81 stepside. Replacing 12" lift/44's with a 4"lift/33's.

[fitz]

 I have collected most of the parts I need to start working on my truck. The 12" Superlift suspension (with Rancho shocks) is getting replaced with a 4" Rancho kit. The monster truck look was fun for awhile but I want to make it a daily driver.
 This truck was built around the 12" lift and 44's so a lot of things will have to be changed to remove it.  Most of the drivetrain will get replaced  along with the gas tank, spring hangers, ladder bars, oil filters, and whatever else gets in the way.
 Yesterday I took off the 44" Super Swampers and put on some spare tires I had and it already drives better (it just looks like foolish).
  I know some of you could have this done in a day or two, but everything I do seems to take me forever. My plans are to have it done by the springtime.

[bmaier]

it's too bad that your gonna lower it, but is very understandable since you want it for a dd.

[fitz]

 Trying to get the hang of posting pics. with captions, it's all new to me. Hopefully these ones come out ok.

[nucknoel89]

Nice stuff!

[oldwhity]

It's a shame to undo all that great work but you got to do what you got to do. It's still going to look good.

[ChaseDale3and8]

It's a nice looking truck no matter what you do to it! I ran 44s on my 82 K20 that I had back in the late 80s-early90s. The 44s are hard on all of the steering, brake, and shock components, but they do look good on one of these trucks when they are lifted right!

I also took my big lift off after running it for a few years mainly because of Missouri's strict bumper height laws. I had just put my lift on right before Missouri passed a bumper height law in 1987. I got tired of being hassled constantly by the law every time I drove it into town, and having to go to traffic court over it. It wasn't a daily driver until after I removed the 12" lift that I had under it and replaced it with a 4inch and 33s in 1993.

They do drive a lot better with a milder lift, but I like them either way. Mine didn't drive all that bad when it had the 44s on it. My tires and wheels were bought, mounted, and balanced at Bob Chandlers shop up in St. Louis Mo. Those boys know what they are doing when it comes to balancing a set of tires and wheels like that. It's not an easy chore, or a cheap one! Be sure to post up some new pics when you get done! ...Joe

[fitz]

ChaseDale3and8,
 If lift laws were not an issue would you have lowered your truck? I know the 44"s are tough on parts but besides the front 10 bolt this drivetrain is fairly rugged ( I have a Dana 60 for it but never used it because of the 15" rims).
 I'm sure having your tires balanced at the place you did made a huge difference. We tried a few local places and had no luck. 
        Fitz.
 

[69byrd]

Hate you have to lower it. That is a nice truck you have.

[ChaseDale3and8]

ChaseDale3and8,
 If lift laws were not an issue would you have lowered your truck? I know the 44"s are tough on parts but besides the front 10 bolt this drivetrain is fairly rugged ( I have a Dana 60 for it but never used it because of the 15" rims).
 I'm sure having your tires balanced at the place you did made a huge difference. We tried a few local places and had no luck. 
        Fitz.

 
If the lift laws weren't enacted I likely wouldn't have lowered mine simply because I like the way that they look on 44s. I rolled my daily driver 76 K10 that I had 33s on in August of 1990. Totalled it out. Broke my back, neck, got a nasty skull fracture, etc. in the deal.

I couldn't drive the big truck for quite a while, and I really didn't have the desire to anyway, since had I never intended it to be a daily driver in the first place. I  still had my 81 Z28 Camaro to drive, but after I had that wreck, and since I was 24, and not married at the time, my insurance skyrocketed. I had to do something.

I traded my Z28 for a rusty old 77 K20, slapped a set of 33s on it, and called it good. From 1991 until the spring of 1993, my lifted truck just sat most of the time, not being driven all that much. I couldn't get in and out of it as well as I could before I wrecked my other truck.

Since I was still young and wanted to date women, and didn't want to take them out in my rusty old farm truck, I finally made the decision to lower it back down some in the spring of 1993. My brother tried numerous times...unsuccessfully...to talk me out of it.

By then, I was tired of getting hassled by the law on the rare occasions that I did take it out on dates, and to car shows. It was just time for me to change it. It was too hard for me to get in and out of and for me to maintain the body and undercarriage appearance. By the way, my 82 was the same color as yours. I just had the fleetside bed on mine. I lifted it as soon as I bought it in July of 1987. I drove it with 33s and a 4 inch lift until I traded it in on a brand new 1998 Dodge Ram shortbed 4x4 in October of 1997. Wish I still had it. ...Joe

[oldwhity]

Fitz, how's it comin along? Any progress?

[fitz]

We got some snow this week and I worked about 30 hours O.T. plowing so I didn't get much done on the truck. 
          Fitz.

[SmokeShow]

LOVE the long stepper!!!  Supper sharp truck!!!  And I'm not a fan of the big lifts.  More of a practical guy so I'll like it even more once lowered to a more DD-friendly 4" lift.


C-ya

[captain carnage]

Awsome truck, It'll still be very cool.

[team39763]

That's real good looking truck.  I'd love to have that in my fleet.

[82gmc3/4ton]

Great looking truck. Is that a Corvette metallic blue?