How Low is Too Low?

[steve aleve]

I am mounting a 1954 3100 on an S10 frame and I want the truck to sit nice and low. I am going to go with a static drop and not going to bag it. I understand the implications to setting it low on the frame, trans tunnel, wheels rubbing the fenders, radiator mounting, etc. Assuming I clear all of these pieces of criteria, how low is too low to drive comfortably? I am hoping to get some informative info regarding the running board height while driving (ie speed bumps, etc). Anyone with airbags drive at 3" off the ground? too low? 4" off the ground? etc. thanks in advance.

[OrrieG]

Wife still tells the story of going with neighbors wife to the store in his lowered 71 Challenger and getting high centered on the shopping center entry drive when she cut the angle to close to 90 degrees and the headers hung up. headers and pan had about 2-3" clearance. Luckily they were (and still are) both pretty attractive so guys wanting to impress came to the rescue them by lifting it up enough to clear the headers. Was a scary fast car 360 bored .30 over with everything required to run tunnel ram and dual 600 carbs. 4.10 rearend and what every mopars equivilent to a M-22 4 speed is. He ran street slicks and skinny front tires on it. This was in the mid 80's, he still has it but does not drive it much. Bag it and you can run it where every you want....

[Iceburgh]

My current truck at the low point is 4.5" I rub once in a while but forget about steep inclines into lots or speed bumps.
The one I am building now will be the same.
Just plan on fixing it if you have problems or in the rare case you cant avoid something on the road. At speed that can be scary...lucky not an issue as of yet

[Dan in Pasadena]

Just speaking for me, if ANYthing rubs, it's too low. If you've gotta enter/leave driveways or speed bumps diagonally, it's too low.

[HUSSEY]

Imagine setting your truck on the wheels only (no tires). If anything hits the ground it's below the "scrub line" and could cause you to loose control if you blow a tire. That's what I consider too low.

I'm going to try and get mine as low as possible but keep it above the scrub line. I plan on running 18 in. wheels with 245/45 or 245/40.

[paulspickupparts]

Originally Posted by HUSSEY

Imagine setting your truck on the wheels only (no tires). If anything hits the ground it's below the "scrub line" and could cause you to loose control if you blow a tire. That's what I consider too low.

I'm going to try and get mine as low as possible but keep it above the scrub line. I plan on running 18 in. wheels with 245/45 or 245/40.

Good information. Do a worst case scenario. Driving down a two lane highway at 60MPH with heavy oncoming traffic. You blow or have a flat on the left. If you are too low it is really no different than losing a wheel. Good idea of mocking it up with no tires on the rims .

[mikec4193]

I have been driving S10's for years and in the upstate NY area of the world...anything under what GM gave you as stock height you are gonna have problems with under carriage damage...our roads especially during the spring months are brutally rough...pot hole city for sure...
I think my stock S10 sits approx around 6 inches as measured from the bottom of the frame rail near the cowl area....the rear sits higher..

my 2 cents...

MikeC

[Sim6]

IMO IT's worth sacrificing ride quality or a little rubbin for the look of tires tucked and riding low.
Jeff

[_Ogre]

i ride right at 5'' and never scrub
gotta watch the potholes and obvious problem driveways for sure
and not pull up to parking curbs like i can with my dd

[steve aleve]

Thank you all! This is great info and will help me decide how low to go. I have 2" drop spindles up front and 3" blocks in the rear. I plan on mounting the cab and bed low on the frame so everything (except for the leave springs) is well above the scrub line. I believe the leaves are too but they are close. I will probably aim to have the running boards about 4" above the pavement. thanks again and hopefully this helps others too!

[mr48chev]

Pretty good info and not just a lot of opinions thrown out.

With the S-10 frame swap you can give your truck the appearance of being a lot lower than it actually is if you do as planned and set the cab a bit lower on the frame than the norm. The truck will look low and the running boards will just at or above the scrub line but under the chassis you will have clearance.

