Lowering/Tire size quetions

[JHILDE]

I have a 1982 Chevy C-10 stock suspension, Cragar 15x8 Street Star wheels. I currently have 255/60-15's on the front, the narrowest tires I thought I could safely fit on the 8" wheels (should have bought 6"). On the back I have 275/60-15" Nitto 555R drag radials. The truck makes about 475hp/550ft-lbs via a 388/4L80e combo and is mostly Sunday driven but sees the drag strip occasionally. I want to lower the truck so that the fender openings sit just level with the tops of the tires. I am looking for ideas on the best/most economical way to lower it and still be able to maintain the most driveability. At some point in my dumb teenager years I bottomed out the truck hard enough to bend/roll the lower control arms slightly at the bushings. Will that affect much or should I just live with it as I have been?