Drop Spindle

[uncle]

What brands will work in a 2 or 2 1/2 with a 15" wheel without trimming the lower a-frame?

[chevyrestoguy]

I've done lots of dropped spindles from different manufacturers on C-10s and have never had to trim the lower A-arm. 99% of them had aftermarket wheels, so that may have made a difference.

[moneyeater]

I have BellTech 2,5" spindles and 10x15 Eagle alloys and i had to trim the lower a-arms!The lower lip is removed all the way around to get room for free turning!

[lolife99]

Uncle,... it all has to do with the backspacing of the wheels you are running. Use a 3.5" BS and you will be fine. A 4" BS (like on a 15x8 ralley wheel) will require you to trim. Use a 4" or 4.5" electric grinder with a thin cut off wheel and you can do each side in about 15 minutes each. This is not a big deal. I've done this on every 67-87 I have owned for the past 25+ years. Just clean up the area left and right of the ball joint about 4 or 5 inches back. This is the "channel" looking part of the lower a-arm. (I wish I had a pic) Then bolt the wheels on and raise the truck with a jack under the a-arm,... and turn the wheels left and right to check for clearance.

[uncle]

Will this be affected if he goes with a drop spring also? As in a 4" drop?

[lolife99]

I think the most you can get is a 3",...but with a stock spindle there should be no interference.

[uncle]

Sorry, I meant spindle/spring combo.

[lolife99]

A drop spindle raises the center of the disc brake rotor up either 2.5" or 3" (depending on which brand you use),... this is what brings the lower edge of the wheel "up",... closer to the lower balljoint/a-arm contact point. The different size drop springs shouldn't have any effect on this problem. Use the spindles and trim the lower a-arm. This is much better than using a dropped (tubular) lower a-arm.

[Slonaker]

I have Western Chassis 2.5" spindles with 8" rally wheels. I didn't have to trim anything, but I did have to bend the brakelines a little to clear the spindle.

Slonaker

[piecesparts]

I am running the 3" drop spindles and a 1" drop spring from Bell-Tech, with 15" rims and they work fine on both my truck and my son's truck. I did have to trim a little off of the bottom of his lower A-arm at the very tip for clearance to the rim's edge.

[uncle]

Thanks for all the info.

[69BBsuburban]

I had 3" DJM spindles on my blue '80 SWB with 15x7 ralleys.....no mods need to the A-arms.....but the calipers needed a little clearance work.