[chevyrestoguy]

The control arm clearance to the ground is the biggest issue with our trucks. Anything lower than a 4" drop in the front puts you in the danger zone. That's why the Porterbuilt and Scott's suspension set-ups are so appealing. They give the clearance you need while upgrading the steering and improving the caster and camber. They are not cheap, though.

Pancaking the crossmember is another way to gain clearance. There is a lot of info on this site from guys who went this route. It's a really effective way to gain clearance for hardly any money. Do your homework on this before you start, because there are a few key tips you need to know before you start chopping up the crossmember. There is a limit to how much you should cut before it starts causing clearance issues with the steering.

You can also "Z" the frame. This will give you a bunch of ground clearance and keep all of the steering linkage and suspension geometry to the factory specs. It requires some careful measuring and some fab skills because you're cutting the entire front frame section and moving it up. You'll need to trim the inner fenders, and also change the mounting for the front sway bar. You will need to notch the driver's side upper control arm if you go more than a 2" Z.

After I dropped my '64 5" in the front, I loved the way it looked but did not want to bang the lower control arms on everything in the road. I considered all of the above mentioned methods but decided to "Z" the chassis 2". It cost essentially nothing, and I have gained enough ground clearance to drive the truck with much, much less fear of banging the lower arms. I've had lowered vehicles for over 30 years, and I am very good at knowing how to drive them. You have to change your style, and be able to look far down the road for upcoming potential issues to give you enough time to safely react. Even the best planning doesn't work all the time, though, and that's why you need all the clearance you can get.