3/4 ton blues

[hippycarguy]

please help! I bought a 67 c20 because i was super cheap, but i want it low with cool wheels, low budget. can i put lowered 1/2 ton springs & keep same axel & spindles. does 1/2t rear axel bolt up same? does 73-79 frt spindles & axel bolt up same. Truck is super dry & pretty straight, i don't want to abandon, but want coooooool stance. gotta be a way without spendin lots of $$$$$. Any help apriciated.

[LockDoc]

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Welcome from another Iowa guy... As far as the front you can cut one coil off of the front springs and that will lower the front approx. 2 1/2". You will have to have it re-aligned. You don't say if the rear has coil springs or leaf springs. If it has coils you can put 2" lowering blocks between the rear axle pads and the trailing arms. You will have to get new "U" bolts but they are only 30 bucks or so at your local spring shop. (you may have to go to Sioux City to find the "U" bolts)

LockDoc

[Big-Blue]

For the rear, if it's leafs...take a leaf or two out. It should lower a little and ride better. I am sure there are some people who have done this who can weigh in.

[hippycarguy]

Thanks for the info!! I have coils on rear, are 3/4t same mount as 1/2t? I looked at lwr blocks online. Easy peasee!!! If springs on frt. & rear same as 1/2t, i might just buy all new springs. I think 67-90's 3/4t 8 lug same bolt pattern. If so i'll find some factory alloy wheels with low profile tire.

[PanelDeland]

Look the later model wheels and aftermarket ones over carefully.I'm not sure on 3/4 but I assume(makes an"a$$ outta u and me")They have the same offset problems the 1/2 tons do.The wheel backspacing is different.

[Sinister]

GMC Paul's has lowering springs for 3/4 ton trucks.

[capev86]

yeah....go the way Sinister tells it. my opinion is that 3/4 ton coil spring trucks ride just almost as smooth as 1/2 tons but give you soooo much back in terms of durability and also the wow factor 'cause there are far more 1/2 ton trucks out there. you will have a sportier looking truck for a cheap price and it will be a clean install as you don't have to modify anything because its a complete bolt in job so you or the next owner can return it to regular ride height in the future if you want. 2 inches at each corner will be plenty, especially if you are running big wheels. if you slam it you wont be able to drive it anywhere without an outlandishly expensive and complicated air ride system to lift the truck up when you need to go over speed bumps, pot holes, etc. some mild drop 3/4 ton springs will be an awesome compromise.....a nice HD truck with sporty looks. i prefer having my 72 burb 3/4 ton at normal height for practicalities sake (and i like that clean vintage look) but this is the route i would take if i was building a show truck......'cause i do like mildly lowered sport trucks like the silverado ss and the aftermarket style that was popular in the 90's before you had to have air bags, a notched frame and severely modified bodywork to be cool. i am still (barely) in my 20's and yet trends in general (not just in the auto market) the last few years just seem downright weird to me.

[my67c20]

From a guy that has a 3/4 ton the last thing i would do is start cutting up the suspension just to get a better stance. I think the 3/4 ton factory stance is mean enough and it says i can haul some serious sh#&. Clean the 3/4 ton up a bit sell it and buy a 1/2 ton they are a dime a dozen.

[special-K]

You can lower and find cool wheels for a 3/4t "and" maintain the ability to still use it as a truck.I like them for what they are.I wouldn`t lower one either.I had one that got plenty of thimbs up without ever touching the suspension.Then,I could throw the camper on and travel out to the Grand Canyon from the east coast and back.Talk about cruisin`my ride.I buy 1/2 tons for lowering and 3/4 tons for a cool truck that hauls.

[hippycarguy]

Thanks for the input guys!!! I run a restoration shop & just lookin to get a cool shop truck without spendin lots of money! I typically build muscle & classic cars, but i've always had a soft spot for the old trucks. I'm also buildin a 57 cameo for a customer, puttin 4-link rear & Fatman frt susp. He has a 502 Ramjet that's polished to the 9's. Black with white insert, he's spendin big $$$, but he's retired with plenty of coin! That's what started my 67 truck build. I'll post pics as soon as i figure out how to add them.

[heyjoe]

FWIW, I pulled the heavy duty rear coils option on my 3/4 ton and replaced them with stock type 1/2 ton coils. So, yeah, they will swap.

It did lower the rear a little. I didn't take any measurements cause making the truck go higher or lower was not my aim. I did the swap to ease-up the bone-jarring ride on the horrendous streets of New Orleans.

[special-K]

Stock height with big/littles.I always thought it was a cool truck.My goal was period correct,which was the muscle car era.This was the look.They didn`t lower back then.That was for lowriders,only.I think this truck was totally classic and would have been a perfect shop truck:

[capev86]

i will NEVER mess with 1/2 ton rear springs other than to ditch them. standard 3/4 ton coils were optional on the back of the 1/2 ton (for towing/hauling) and they are a necessity on a stock height suburban which has more weight in the back anyway. my dad did the swap on his 72 burb 25 years ago because the stock rear coils were shot even before he started towing the camper with it. my 72 burb 3/4 ton still has plenty of life in the rear coils after 38 years. no need to mess with them now but they will eventually put aside for a possible 1/2 ton project down the road (who knows....blazer or 1/2 ton burb) in favor of the 3/4 ton HD units that are more like 1 ton coils.......i like the idea of "camper special" suspension on my burb. a firm ride doesn't bother me....this is a truck, not a car......

[hippycarguy]

Great info! I agree a truck is a truck! my wife drives a 99 Yucon (205000 miles)& i have a 2000 GMC ext cab sh box 4X4 (252000 miles) that i drive regularly, & i work both trucks pullin a single car trailer & small camper. I would like to upgrade p/u to HD 3/4t or even a 1ton, but my 67 i want to show case a super flat paint job to promote my shop. I plan to put frt & rear roll pans, lwr the stance, shave handles & antenna, & add a tuned port injection to original 327. I'm replacing heavy 3-sp cast iron trans with 400 turbo. possibly add pwr steering also. this truck is unbelievably dry with only 2 small spots of rust, the size of a quarter. I wish it had a wood floor, but has a very straight steel floor. Any body used a A/M tailgate? How bad do they fit?

[capev86]

i already have a shaved antenna (aka no radio) so i don't have to fill any holes to get the "look" in that respect. when i add one of those aftermarket custom fit stereo's i'm gonna use a hidden antenna 'cause i will mostly use the aux input with an mp3 player.

you could use a cowl panel from a truck that doesn't have a radio and that would save on bodywork somewhat if you could find a nice straight panel.