3/5 drop?

[cliffsta]

Well i'm talking to a friend of mine about drops, and I've been thinking of down the road, bringing my truck down outta the sky just a lil bit since i don't plan on going off any roads any time soon.

Anybody got any pics of stepsides with 3/5 drops? Preferably with 255/70 tires or 15 inch wheels, but just a shot of 3/5 would be intriguing. 2/4 is cool, 4/6 is a bit drastic, 3/5 would be neat.

Thanks in advance, i know drops have been beat in to the ground around here lately, just hadn't seen much about 3/5 drops.

Cliff

[beaterC10]

You can see what is left of a 3/5 dropped stepper in my post Parting 84 SWB. It has 235/70/15 on front and 255/70/15 on the rear. The bed is missing, but you get the idea on the front.

[Slonaker]

The front of my truck is dropped 2.5" in the front, with the same size tires as yours. In this pic, the back has not yet been dropped. You might consider a 2.5" drop rather than 3". With 15" wheels, you might have problems using a 3" drop spindle. The control arm and/or the calipers usually have to be ground down to stop them from hitting the wheel.

http://www.slonaker.net/truck.html

None of the other pics on my site show it dropped, so they really are not of any use to you.

You could also drop it 3" with springs, but using spindles keeps your full suspension travel and geometry.

I think a small drop would make your truck look fantastic.

Slonaker

[see ten]

Originally Posted by Slonaker

The front of my truck is dropped 2.5" in the front, with the same size tires as yours. In this pic, the back has not yet been dropped. You might consider a 2.5" drop rather than 3". With 15" wheels, you might have problems using a 3" drop spindle. The control arm and/or the calipers usually have to be ground down to stop them from hitting the wheel.

http://www.slonaker.net/truck.html

None of the other pics on my site show it dropped, so they really are not of any use to you.

You could also drop it 3" with springs, but using spindles keeps your full suspension travel and geometry.

I think a small drop would make your truck look fantastic.

Slonaker

Your truck looks good! Have you dropped the rear yet?

[cliffsta]

Cool, thanks for what y'all've (yes, that is a word..... here) shown me so far.

Slonaker: Yeah, i was planning on doing spindles. If 3" is going to be that much more of a hastle, then I'll just stick with 2 when I get around to it.

Thanks, i too, thinnk that a small drop would set my truck off. My real motivation lately has been now that Im working and I have my wheels, and i know my graduation present (longblock, etc, etc), I can see the end, as end, completelion, and up until now, it's always been "let me just keep dumping money at it until something happens".

So with spindles I can keep my regular shocks in the front, and with shackles+hangers in the back, i'll need drop shocks for back there? Just kinda figuring everything out. When I build my new bed is when I'll probably drop it.

[Slonaker]

I know that word! My Mom's from Shreveport, and my sister still lives in Logansport.

Yes, you keep your stock springs and shocks with the spindles. All I have seen are 2.5" and 3", never a 2" drop spindle. I have the 2.5" Western Chassis ones, and have had no problems.

I don't know if you will need drop shocks on the rear. I bought shock extenders with my drop leaves, but have not installed either one yet. Maybe this bump will get you some info from someone who has used the combo you are looking at for the rear end.

Why do you want to get a 305 long block? A 350 is probably cheaper. I am in the middle of a 305 to 350 swap right now, and the 350 saves me several hundred dollars with a crate engine. It is also about an extra 100 hp.

Slonaker

[cliffsta]

Cool, 2.5" is cool. I read somewhere that you gotta have drop shocks if you lower the back end 4 or more inches....

I'm not getting a crate motor though, i'm just getting a longblock... will a longblock 350 be cheaper than a longblock 305? Where do you suggest I get it from? I'm all about cheap!!! I"ll let my 'rents know what I find out. See what I'm going to do is, they are getting me a longblock, and all new accessories for it (p/s, a/c, all the stuff on the front) and a new transmission... would a crate 350 (short of carb + intake) be cheaper than building on to a longbock?

Wow I just hijacked my own thread...

[Slonaker]

Originally Posted by cliffsta

Cool, 2.5" is cool. I read somewhere that you gotta have drop shocks if you lower the back end 4 or more inches....

I'm not getting a crate motor though, i'm just getting a longblock... will a longblock 350 be cheaper than a longblock 305? Where do you suggest I get it from? I'm all about cheap!!! I"ll let my 'rents know what I find out. See what I'm going to do is, they are getting me a longblock, and all new accessories for it (p/s, a/c, all the stuff on the front) and a new transmission... would a crate 350 (short of carb + intake) be cheaper than building on to a longbock?

Wow I just hijacked my own thread...

Well, that is hard to answer. It depends on what you plan to get and where ou plan to get it.

My engine (a long block with all of the tin installed) was $1459 with shipping from Summit. I could have bought a rebuilt long block locally for probably half that. The difference is that it would have been from a local rebuilder that gives a 30 day warranty. They are not known for quality stuff, and they cut a lot of corners. Their engines are more the "I need my truck on the road ASAP so I can get to work" type than anything else. Their engines are not known for their longevity. They also want the old engine as a core, and won't take a 305 for a 350. I would have been stuck with another 305.

I talked to friends who have gone through the process of buying a 350, disassembling it, and having a machine shop go through it. Everyone seemed to think that the crate engine was about the same price in the end, and a lot less work. It uses a proven combination of brand new parts, and there are none of the headaches associated with having machine work done.

The crate engine I bought is all NEW, from GM, and warranted by GM. This engine should last me at least 100,000 miles, and probably a lot more. It also required no core, so it did not matter that I was replacing a 305 with a 350.

Oh, with the crate engines, the 350 is cheapest. A 305 costs several hundred more.

It all depends on what your goals are, and what your budget is. I am not saying that a crate 350 is right for you. It might not be. For me, though, it made a lot of sense.

Slonaker

[SanitysBane]

Hijacking your own thread takes special talents.

[cliffsta]

oh and BTW I am getting the GM Performance Parts 350 from Scoggin-Dickey, it's 1999 plus 200 shipping. All I'll need is accessories, etc. The drop is probably coming around Easter. I'm filing my taxes this weekend (getting about 130 ish back) AND I got paid ($200 check, not bad for me) AND I'm selling my mountain bike for $225, all of that except $100 is going in the bank.

And I 2nd See Ten... got your read lowered ? I LOVE your truck.

[Slonaker]

Thanks for the compliments, guys. I'm working on the new engine still. I got it running tonight, but it is overheating. I'll be posting a thread on it tomorrow when I have a little more time.

The new springs will be one of the first things I do when the engine is straightened out.

Slonaker

[TEAM THC]

Hope Your Motor Install Goes Smooth

[AspecialZ]

heres mine in the works, don't know if this helps.

[84slopwaggin]

Man I hate reading these post. I've got to get off my lazy butt and install my engine.