Air-bagged trucks --> height dimensions

[Slammed67]

Some of you had asked for some height dimensions of my air-bagged truck. I took some measurements today that might give you a better idea as to how low it actually is. Keep in mind that my tire diameters are 26-3/4” and that the rear is c-notched (with no rubber snubber). Also, I made the measurements in my garage where it’s flat.... just pulled it out to take the picture.

Dimension “A” = 10-7/8”……. is from the bottom of the very rear of the frame to the ground.

Dimension “B” = 4-5/8”……..is from the bottom of the front of the rocker to the ground. This isn’t at the bottom of the rocker lip, but where the curved part meets the lip.

Dimension “C” = 6”…….is from the bottom of the front frame horn to the ground.

The front could actually go about 1-1/2” lower, but the tire would hit the inner part of the fender. With the fenders installed and the front raised up slightly (as shown in the second pic), the front cross member is about 2” off the ground.

[Shane]

damn i love that truck!!

by the way...i have made some progress in catching up with you and your project! I painted the firewall, interior and door jambs this weekend. No pics yet.....the batteries in the camera were dead.

Better get busy dude...im hot on your heels.....!!

[chevy2racr]

Hey man, you wanna trade ur truck so far for my stepside? you know u wanna!

[Slammed67]

Shane: I'm working on it!! I'm trying to get the exterior all in primer and put back together by October 11th! Goodguys is having a show at the new Kansas Speedway that weekend, and I'd like to be able to drive it up there. Mechanically, it's pretty close..... just have lots of body work to do. Post some pics of your truck when you get those batteries charged!

Chevy2racr: Don't want to trade for my truck, but there's this chick up the street that you might be interested in...... let me know

[Shane]

If he isnt interested in the "chick up the street", I am! need pics!

I will try to get pics next weekend...im leaving for Chicago on Tuesday and coming home on Saturday....and probably wont have the chance to get back out to the shop before then. I'll keep ya posted.

[chevy2racr]

Shane can have her, Shane, if you ask nice enough mayb he'll show ya her picture

[Shane]

uh oh...this isnt sounding good.......

[chevy2racr]

Well, it all depends on what ur into Shane

[Reumster]

You say that the front can go down more but tire will rub inner fender. So how are you going to keep that from happening if you accidently let to much air out? ANd is that a standard bag kit in the front? With spindle drop?

[Slammed67]

Reumster: I didn't use a kit, I just pieced it all together myself. I've got two options in the front. I can either install some bump stops so it won't go any lower than shown in the picture and use the stock inner fenders, or I can "notch" that part of the fender and fabricate some new inner fenders. I'd like to make it as low as possible (option 2) but am not sure if I wan't to go through with all that trouble. I don't mind cutting the fenders, but am not sure how I'd make the new inner fenders. I guess I could go without inner fenders, but then I run the risk of a rock chip on my smooth firewall, plus the fact it'd get real dirty under there if I drove it in the rain.

[justin]

Damn the bad luck. You are lower than me . My rocker is 5 inches from the gound. You got me by 3/8 of an inch. I guess I am going to have to cut my body mounts in half to drop that truck down another 1/2 inch.
Getting that front clip put together hey. Lookin sweet.
what up with the chevy in the background? Daily driver? That thing needs some bags and dubs!!!!!
later

[XXL]

Originally posted by Slammed67
Dimension “A” = 10-7/8”……. is from the bottom of the very rear of the frame to the ground.

Dimension “B” = 4-5/8”……..is from the bottom of the front of the rocker to the ground. This isn’t at the bottom of the rocker lip, but where the curved part meets the lip.

Dimension “C” = 6”…….is from the bottom of the front frame horn to the ground.

I decided to go out and check my measurements... same A, B, and C locations as you used--

A = 10"
B = 3.25"
C = 4.25"

That's with the tires sitting on the fenders. Tires are 255/50/17's. What size tire have you got on there that's the 26.75 you called out?

Oh, and the engine crossmember is .5" from the floor and the shafts of the lower control arms are less than a piece of cardboard from the floor. I've got cardboard under the truck in the garage (oil drips ) that I couldn't get out when the truck was dropped.


