lowering a LWB Heavy Half

[tpankratz]

Hello, I'm fairly new to the forum. Been lurking for awhile. I have a 79 long bed with the heavy half or big 10 package. It has the longer 8+1 leaf spring pack in the rear. I would like to lower it some this winter. I'm just not sure how much and the best way to do it. Here is a picture of how it sits now.

This truck is a daily driver in the nicer months, and I use it to haul my dirtbike around and occasionally pull my little pop-up camper. So I don't know if I want to go too low. I was considering a 3-4 drop with spindles (and springs if needed) in front and shackles/hangers in the rear. However, this truck seems to ride rough in the rear with the HD springs. If I remove the overload plus another spring how much will this lower it? If I did this and added a drop shackle would that get me there? I could just go straight to the axle flip but I'm afraid that will be too low for what I use the truck for.

I'm open to any opinions and advice. The next mod after this is going to be a 5.3/4L60E swap, but we'll save that for another thread if I need it.

[bluex]

Mine was my daily an my hauler when it was a long bed. I put the 2.5/4 kit on it from western chassis. It really didn't change the ride much or its ability to haul load.

It has a flip kit now an I still can haul with it, I helped a friend take off about 700 lbs of scrap metal a few weeks ago. I don't think it's too low now an I haven't had any issues taking it anywhere I usually go.

This is the 2.5/4 when it was a long bed



2.5/4 as a short bed, it rode very ruff this way. Worst it ever had.



2.5 spindles 1 coil cut an the flip kit out back.

[KQQL IT]

If you flip it. Won't change the load capacity of the spring just the available travel before the axle and frame meet.
Same with hangers and shackles. All depends on how far down you're willing to go.

[tpankratz]

I see the picture didn't upload. Here is another try.

[MalibuSSwagon]

I'm running the 8+1 rear leafs on my 1986 SWB, still on the 1/2 ton coils in the front. 2.5/4 drop

[83swb]

You could remove four leafs from your leaf pack, leave the overload, and you would end up with the equivalent of a standard c10 leaf pack. This would probably gain you around 3 inches in the rear alone.