Two things really dictate how low you can comfortably go though.

Local roads and store entry ramps are a biggie. It isn't good for a relationship if you have to tell your significant other that they will have to get out of the truck because it is hung up on the driveway entrance to the restaurant you are going to right in front of a bunch of people seated inside looking out the windows at you. I lost a piece of the brand new chrome on my front bumper on a driveway entrance in Bontefull Utah in the 48 in 1982 and my whole family had to get out so I could get the truck off being high centered. I don't even suggest pulling into that town with a lowered rig as the streets aren't friendly to lowered rigs.

The other thing is how the local law officers (all branches that deal with traffic) treat lowered rigs in the area. The little Hondas riding on 20's with the aero kits around here have made the law pretty numb to a decent custom truck that is sitting nice an low but in the past I got pulled over a number of times because the front of my truck was pretty low. Before the 20 and bigger wheel craze I had one state patrolman tell me that he didn't care how low my truck was as long as no part of the chassis hung below the rims. They want to be able to push you off the road with their push bar if you have four flat tires.

[lowrodderchev]

my front bumper is around 3 inches off the ground, step side is 4 inches yeah I know that's pretty freakin high

[roger55]

No lower than stock.
If you want low, get a Corvette.

[lower50's]

Set the cab as low as you want on the frame. My cab is 3/4" up off stock s-10 frame no springs in pic. IMO static drop no less than 4.5"

I now have air bags.

[Dustint]

You will also want to consider your bed height when deciding how low to mount the cab and bed to the frame. If you mount it below a certain point you will have to raise the bed floor above the original level that lines up with the rear when the tail gate is open. Certainly easy enough to accommodate, just depends if you would rather it be stock there or not.
I would certainly make that decision before buying suspension parts/etc. Definitely some members who could weigh in a little more on actual numbers as far as cab height from frame rails and what lowering has been done to the suspension and how it affects overall ride height.

[1952ssr]

My truck is static with 2"coils and 1 inch springs. You just have to get used to driving one that's low. I would say mines about 3 inches off the ground and have to watch for anything in the road. I can do some serious damage to a dead possum. Just make sure the bumper mounts are welded on and braced real good.

[joedoh]

good looking hauler 1952ssr

[1952ssr]

Thanks Joedoh. Here's my build link :http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...&highlight=lt1 in case anyone wants to check it out.

[47 Fasttoys]

Picture #1 is to low, #2 is normal.
Rob

[1952ssr]

We took the truck to my 25th class reunion Saturday night, when I got back to the shop I measured it to make sure I didn't mis-speak on my comment. The front bumper is 4 inches off the floor. But, I do think the air shocks need some air put into them, so that would make little difference. So somewhere between 3 1/2 to 4.

[49tomchevy]

This is on a short WB S-10. We made our own mounts sits and rides good.

[steve aleve]

Great info!!! 1952ssr, yours is a build that I have kept an eye on!! Killer truck and that's one mean stance! So a question would be... If you were at the point of setting the height... Would you do anything differently or all the same. Also it's rare to see a static stance that low. Thanks for the input and pics.

49tomchevy, very nice truck!!! how high are your running boards off of the ground?

[1952ssr]

I would do it the same, it's all about learning how to drive it. I have pondered the thought of welding swival casters under the front splash pan to push the chassis up in the event I pulled into a really bad circumstance. They used to do that on low-riders to save their body kit. I'm not big into the bag thing, just more things to break or bust.

I will say this don't just slap some blocks in the rear take the time to remove the second spring from the top on the leafs and the truck will ride like a dream and will lower it about 2 inches.

[steve aleve]

Thanks 1952ssr!!! I actually have the frame sitting on 3" blocks right now. I thought about removing a leaf from the pack but didn't know how that would affect the ride. That's good info... I'll have to do that.

Also, the idea about welding chassis casters is a great one. I will have to keep that in mind once I am driving it!

[lazypineapple]

4"