73-87chevytrucks.com
73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Brakes, Frame, Steering & Suspension => The Lows (Lowering/Drops) => Topic started by: HellaHellaLowLow on October 02, 2008, 11:55:10 pm
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my truck is gonna eventually be bagged...but for now i want a low stance...so i was thinking a flip kit AND a shackle kit...
here are the part numbers that i was lookin at through summit racing..
BEL-6850
SUM-G756
according to what it says, that would be a total of a 8" drop in the rear....is that healthy for my truck?...ill probably be running 20" rims with 35 serries rubber...or 22"s with 35 serries rubber...will i have to notch my frame?...cut my wheel wells out??
any modification is no problem...i just wanna know what to expect before i order....or is there a cheaper way to go about it? as in probably using the flip kit and pulling a couple leafs?...money really isnt the issue, just gettin it all out there ya know...thanks for everyones help beforehand!
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Anything over 6" in the rear will require a C-notch. If you want it to lay on the ground I would suggest a Porterbuilt rear half and drop member.
If you plan to do it yourself, you need a step notch and a frame z to get it down as low as possible.
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yea i eventually plan on "z"ing the frame and doing the "tranny crossmember mod"...after that im gonna traditional body drop it to the doors...way past the pinch and rocker (which would obviously require a step notch and a link setup, all on air or course)
but for now, i just want a lower stance...so i was wondering whats the best way to go about it.
should i just do the flip kit and pull a leaf or 2? and hold off on the shackles?
thanks for your reply, its helped already haha....im not used to these trucks...this is the first fullsize ive owned and they're a smidge different than the mini's
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Not sure if you are interested in a bolt in drop on air, but Porterbuilt's kit will put it on the ground without a Z. The rear half bolts in after you cut the frame with a template.
His site is located here: http://www.porterbuiltstreetrods.com/
If you want it as low as possible the problem arises in the front, you can only go so low and the control arms will hit the ground. Spindles and bags set at the correct height will put it on the ground. This is one of my trucks that I worked on before tearing it down. The tires are 28" tall and there is just 2.5" spindles with a block set at the installed bag height and no front end on it. This is your limiting factory.
(http://www.captkaoscustoms.com/images/bagged4.jpg)
(http://www.captkaoscustoms.com/images/crossmember-matchbox2.jpg)
I also build and sell chopped crossmembers (on exchange) that will get the truck 1.5" lower AND I have a How-to section on how to do a chopped crossmember:
http://www.captkaoscustoms.com/chopcross.html
If you are just wanting it lower for now and don't plan on chopping anything up and bagging it, I would use spindles/springs on the front for a 5" drop and a flip kit and shacke along with a C-notch on the rear for 7" drop. You really don't want to go any lower than this and drive it with a static drop.
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that truck in those pics looks very close to layin body...how far off is it??...thats amazing haha
yea financially im not ready to bag it just yet...i was more so asking about a low static drop...how to go about it...and you answered my questions...so ill go with the flip kit and shackles for the rear
so would "z"ing the frame fix the issue with the lower control arms bottming out first?...is that the point or am i missing something?
and could you just "z" the frame enough to compensate for that crossmember being too big?...
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Yes Z'ing will move the crossmember up to allow the body to go down. The drop member does the same thing, but with a stock frame. I beleive he can get them on the pinch weld.
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right on, so ill definaitely be Z'ing my frame one of these days...ill Z it to get it flat on the ground, than traditional body drop the rest to the doors....cant wait
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You don't need to do a body drop to get the body on the ground. You can get it on the ground with a 4" Z. Of course you are gong to have to cut the bottom of the frame off to get the body on the ground. An old 73-87 owner friend documented this on his site:
http://www.loweredd.com/Frame_Z.html
If you want the door bottoms on the ground, you will have to do a body drop to cut the rockers off.
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man that write up was awesome, you're buddy did a really good job....thats exactly what ill be doing to mine comin up here soon...with the frame Z and the cutting of the bottom of the frame...it looks like it plants it right on the pinch...which is awesome and hella low...i just want mine lower than that...so ill get it to that point, then do a traditional body drop and cut the rockers off to make it lay door...or pretty close....man im stoked now
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captkaos, whats the price on a chopped x-member for the front?
Do you know how much i can get the porterbuilt rear section for?
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captkaos, whats the price on a chopped x-member for the front?
Do you know how much i can get the porterbuilt rear section for?
The ones we build are $525 with a supplied core.
the porterbuilt rear kit for the 73-87 is $1699. That price includes everything (bags, shocks, hardware... complete).