Kenneth

[Slammed67]

Kenneth:

My front tires are 255/45/18 and my rears are 285/40/18. Theoretically, they are 27" tall, but I placed a straight edge on top of the tire and measured to the ground and it was 26.75" (due to the weight of the truck compressing the tires). So I take it you aren't running inner fenders? Have you considered trimming the inner part of the fender and fabricating some new inners? Did you make your own c-notch? I was just wondering how yours sits almost an inch lower in back. Looks like we have almost the exact same tire diameters! I’d really like to get mine as low as possible up front….. but those damn fenders!! It looks much cooler with the tires sitting on the fenders

[XXL]

Originally posted by Slammed67
Kenneth:

My front tires are 255/45/18 and my rears are 285/40/18. Theoretically, they are 27" tall, but I placed a straight edge on top of the tire and measured to the ground and it was 26.75" (due to the weight of the truck compressing the tires). So I take it you aren't running inner fenders? Have you considered trimming the inner part of the fender and fabricating some new inners? Did you make your own c-notch? I was just wondering how yours sits almost an inch lower in back. Looks like we have almost the exact same tire diameters! I’d really like to get mine as low as possible up front….. but those damn fenders!! It looks much cooler with the tires sitting on the fenders

I don't really know what the difference in the rear is. I'm using the same rear notch kit as you are. (Though, my solution to the track bar problem was to extend the notch on the right side farther back-- it's still the same height though.) I figured I just had shorter tires, but I looked up mine on the manufacturer site and they appear to actually be taller! I'm stumped.

On the front, yes, mine is sans-inner fender and is sitting down completely on the fender arc. I've got a brand new set of fenders in my garage that I've been contemplating notching out but I don't think the truck can actually go any lower without some more radical steps (like notching the crossmember and/or body drop, etc.).

One thing I'm doing to make the truck "lower" is to get all the visual cues as low as possible. To that end, I'm shaving the turn signals out of the grille and will be running small slit lights in the bumper...




Which mimics what I've already done in the rear...



Thus, when you look at it, it seems lower than it really is. It would also help if I chopped the heck out of the top, but I've been wavering back and forth on that for some time. 1) I probably can't afford it, and 2) I'm just not sure if I can commit to such a radical change. I'm 6' 3" and sitting in the stock seat, it looks like I could only take about 3" max out of the roof, which is a lot, but almost seems like too much trouble to do. In my mind, it would take 4-5" to make a "real" chopped top, then I'm concerned about the front-to-rear proportions looking out of whack

[rambling off]

Kenneth

[Stroker]

I sure wish you guys would stop posting pictures like that. Your going to get me into trouble with the wife when I have to switch to bags. Question, can you drive your truck with the stance pictured, can the front wheels go lock to lock without hitting the fender? BTW the trucks looking good love the stance.

[Slammed67]

In my humble opinion, Don't chop it! Or if you must, make it very mild, just to lay the windshield back a little.

[XXL]

Originally posted by Stroker
I sure wish you guys would stop posting pictures like that. Your going to get me into trouble with the wife when I have to switch to bags. Question, can you drive your truck with the stance pictured, can the front wheels go lock to lock without hitting the fender? BTW the trucks looking good love the stance.

Thanks...

My truck won't even roll in a straight line when it's that low. If you look under your hood at the inside of the fender you'll see a slightly curved area of the sheetmetal just down and forward from the hood hinge. That curved area (without the inner fender) sits directly on my tires

Kenneth

[XXL]

Originally posted by Slammed67
In my humble opinion, Don't chop it! Or if you must, make it very mild, just to lay the windshield back a little.

So you don't like the "dream photo" I posted of your truck in the "Let's see everyone's truck" thread?

Kenneth

[jay-dawg]

looks good guys,
I'm also hot on all of your trails. I'm taking the bed off now and will be installing the rear bags soon.

Thanks for the inspiration,
Jay

oh...BTW, the only good sheet metal that came with the truck is the inner fenders. Too bad they gotta go...

jay

[Slammed67]

XXL: That's exactly why I DON'T like chopped tops!! LOL.... good photo shop job though.

[yank]

jay-dawg, if your inner fenders got to go put them in a big bottle and throw in the ocean. I'll be waiting for them. Lol

[justin]

XXL
That is cool idea with the lights in the bumper. What kind of lights are you planning on using or are you allready using?

[kxmotox247]

I love the way that truck sits. Can't wait to see it with all the sheetmetal in place.
Nice Work!

[brennecke]

CHOP!! CHOP!! CHOP!!
And loose the drip rail too.

[XXL]

Originally posted by justin
XXL
That is cool idea with the lights in the bumper. What kind of lights are you planning on using or are you allready using?

Thanks. The taillights use an LED board I made. I'm still working out some of the finer details before I build a "real" set on a PC board instead of the wafer board I'm using now...





The fronts will be a smaller version of the same since they will act as both running lights and signals. I'll, of course, be using clear LEDs for the fronts.

Kenneth