How much frt spring will align?

[PHAT TONY]

Here's my dealio; I bought a cherry '69 lwb, wanna lower it some, have drop spindles/discs but truck ain't power and don't know if I wanna pull everything off of my '67 swb chassis that is now cab-less. If, temporarely, I cut a couple coils off the front and put my drop-springs in the rear, how far down/how many rounds of coil have people gone and still got a decent wheel align? Next year this beauty may be a shorty, but for now....

[pumpgas]

Honestly for the money and piece of mind I would just take it apart and put in a drop spring no more then 3" though as any more then that and you run out of adjustment in the front end.

[67_C-30]

I know everybody says "to not to" regarding heating springs, but we have been doing it for years, and it actually works great. Among all the others, I dropped my beater truck about a year ago by the the front and rear springs. A heated spring actually rides much better than a cut spring. I dropped it about 3" in the front and 4.5" in the rear. If you are doing it temporary anyway, I wouldn't hesitate one bit doing it. I have seen cut spriongs fall out of the pocket when jacked up and cock sideways when you let it back down if you don't notice it. Heated springs won't do that either. Here's my before and after on my truck, and it rides smooth and aligned just fine like this. On a nicer truck I would have bought springs, and if I ever fix up this right I will too, but for now I'm going to roll like it is worry-free. Just my .02

[OARNGESI]

man i love that blue truck

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by OARNGESI

man i love that blue truck

Why, thank you!

I just wanted to add that if you heat springs too much on a light car that they bounce and rebound unpredictably, but on a 4000 lb truck they don't. I heat the top two coils the most. To each his own I guess, but the truck above drives and rides great.

[jbristo67]

Dont ever heat your springs

[meansting04]

I just put drop spings on my 70. Coils in the front and leafs in the rear. I put drop shocks on mine and they do not allow the springs to come unseated when at full travel. My stockers did. I think that for a hundred bucks for the front spings i would not cut/heat them. I never heat springs, but have cut in the past. I cut a 1/2 coil at a time. Thats why for me the new is a good option. The drop is already right and there is no guess work.

[jbristo67]

I know a world class cutsom builder that wont hesitate to cut springs but I would be embarrassed to take something to him that had heated springs on it. Speaking of, you guys should check out his web site. http://www.hillshotrods.com

[jwn1975]

When I was "poor" I both heated springs and cut springs. Never had a problem with either. Never heard of anybody having a problem with either. If you cut the front springs, you can go with one full coil, one and one half coil if you turn the spring in the pocket upon reassembly and I went a full two coils on a truck I drove for years. Cutting two coils will allingn fine but you will have to cut your bump stop on the a-arm.

[Shane]

never seen a cut coil break because it had no temper left in it ...