Stance and Lowering Question

[MStokes]

I am in the process of deciding how much I want to lower my 72 C10. I took measurements from the floor to the peak of each fender and came up with the following:

Right Front 32"
Left Front 33"

Right Rear 33 1/2"
Left Rear 34 5/8"

Basically the truck is sitting higher on the left side, both front and back. Would this be due to spring sag and age on the right side? Actually with just a driver sitting in the cab it might be pretty level.

If I went with new springs all around (4" drop in the rear and 2" in the front), would it set pretty level?

[dubie]

I like the stock stance it has now, makes it look like a pretty mean truck.

[crazy longhorn]

A 2/4 drop shoud get you pretty close to level(it may still be a touch taller @ the rear). My guess would be that new springs/shocks should pretty much take care of the difference in height from side to side. at the rear, you should run shock relocators, & may be into an adjustable panhard bar at 4" or more drop. Good luck....crazyL

[MStokes]

Can you explain an "adjustable panhard bar to me"? I've seen this referenced on the forum before, but I have no idea what it is. Does it have something to do with the tracking bar behind the differential?

[crazy longhorn]

Yes, its the tracking bar on the rear diff. as the truck is dropped, it tends to push the rear diff to 1 side with the stock bar. the adjustable bar lets you center the rear in the truck after the suspension drop.......crazyL

[MStokes]

Thanks for the replies. Is it normal for the springs to sag or settle differently over time. A difference of 1" on the front springs seem a lot to me considering they should have had roughly the same amount of weight on them for 30 years.

[Low69CST]

you may want to go around and check the srings and make sure that they are sitting in the pockets good, maybe somebody did a Baja in it and popped a spring out. or they may have rusted and broke, i've seen some back springs break a coil off. But more than likely its just sag. New set of springs should cure it.

[Jesse 67 c-10]

just a though, make sure all tires are the same psi, might look the same, but it'll make your measurment more accurate. battery also weighs a fair amount and is on the pass side. it's an old truck though, it should have character!

[ChevLoRay]

Early Classic Enterprises has a website that shows how the trucks look with different lowering system components.

I lowered mine with spindles in the front (2.5 inches) and springs in the rear (4.0 inches). If you go as much as 4 inches lower in the rear, the adjustable track bar helps to compensate and center the rear end under the chassis. Also, you will need new shock mounts to reposition them in a more upright position. If you don't, the shocks will have an extreme angle and be mostly useless.

My truck doesn't set level, from front to rear. It might be more level, if the tires were the same size on all four corners. Since I have 235-60's on the front and 255-70's on the rear, it has a bit of a rake, meaning the front is lower than the rear. But, I like it like that. Kinda has a hotrod stance.

[GloryHound]

I have Leaf springs and was wondering If I flip my rear end to get the drop I want will I still need a pan hard bar! I'm guessing I'll still have to get shock relocators in order to give them thier full range of motion but I don't know it the panhard bars will fit with leafs?

[PICKMUP]

The panard bar is for coil spring rearends. It connects the body to the frame, since there is no lateral support on coils, like there is on leafs.

[NSANE68!!!]

ONE THING EVERYONE MISSED!!! Cab support bushings. My truck set the same way higher on driverside. I bagged it and it still sat crooked. Upon further inspection the passenger cab mounts were almost gone from rott. I would check those 1st. Then choose your drop.