dropping the front, without bags, and still rides good???

[lofly'a]

i would like to drop my 71 without using bags. i don't want to sacrifice tires and suspension parts over constantly varying alignment that would occur. i am going to do the x-member notch and add drop spindles, so that'll get me about +/- 4 inches, but i really want 5" to 5-1/2". my question is to the guys that are running spindles and springs. how is the ride, and is there enough travel? i am using a 78 front suspension, so gimme some advice guys. i want something that is driveable, and i'll be running a front roll pan so i want it to lay low as possible.

i will be using bags out back so i can still drag the tail when empty and pull the boat or my goat when i want.

[N2TRUX]

What size/series tires you planning on running? I have found that it's usually not the lowered suspension that makes the ride harsh, it's the low profile tires.

Don't be afraid of air suspension up front. All you need to do is get an alignment at ride height and you won't eat up tires. You won't drive it below the set height as often as you might think...

[Tx Firefighter]

My Blazer has 3 inch BellTech spindles and 2 inch springs in the front for a total of 5 inch drop.

Rides great. No tire wear and rubbing or anything.

[SCOTI]

My 68 has 2.5" western chassis spindles w/1 coil cut for a total of about 6" of drop & it rides like a 'pony' car (think mustang/camaro). It has 15" wheel/tire combo so like N2TRUX said, that helps.

My 74 has belltech 3" spindles w/1 coil cut. It has 245/45/18's up front so you definitely feel more road irregularities & such. The later trucks have less front inner fenderwell clearance so I run less gap between the bumpstop & crossmember to keep it from bottoming out & you feel that as well (I would rather feel that than have the crossmember dragging).

[lofly'a]

i won't mine the "sports car" ride, but i hate bottoming out. i hope to run 20's with 275/45/20's. these have 4.9" sidewalls and are 29.7" in diameter. would like to run a little fatter tire out back. i'm more concerned with the alignment changing constantly with inside bag temp expansion and contraction and how that may affect alignment. after reading what i just wrote, i realize i don't know sh*t really about air ride. my only experience with bags were helpers that i had on my 92 gmc and that was 10 years ago, but i see bags as acting much like tires when they heat up thus "possibly" changing the geometry of the front suspension.

help me i getting more confused

oh yea, assuming that with air ride, the alignment height is set between max lift and full drop, how do you know where alignment height is cuz a set pressure does'nt sound like a good measure because of hot and cold readings will make height vary (in theory). would i have to measure the height to get alignment height every time i move it. i did help a guy design a positioner to tell him when his suspension was at alignment height once, but this was for a hydro set-up.

[N2TRUX]

lofly'a I think your thinking too much. Slow down a bit before your head starts to hurt.

No matter how (static or air) you lower your truck it's going to improve your handling in theory. The lower center of gravity should offer a dramatic improvement. There are other factors to consider as well.

If you lower it you are probably going to use different shocks. New shocks with improved dampening ability will also improve your handling.

While 275/45/20s aren't super low profile, they have a lot less sidewall to flex so they should offer an improvement as well.

You are correct that the air temp is going to change the pressure in your bag in theory. It also changes the pressure in your tires. Once they both warm up to operating temp all things become equal.

You have to drive your truck at first to determine what air pressure works best for your driving style. Once you decide that you get an alignment with everything at operating temps. If you set the pressure at psi every time you drive it will be in alignment.....

[lofly'a]

okay, now my head hurts. naw.......i get it, i want a ride i can enjoy as much as i enjoy the way a ride squats and shows it's presence (rolling or sitting still). i've lowered a quite few mini trucks but i've never ridden in a radically lowered static dropped mini truck and remotely enjoyed it, and i've never owned a mini. on the other hand i have lowered quite a few full size trucks (static) and only fords (twin I-beam series) rode like crap. what i'm getting at is since this is my first "full body-off" truck rebuild, i at least want to put enough thought and questions into it so that i can possibly avoid the common mistakes as early as possible.

i still have a few reservations about whether the work and issues with the x-member drop will be worth the 1.5" that i'll gain. i am speaking not of the actual sectioning of the x-member but the pitman, and idler arm issues and maybe further notching of the frame horns to clear these components.

[N2TRUX]

You need to get a ride in a GM fullsize that has been bagged to help you decide what you want. There is too much difference in a static dropped mini or a FS Ford to compare those rides to what you will get.

Find someone in your area thats bagged and get a ride. I think you will be surprised. My 77 Cheyenne gives a very nice ride when it's set at cruise height.

The X-member drop is a whole different thing altogether. There is no doubt it requires some effort. If your after all the drop you can get without a body drop it's certainly something to consider.

If you think the X-member drop is too much effort, you'll think I'm insane with the path I'm taking on my 82 Blazer.....

[lofly'a]

i don't think you're crazy and i see those custom frame horn laying there. i have ridden in a bagged truck and "that" sold me. the x-member notching thought was because i don't have a desire to lay frame, so i wondered if i could max out at about 3" off the ground without the x-member modification. i have no desire to think of what would happen (or experience it) if a pressure loss happened on a frame laying truck.

heck as far as extreme goes, i hacked the frame off at the firewall on my blazer and grafted a 80 Z28 clip on it instead of going truck suspension route. i initally did it for the height but, i also gained a shorter turning radius, better braking (with aftermrket rotors and calipers), all stock susp. components, and one helluva rake. i also stuck the z28 disc rear under it and the improvements were great.

[68C15]

I got about a 5" drop on my '68 using front X member from a '80 C10, then lowered the spring cups in the lower arms by 3". I also had to do pie cuts on both uppers & lowers to get balljoint angles correct. I then removed the snubber stand-offs b-cause they were the limiting factor. the ride is satisfactory, a little on the hard side due to the 1 ton coils. the reason I did this is I wanted to see what it would look like with this much drop. I do in fact plan on using bags on the fron as well as the bags I have in the rear.
the wonderful thing about bags is you dont have to figure the correct spring rate. just decide how low you want it & install the bags @ the recommended height. (usually around 5 1/2") then just air up the bags to that height & the rate is perfect for the weight, whatever it is. then record these pressures for future reference. for further info I would suggest you call someone like Air Ride Tech. they have done all the homework for you & they even have a very good kit.
side note, you may want to get a hold of a shock manufacturer for recommendations on what shock to use & dimensions to install them at.

[Shane]

Hey loflya ... irregardless of temperature, pressure is pressure. Granted, the volume may need to be adjusted to get the correct pressure when the temps change, but once that is done and the pressure is "set" to the "alignment pressure." the ride height would be the same.

I hope that made sense.

[68C15]

oh yeah, I forgot to mention the air pressure issue.
I dont think you will get more than 1/2 pound of increase. reason? the tires are in contact with road & seeing friction while moving (accellerating, turning, stopping etc.) the only friction the bags see is from expansion & compression. I think you would be better spending your efforts worrying about whether or not the sun will come up tommorow. this air pressure thing is not worth the time. JMHO

[lofly'a]

i finally got over my reservations about the bag pressure/expansion thing, but 68C15 made it that much clearer. the friction contact with the road raises tire temp essentially, and the bags don't encounter these conditions so i'm good now (never looked at it that way). i think i'm gonna make an adjustable jig during the buildup to see exactly what stance i'll like the most and will be most streetable.