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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Beautiful BC, Canada, eh?!
Posts: 2,227
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C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
How low can I drop the front before the lower control arms hang below a 15" rim?
I should have measured before I ripped the front all apart, but hindsight is always 20/20.
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1961 Apache: "Grabber Orange" Shortboxed, pancake, step-notch, air-ride, boosted-LS 1977 Silverado: Shortboxed & dropped, potato-potato V8 Pontiac Firefly (Chevy Sprint): The ultimate engine swap: 5.7L in a 1.0L bag Lotus Super 7 Replica: Scratch-built street-legal rollerskate |
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#2 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Posts: 293
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
Depends on the whole diameter of the wheel not necessarily just the size of the rim.
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1980 C10 SWB Yukon 5.3/5 speed 3.73 gears. |
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#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Beautiful BC, Canada, eh?!
Posts: 2,227
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
Ah, right, yes. That makes sense.
Let me try again: At what amount of drop does the control arm hang lower than the edge of a 15" rim? Reason I ask, is up here it's is illegal for anything to hang below the rim, and I don't want a fix-it ticket quite yet.
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1961 Apache: "Grabber Orange" Shortboxed, pancake, step-notch, air-ride, boosted-LS 1977 Silverado: Shortboxed & dropped, potato-potato V8 Pontiac Firefly (Chevy Sprint): The ultimate engine swap: 5.7L in a 1.0L bag Lotus Super 7 Replica: Scratch-built street-legal rollerskate |
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#4 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Upland, Calif
Posts: 698
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
Only drop spindles and lowered lower control arms will lower the control arm, springs don't. How much you going to drop? If you do spindles and springs the control arm will not come close to being lower then the rim.
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#5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Kelowna B.C. Canada
Posts: 35
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
Also depends on if you are trimming the coils alone or in conjunction with dropped spindles. With my two full coils trimmed ( 3/4 ton coils and 16" rims mind you) I still had descent clearance,but when I installed my 2 1/2" dropped spindles it put my lowerer control arms very close to the ground. My options now are taller tires than my 235/60-15's (nope), bigger rims (maybe 20's), heavier springs (probably) or raise it (no way!) I would probably go with the standard 1 1/2 coils with your 15's to start with.
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#6 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Beautiful BC, Canada, eh?!
Posts: 2,227
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
I have 3" spindles (still in box), and am/was planning on trimming half or one coil off the stock (1/2 ton) springs. Rear is a flip kit on HD leafs.
It's not really ground clearance I'm worries about (despite my poorly worded thread title), it's the hanging below the rim. I'd ~like~ to keep the stock 15" rallys, but I need the front low enough to match the flip kit in the back without hassle from the popo. I can always buy larger rims..... but I'm trying to keep the truck on a budget.
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1961 Apache: "Grabber Orange" Shortboxed, pancake, step-notch, air-ride, boosted-LS 1977 Silverado: Shortboxed & dropped, potato-potato V8 Pontiac Firefly (Chevy Sprint): The ultimate engine swap: 5.7L in a 1.0L bag Lotus Super 7 Replica: Scratch-built street-legal rollerskate |
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#7 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Beautiful BC, Canada, eh?!
Posts: 2,227
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
Wait. I checked out your truck at LordCo today. And the blue short box across the street.
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1961 Apache: "Grabber Orange" Shortboxed, pancake, step-notch, air-ride, boosted-LS 1977 Silverado: Shortboxed & dropped, potato-potato V8 Pontiac Firefly (Chevy Sprint): The ultimate engine swap: 5.7L in a 1.0L bag Lotus Super 7 Replica: Scratch-built street-legal rollerskate |
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#8 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Upland, Calif
Posts: 698
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
You will be OK with the spindles as far as where the lower A arm is, lowered coils will not effect the lower a arm position. Depending on the rim back space they may not fit the drop spindles, I think 4" BS is max to clear with drop spindles
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#9 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Beautiful BC, Canada, eh?!
Posts: 2,227
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
The inner pivot won't sit below the rim?
I have read that I may need to trim the control arms to fit stock 15's. I'm ok with that. I short-boxed and notched the frame in the back. ![]()
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1961 Apache: "Grabber Orange" Shortboxed, pancake, step-notch, air-ride, boosted-LS 1977 Silverado: Shortboxed & dropped, potato-potato V8 Pontiac Firefly (Chevy Sprint): The ultimate engine swap: 5.7L in a 1.0L bag Lotus Super 7 Replica: Scratch-built street-legal rollerskate |
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#10 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Upland, Calif
Posts: 698
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
Your a arm will be 3" lower to the ground with those spindles, springs will not change that. Springs lower the body only.
