i bought a new truck

[fat danny]

hey all, i bought a 1971 gmc longbed. i don't have a real plan for it at the moment, other than to lower it as much as i can w/o banging or scraping on stuff. i'm thinking 6" in back. i'd like to do drop springs only. does -6" in the rear require add'l parts...like shocks?

[71swb4x4]

With 6" I would get shock relocator brackets, shocks, and an adjustable panhard bar. A rear sway bar is a good idea on any truck, lowered or not. At 6" you are in the C notch area, you could probably get by without it, but it would be a great idea to do it.
Why not do an inch or two of blocks and the rest springs? What size wheels do you plan to run?

[fat danny]

this is my first time with this type of truck. i didn't know blocks were an option. i was hoping it was just a matter of swapping springs. my wheels are 15" mag (van style) w/nothing tires. they're in a pretty good position in the wheel well. i'll try to upload a pic.

[71swb4x4]

The lower you go the worse the geometry of your shocks becomes. You really need to fix that to have a good ride. As you lower it your shocks get into a sideways position. They need to be more vertical in order to work. A sideways shock pivots on it's bushings, it doesn't work well at all.
Blocks are a way to lower it without changing any suspension geometry, but with 15" wheels you really don't want to go with any more than 2". When going with blocks you want to see where your scrub line will be, that is where you will be riding when you have a flat tire. If you have 4" blocks, and 15" wheels, your blocks will ride on the pavement with a flat tire, and clearly you don't want that.
In my opinion the more drop a spring has, the worse it rides, and the less capacity you have for towing and hauling stuff in the bed. If possible I would go with a 1" or 2" block and then do the rest with springs. You never know when those 6 cheerleaders will need a ride and you don't want that longbed riding on the bump stops knocking the cavities out of their teeth.

[LockDoc]

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I wouldn't do a 6" drop without notching the frame. I would get 4" springs and then use lowering blocks to get what you want from there, like Shawn said....

Just my 2¢ worth.

LockDoc

[Carmen Black]

I agree that blocks should definitely be part of your plan if you are going more than 4 inches. Springs are important and you want to leave them as long as possible. I bought a truck with a hacked up lowering job and people would refuse to ride in it because it would beat you up.

I would suggest calling Early Classics Enterprises and talking to them about what you are trying to accomplish.

And remember, dropping the rear is easy. What are your plans for the front?

[fat danny]

lol, niiiiiice! thx dude; that's exactly the type of info that i needed to know. this is the first time i deal w/ trailing arms...i really gotta get down there and familiarize myself with the system. thx again!

[fat danny]

Originally Posted by Carmen Black

I agree that blocks should definitely be part of your plan if you are going more than 4 inches. Springs are important and you want to leave them as long as possible. I bought a truck with a hacked up lowering job and people would refuse to ride in it because it would beat you up.

I would suggest calling Early Classics Enterprises and talking to them about what you are trying to accomplish.

And remember, dropping the rear is easy. What are your plans for the front?

i want the rear low without banging on stuff and the front to be at the same height. let me find one on google images.

[fat danny]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

-
I wouldn't do a 6" drop without notching the frame. I would get 4" springs and then use lowering blocks to get what you want from there, like Shawn said....

Just my 2¢ worth.

LockDoc

thx, 2cents taken.

[fat danny]

this is how i want it to look...low and even.

[fat danny]

here's a few more i got from google images. this is the height i'm gonna shoot for:

[Gravityamp]

Your GMC doesn't have rear leafs ? Or did I misread something there ?

[Gravityamp]

Oh nice truck you got there . That black one at the bottom is bad you know what !

Peace

[fat danny]

Originally Posted by Gravityamp

Your GMC doesn't have rear leafs ? Or did I misread something there ?

naw no leafs, it's trailing arms.

[fat danny]

Originally Posted by Gravityamp

Oh nice truck you got there . That black one at the bottom is bad you know what !

Peace

yeah, that black one is awesome, but i read the article and there's noooooooo way i can afford all that. i'll be happy with a low truck in black primer.

[Gravityamp]

Originally Posted by fat danny

naw no leafs, it's trailing arms.

That's unusual but I guess it was an option. I kind of wish my 69 had that setup. ECE is a great place to deal with I can only say good things about them . they will steer you in the right direction for sure

[fat danny]

thx man, i'll look them up.

[chevelle]

Yea call Early Classic. They've got great quality parts. Ive been running their spindles/springs up front and springs and trac bar in the back (4.5in in front and 6 inch in the back) for about 7 years now with absolutely no problems. Oh and i drive my truck everyday. No C-notch either and its done just fine.

[fat danny]

Originally Posted by chevelle

Yea call Early Classic. They've got great quality parts. Ive been running their spindles/springs up front and springs and trac bar in the back (4.5in in front and 6 inch in the back) for about 7 years now with absolutely no problems. Oh and i drive my truck everyday. No C-notch either and its done just fine.

niiiiice! thx dude. yeah, welding is out for me. do you have a side-view pic of your stance?