How low can I go w/o bags?

[spartakus]

Today in the garage, I'm doing a little mock up to figure out my ride height and frame rake and wheel centerlines, so I can weld in the suspension stuff.

I have the TCI custom IFS front suspension w/ 2" drop spindles & the TCI 4 link rear. All w/ adjustable coil overs. I'm also going to be putting in a 5.3 LM7 w/ a 4L60E w/ an 8.8" ford rear.

I have had the idea/picture in my mind for a long time of how it should sit based on other trucks I have seen in person or in pictures and I've got the frame kinda sitting that way right now but,... the frame seems awful low?

Right now my very front bottom tip of my frame is about 7" from the floor & the very front lowest part of my running boards is about 6 3/4" from the floor. This is close to what I want and now Im worried that the front of the frame/crossmember/oil pan/etc are gonna be too low?

Anybody else have a similar set up w/ experience here? Am I safe or too low? What do you think?

Thanks for any help

[Chevette]

Originally Posted by spartakus

Today in the garage, I'm doing a little mock up to figure out my ride height and frame rake and wheel centerlines, so I can weld in the suspension stuff.

I have the TCI custom IFS front suspension w/ 2" drop spindles & the TCI 4 link rear. All w/ adjustable coil overs. I'm also going to be putting in a 5.3 LM7 w/ a 4L60E w/ an 8.8" ford rear.

I have had the idea/picture in my mind for a long time of how it should sit based on other trucks I have seen in person or in pictures and I've got the frame kinda sitting that way right now but,... the frame seems awful low?

Right now my very front bottom tip of my frame is about 7" from the floor & the very front lowest part of my running boards is about 6 3/4" from the floor. This is close to what I want and now Im worried that the front of the frame/crossmember/oil pan/etc are gonna be too low?

Anybody else have a similar set up w/ experience here? Am I safe or too low? What do you think?

Thanks for any help

What body are you using? If it's a TF, you should be ok at 6 3/4". The lowest point on the body of a TF is the bottom of the front fender. I'm using a coil-over shock and I'm at 4 7/8" which is a bit low but as the saying goes...."stance is everything". I'll watch out for speed bumps or maybe install a skid plate with UHMW pads on it. If you are using an AD body, I have no idea where you'll need to be.

[mr48chev]

Well the guys that have been on here for a while know that I am no fan of bags and think that a truck laid out flat on the ground with the wheels all cockeyed is one of the silliest fads ever to come along outside of crybaby dolls and maybe worse than that.

How low?
How hardcore is the law enforcement on scrub line in Nebraska?

How low can you be and still get in and out of your driveway and garage without special effort?

How low can you be and negotiate the streets of Omaha without getting hung up on man hole covers or other obstructions and how low can you be and get in and out of the parking lots that you normally would drive the truck into.

If you looked at the thread Jeff56 posted about his dropped axle and looked at his truck you can figure out that while the truck looks great there is no possible way it could make it in and out of my driveway without getting hung up. My 48 used to be that low runningboard wise and I left the chrome off a freshly chromed bumper on the entry/exit ramp of a grocery store in Bountiful Utah but that town is an exception and a real pain to negotiate in a lowered rig.

[I] don't have anything against setting up a truck with bags so it can be raised to clear driveways or what not though and will have axillary bags on the back of the 48 to maintain static road height when I load my travel stuff in the bed or hook up my little camp trailer.

[mknittle]

quote=mr48chev;5499270]Well the guys that have been on here for a while know that I am no fan of bags and think that a truck laid out flat on the ground with the wheels all cockeyed is one of the silliest fads ever to come along outside of crybaby dolls and maybe worse than that.

How low?
How hardcore is the law enforcement on scrub line in Nebraska?

How low can you be and still get in and out of your driveway and garage without special effort?

How low can you be and negotiate the streets of Omaha without getting hung up on man hole covers or other obstructions and how low can you be and get in and out of the parking lots that you normally would drive the truck into.

If you looked at the thread Jeff56 posted about his dropped axle and looked at his truck you can figure out that while the truck looks great there is no possible way it could make it in and out of my driveway without getting hung up. My 48 used to be that low runningboard wise and I left the chrome off a freshly chromed bumper on the entry/exit ramp of a grocery store in Bountiful Utah but that town is an exception and a real pain to negotiate in a lowered rig.

[I] don't have anything against setting up a truck with bags so it can be raised to clear driveways or what not though and will have axillary bags on the back of the 48 to maintain static road height when I load my travel stuff in the bed or hook up my little camp trailer.[/quote]

[mr48chev]

It seems that I travel through Utah every time I go to Texas in my Truck or to a big truck event such as the Chevy/GMC truckin Nationals that were held in Ogden in the early 80's.
Every time I've been through there I've hit something in the road or got hung up on a driveway entrance to a store or business. I never had much problem around here except for a couple of over zealous law enforcement people who pulled me over for it being too low and lectured me and let me go.

Being lower than the scrub line isn't too smart on a truck that you drive a lot as sooner or later most guys will have a flat and then there is all hell to pay if you get stuck in a traffic lane and can't move the truck to the side of the road. That is my main issue with bags. if you blow a line or blow a bag the truck hits the ground and you are stuck in the middle of the road and can't move if the truck is setup to lay frame. That may cause the law enforcement person who gets called out and the tow truck operator who get called out by the law enforcement officer to both think you have a less than working IQ for setting the truck up to do that and get you hung up in the big middle of traffic. And that's after the law enforcement officer puts a pair of big dents in your roll pan on the back attempting to push the truck off the road.

[spartakus]

phssh. forgot. My truck is a 48 3100 AD.

still messing w/ the rake & at different heights front & rear. got the front fenders rigged up & I forgot about that... they are definitely a little lower at the rear than the front of the running boards too.

good points from you guys, especially about driving it. and i never did dig the air bag thing either or laying the boards on the street yet, thats just me. I do however want a low hot rod type of look but, I want it that way all the time - not different when its parked for looks.

Thanks again

[mr48chev]

That red truck that someone posted this morning in the great looking truck on ebay thread has a great stance. Low but not get in trouble low.

This was with the Camaro subframe and get a ticket low.

My aunt posing with the truck at my house. No bags, static ride height on the truck just the way I drove it to Ogden.

[mknittle]

I would worry about anything driving any thing that has the front axle/crossmember below the outside wheel rimif a tire blows.
Talk about Mr Toads wild ride!

P.S. that is a bi***in truck Mr 48. And your history with it is great!

[RINC]

You are low when your behind puckers at a unseen bump. After pulling out the seat cover material from your behind, lower it some more. Then pay better attention when driving.

[xpickup]

spartakus, I just got my panel on the road about 2 months ago , so when put it on the road the bottom of the running boards were at 5 inches. I looked great, but turning hard the tires would rub on the inside of the fenders. Now it is on a g body frame which I think is close to the factory track width. So I had to take of the 2 inch drop spindles and put air shocks in the back. So now it is 7 inches off the ground and drives so much better and no rubbing now. Low is great but if you are going to drive it don't make it too low.

Shannon

[Root2812]

spartakus, I'd love to see either some pictures or a build thread on your truck as you put this all together. I intend on using a similar set up as you described in post #1.