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#11 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Lake Havasu City Arizona
Posts: 863
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
Quote:
Most states that I am aware of do not allow any part of a vehicle to hang below the bottom of the wheel/rim. It's for safety When I was static dropped I had 15" wheels, a 2.5 drop spindle & 3" drop springs and my lower control arms were way below my wheels. Very dangerous in the event of a tire falure. Then I bolted 20" rims on with no other changes and had mucho clearance. Tire size makes no difference at all. It is wheel size that makes the difference. (as well as springs and spindles)
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#12 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Brownwood, Texas
Posts: 421
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
Here's a picture of mine, I think this is what you're looking for. I have 3 inch djm drop spindles and 1 cut coil with 15 inch rims.
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1983 Chevy lwb: 400 sbc destroked to 377, comp cams xe 268, Holley Street Dominator Intake, Holley Street Avenger 670 cfm, headers, flowmasters. SOLD 1998 Trans am, mostly stock with magnaflow catback My build thread: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=454329 |
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#13 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Beautiful BC, Canada, eh?!
Posts: 2,227
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
That is exactly what I'm looking for, and it's not looking good.
I've shortened and notched the frame already, which is questionably legal in these here parts. It's not going to help me having control arms arms below the rim. Guess I better look for bigger rims.
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1961 Apache: "Grabber Orange" Shortboxed, pancake, step-notch, air-ride, boosted-LS 1977 Silverado: Shortboxed & dropped, potato-potato V8 Pontiac Firefly (Chevy Sprint): The ultimate engine swap: 5.7L in a 1.0L bag Lotus Super 7 Replica: Scratch-built street-legal rollerskate |
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#14 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Beautiful BC, Canada, eh?!
Posts: 2,227
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
And this is before the springs were cut?
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1961 Apache: "Grabber Orange" Shortboxed, pancake, step-notch, air-ride, boosted-LS 1977 Silverado: Shortboxed & dropped, potato-potato V8 Pontiac Firefly (Chevy Sprint): The ultimate engine swap: 5.7L in a 1.0L bag Lotus Super 7 Replica: Scratch-built street-legal rollerskate |
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#15 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Brownwood, Texas
Posts: 421
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
No, that's with only the rear dropped I think. This is with drop spindles but no springs cut. Sorry, I don't have a picture of the front to give a view of the control arms.
__________________
1983 Chevy lwb: 400 sbc destroked to 377, comp cams xe 268, Holley Street Dominator Intake, Holley Street Avenger 670 cfm, headers, flowmasters. SOLD 1998 Trans am, mostly stock with magnaflow catback My build thread: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=454329 |
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#16 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Beautiful BC, Canada, eh?!
Posts: 2,227
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
Thank you so much.
__________________
1961 Apache: "Grabber Orange" Shortboxed, pancake, step-notch, air-ride, boosted-LS 1977 Silverado: Shortboxed & dropped, potato-potato V8 Pontiac Firefly (Chevy Sprint): The ultimate engine swap: 5.7L in a 1.0L bag Lotus Super 7 Replica: Scratch-built street-legal rollerskate |
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#17 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: washington
Posts: 4,178
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
Well if you have the time the skill and the patience and if need be money. You could section the crossmember 1.5-2in to lower the truck so that you can gow low without making anything lower than the rim
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377 sbc thumpr cam autogear m23 muncie 3:73 Detroit trutrac 3''spintech prostreet mufflers xpipe 1 3/4 headers build thread !http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=577217 Iroc gauge threadhttp://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=554511 |
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#18 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Beautiful BC, Canada, eh?!
Posts: 2,227
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
I have actually been looking into that. Either Z the frame, or raise/pancake the crossmember. Or a combination of both (to affect the steering less).
Or put on a later plastic deflector to hide it ![]()
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1961 Apache: "Grabber Orange" Shortboxed, pancake, step-notch, air-ride, boosted-LS 1977 Silverado: Shortboxed & dropped, potato-potato V8 Pontiac Firefly (Chevy Sprint): The ultimate engine swap: 5.7L in a 1.0L bag Lotus Super 7 Replica: Scratch-built street-legal rollerskate |
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#19 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Orange, Calif
Posts: 183
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
I measured a bone stock 76, there is 2.5" between the edge of the 15" wheel and the bottom of the A arm, so a drop spindle will put your A arm on the ground with a 15" wheel(in case of flat tire). Easiest to buy bigger wheels, or use lowering springs only. Use air bags!
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#20 |
At the body shop.
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Land of fruits and nuts.
Posts: 5,211
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
Drop member
Posted via Mobile Device
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" That didnt make it any newer " " Dont antique the equipment " |
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#21 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DALLAS,TX
Posts: 21,964
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Re: C-Arm ground clearance, 15's and ??? drop?
Bigger diameter wheels & spindles would get my vote for best approach.
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67SWB-B.B.RetroRod 64SWB-Recycle 89CCDually-Driver/Tow Truck 99CCSWB Driver All Fleetsides @rattlecankustoms in IG Building a small, high rpm engine with the perfect bore, stroke and rod ratio is very impressive. It's like a highly skilled Morrocan sword fighter with a Damascus Steel Scimitar..... Cubic inches is like Indiana Jones with a cheap pistol. |
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