i want it low

[shaved80]

i'm looking to lower my truck about another 5" in front, and 6" in back, without bags. i already have lowering shackles in the back and they're already touching the bed with the bed rails removed, so i'm thinking of notching the frame and flipping the rear end. does anyone have this done? i wanna know how well...or not well it rides. i'm also gonna make the c-notch, i've seen people do it with huge metal piping cut in half, good idea or bad? does anyone sell those "humps" that allow the axle some room inside the bed? then i'm stumped at how to lower the front end, it already has drop spindles and drop springs. the only way i've heard of getting it any lower is to relocate the springs, which would involve alot of work, plus i know it couldn't be very safe.

Edited by: shaved80 at: 5/30/05 5:01 pm

[roundedline]

Putting a flip kit on it will drop it only 5-6".  As for using a piece of pipe for the notch, there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing that.  EVERY truck I have ever lowered or help lower was done this way.   Before someone decided to create a "c-notch", this was a C-notch.

Examples:
www.captkaoscustoms.com/i...frame1.jpg
www.captkaoscustoms.com/i...tched3.jpg

DON'T use spindles, and control arms together.  It violates scrub radius.  If you get a flat, the rim won't be the lowest point, your control arms will and you will loose control.

The pics listed above were either bagged or body dropped.

If you want a static (no bags) drop with  5" in the front you need 3" spindles and 2" springs.  Or you could go with a dropped crossmember for an additional drop for $385 + core by me.  I would reserve the drop cross for more radical drops though.  For 6" in the rear, just get a flip kit and keep the shackle at around 1".

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[shaved80]

woah, not that low     i still wanna be able to drive it without shooting sparks, although that first one is SWEET. how can i measure what type of springs and spindles i have? and how round was that pipe you used for the c-notch?

i'm looking at about this low img.sportruck.com/events/...05/450.jpg maybe an inch or 2 higher

Edited by: shaved80 at: 5/31/05 10:18 pm

[roundedline]

The pic you linked was bagged or Body Dropped or both.  

Here is a pic of a static dropped truck.  It is lowerd 4.5"/6"

www.ocbaud.com/pics/truck.jpg

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[73stepside]

I had 3in. dropped spindles and 2in. lowered springs and it sucked.My lower control arms were too low.This is not a good set up for trucks with 15in. wheels.My springs were new not wore out.My truck is a 73 C10,this may work for newer trucks but I think its the same to 87.Don't do it ,I hit a manhole cover on a piece of road that was being worked on,it was sticking up maybe 2 inches and it almost stopped my truck.I damaged my passenger side lower control arm.I am looking into 3in lower control arms from DJM suspension combined with 2in lowerd coils.They say this setup will work for me.

[roundedline]

I have been lowering these trucks for over 15 years and I haven't ever had a problem with a 5/7 drop.

You can't expect to run over things like you did when it was higher, so you have to take that into account.

You are going to be highly disappointed if you go to lowered control arms because they hang lower than the stock arms.  I am betting your control arms hit near the center of the truck, which has nothing to do with the components used for lowering, it has to do with the fact that when lowered in any way, the mounting/pivot point of the control arm is the lowest point.

BTW, I have a 4/6 truck with 2.5" lowered control arms and 1.5" springs AND I have a 5/7 truck with spindles and springs, I have also chopped chopped crossmembers and put spindles on trucks to lower the front 5", and I have modified stock control arms and cut springs before there was spindles being made.

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[Bad Karma]

Quote:You are going to be highly disappointed if you go to lowered control arms because they hang lower than the stock arms.

I'm glad I ran across this thread before I spent any money...  Are you saying that lowered control arms (like DJM's) should be avoided?  I was actually considering buying them, but now you've got me reconsidering...  

Edited by: Bad Karma at: 1/6/06 6:01 pm

[roundedline]

No, I am not saying they are no good.  That quote was a little out of context.  The original poster was complaining that spindles and springs lowered his truck so the control arms hit.  I am saying that lowered control arms have a lowered pocket, so they would be just as bad.

I ran lowered control arms on my truck for over 7 years and it is going back together with them on it again.

Here they are pictured before they were painted:

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[Bad Karma]

OK, gotcha...  Thanks for clearing that up for me.  I actually ended up buying spindles for now, if I need it lower I can always add coils.

[RSBAD454]

I have 3" BellTech drop spindles and I cut a coil out of my stock big block springs. I haven't had any probs, just make sure you have your bump stops in.

Toys are my game

[shaved80]

since the drop springs are from shAIM industries, the right side set alot lower than the drivers, so i'll be cuttin them to even it out from side to side and front to back...6/8 or maybe i'll just install bags so i don't have to redo it all  

if i had my friends 20's that have lower profile tires, it'd drop another 1 1/2"-2"  

Edited by: shaved80 at: 3/19/06 11:48 pm