Looking good. What did you reinforce the framerail with? Just another peice of flat bar or are you using Angle iron? Would look much better and be stronger if you boxed it all in as well, the smooth the welds and paint it.

Keep it up. It's gonna be super low that's for sure.

BTW if you Z-notched the frame 4" I would think you'd need to raise the tranny hump about 3", not 2". But let us all know how it fits, I'm curious. Gonna be keeping my eye on this thread for sure.

[loweredd]

For the bottom portion of the framerail, it is angle iron. My new tranny crossmember will sit on top of that, and it will fasten with bolts through the new lower portion (angle iron) and original frame.

I just got done with the passenger side tonight. Now the lowest part on the truck is the stock airdam piece. I kinda liked that piece. Oh well, guess it's gone. I'll tackle the crossmember and MAYBE engine/tranny tomorrow.

*working 9-8 at night kinda sucks when you are trying to complete a project*

[loweredd]

Originally posted by shimp
So I guess you haven't gotten the motor back in yet. What kind of clearence on the firewall/engine will you end up with? LT1's are crank trigger ignition right?

I thought about doing this to my 76 but running a stock HEI setup I'd probably have to mod the firewall a little.

And are you doing the stock floor bodydrop just to clear the trans? Just cutting out the hump and moving it up? Shouldn't have to do anything to the bed right?

Why did you notch it 4". I would think 2.5" would have done it. How big of tire you gonna run in the front?

What about the driveshaft vs. the rear cab crossmember? You mod the cross member?

As you go please post more pics.

Sorry Shimp, I missed answering some of these. LT1's are a sort of crank trigger, yes. No distributor in the rear.

Nothing needs done to the bed.

Cab floor will be raised, for top of tranny clearance.

The front has 305/50/20's right now. A little too wide, and since I raised up the crossmember, a little too tall. I would have to cut the top of the fender off, and I'm not going to do that. I think I will end up with a 275/45 or maybe 255/whatever.

The rear cab crossmember...the one with the fuel lines bolted to it is already cut from when I bagged it the first go-around.

[shimp]

I have a 27" tire on the front of my truck (235/60/15) on a stock rallye 7" wheel and I had to cut a lot of metal from the inside of the fender to make it lay down. I'll try to get some new pics up after this weekend, gonna be working on it alot in my shop.

Got some pics of that crossmember you cut? Did you have to cut it for driveshaft clearance?

[loweredd]

I will get some pictures for you. Yes, I had to clearance it for the driveshaft.

[orange72]

ok let me get this straight...lol. your gonna be on bags with a body drop and a frame that is z'd right?? if im not mistaken youll almost be able to lay door. because i know with a 3 inch body drop you can lay rocker and with the frame on the ground thats another 2 or 3 inchs. anyways im just wondering. i miht be mistaken but im just curious. thanks

[loweredd]

not a body drop, a "stock floor" body drop. I cut about 2 inches off the bottom of the frame.

[shimp]

Got anymore pics yet? I wanna see how it sits. What wheels you gonna run?

[loweredd]

For wheels, I have these 20" Motto (which I was told when I bought them they were unreleased American Racing wheels. A half truth I guess) I'm looking right now for a different offset so I can turn at such a lowered ride height. I cant find any that I like that much. Oh well. I kinda like Centerline Daggers, but they dont make those in 22". We'll see what happens.

I am hopefully finishing up the new tranny tunnel tomorrow night, and will try to get some pictures of it "laying" on the rocker panel.

[bagged81]

Originally posted by loweredd
I cut about 2 inches off the bottom of the frame.

So you are not actually dropping the cab, but shortening the height of the frame from the bottom? So is that a stock floor bodydrop? I thought that a stock floor bodydrop was shortening the height of the frame from the top so that the cab is actually mounted lower.

On Z'ing the frame, why did you not do a cross memeber drop? Wouldn't that be easier? Not critisizing, just asking because I am still kicking both ideas around.

[bagged81]

BTW, good photos. I could really tell what was going on. :thumbsup:

[loweredd]

Originally posted by bagged81

So you are not actually dropping the cab, but shortening the height of the frame from the bottom? So is that a stock floor bodydrop? I thought that a stock floor bodydrop was shortening the height of the frame from the top so that the cab is actually mounted lower.

On Z'ing the frame, why did you not do a cross memeber drop? Wouldn't that be easier? Not critisizing, just asking because I am still kicking both ideas around.

Stock floor....(my definition) is modifying the frame, instead of the cab floor, to lay rocker. A LOT less work to chop 2 inches off the bottom of the frame and weld in about 43 inches of heavy angle iron. When they cut the top of the frame, they always lower the cab mounts on the frame too, which is alot more work. (on our trucks)

A crossmember drop would not work here when you take into account the tire size I am running. I had planned on staying with my 305/50/20's BUT up front, I found I would have tire coming through the hood. I will now have 255/50/20's on the front and 275/45/20's on the back.

No offence taken at the questions either....