Budget Build

[Saskrodder]

Hey guys,

I'm new to the 60-66 trucks! I've purchased a 1960 GMC short box step side truck. All original but has some rust issues with the cab floor. I'm looking to swap a 350 with a 700r4 backing it up. The plan is to keep it the original patina'd paint.

My question is, is there any problems with just heating up the springs or cutting them to lower it? I'd like to do this as cheap as possible. I do have an 80's front end I could put on it to get front discs but like I said I would like to do this as cheap as possible.

Thanks!

[TJ's Chevy]

I believe heating the springs will lower it about 2 inches...maybe 3...but there is no issue heating them. Many people here have done so. Welcome to the forums and I look forward to seeing pictures. T.J.

[Saskrodder]

Thanks for the Reply T.J! The truck is still being stored at the farm right now 5 hours away but my plan is to get it to where I'm living and working now. Perks to being a Salesman at the GM dealer is a nice shop to work on it during evenings and weekends!

[TJ's Chevy]

Originally Posted by Saskrodder

Thanks for the Reply T.J! The truck is still being stored at the farm right now 5 hours away but my plan is to get it to where I'm living and working now. Perks to being a Salesman at the GM dealer is a nice shop to work on it during evenings and weekends!

Yer welcome! I'm gonna come down there and have you give me a spankin deal on a 2014 duramax! LOL!

[Saskrodder]

Sounds good to me! I'm still waiting for our stock to arrive so I can drive one! Getting excited!

[Slow Build]

In my opinion heating the springs is a bad idea.

[Saskrodder]

How come you don't like the idea Slow Build? I'm looking for as much input as I can before I do it.

[Slow Build]

Here's a thread on the subject. I'm going with the majority on this one.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...g+coil+springs

[NEWFISHER]

As a teenager, I used to set blocks under the vehicle frame or body and then take the torch with a rose bud tip and heat each spring( not just in one spot, but throughout the coil) until it started to drop and pull back. The car/truck would gently come to rest on the pre-set wooden blocks and I would let everything cool down. They drove ok at best, but never trusted the weakened spring tension through a corner or a long trip, especially hauling something. It was cheap, I was cheap.

I then started pulling them and cutting coils, rode better and felt safer. more work, but what in life isn't more work with better results.

I then became employed and started buying coils/leaf packs that were designed to hold/haul a specific load and offer a dropped stance. I felt safer, but my wallet was thinner.

You pay for what you get in life

[chevyrestoguy]

Always cut a spring, never heat it. When you heat the spring, you take the temper out of the steel, and over time, it will continue to drop and sag, until the coils eventually make contact with each other, which will usually cause them to break. The ride will be terrible.

Either buy a lowering coil or cut the ones you have. Cutting a coil costs no money, just time.

[AcampoDave]

Where as cutting front coils works o.k. you may want to use blocks in the rear. This keeps shock travel unchanged. You can make a block, or buy them. It's cheap and safe. Mine are a 1" block I bought and a homemade 3/8 block I added later on. Just don't block it up too high and risk scraping the suspension on the ground under hard cornering.

[Saskrodder]

Is there an advantage to blocks vs cutting springs? I had a 71 chev with heated springs(previous owner) and it rode not to bad. A little soft when cruising but I was overall happy with it.

[forestb]

If you cut the coils in the rear you will no longer have the pig tail to attach to the trailing arms. I would go with blocks but no lower than 2-3 inches. The front coils I would cut but you might need new shocks.

Originally Posted by Saskrodder

Is there an advantage to blocks vs cutting springs? I had a 71 chev with heated springs(previous owner) and it rode not to bad. A little soft when cruising but I was overall happy with it.

[Saskrodder]

I'd like to get it as low as possible... Which will be the best route to go?

[low_life96]

Nothing is cheep do it right he first time an you will have no problems down the road but that just my 2cents

[donthekawguy]

If you want to go real low it will cost you to do it right. For the front you will need springs, spindles, shocks and shock relocators. For the back anything more than 3 inches you will need springs, shocks, adjustable trac bar and shock relocators if you just use springs. If you use blocks you can get away without using the relocators. If you use the newer front end for the brake upgrade you might as well bite the bullet and lay out the cash. When you do you will never wonder if you did the right thing and it will ride better than new. The good news is you can do it one end at a time so it won't kill you with the money outlay all at once. Lower the back the right way and cut the springs in front. Drive it like that until you have the parts saved up for the front. When you get the front lowered you notice the difference and understand this gibberish. lol

[AcampoDave]

Don's right. A pair of rear 3" drop coils are around a hundred dollars and a 1" block kit with new u bolts runs about 80 bucks. 3 inch coils will not be so extreme as to require the purchace of additional parts and the 1"block doesn't count cuz yer shocks don't "feel" a block. Then you can cut the front springs a bit and roll it that way until you can afford to take it to the next level. Extreme drops are cool (and costly) but if you look at the static drop thread I think you'll agree that a modest 2 or 2.5 inch front with a 4" rear looks pretty sweet when set on the right tire/wheel combo. Doing a modest drop wont break the bank either.

[63burban]

Drop coils in the front and blocks in the rear, you won't regret it. And it's cheap.

[AcampoDave]

Saskrodder, you got coils or leafs out back?

[low_life96]

If its a gmc it should have leafs a flip kit is around 800-100 bucks

[donthekawguy]

You will need to think about having it aligned also. With drop spindles and springs in the front you can have it aligned.

[Saskrodder]

Alignment is no problem as all the work will be done in the shop of the GM dealership I work at.

[donthekawguy]

Originally Posted by Saskrodder

Alignment is no problem as all the work will be done in the shop of the GM dealership I work at.

What I meant was if you cut the springs or get too much of a drop spring with nothing else, you might not be able to get it in spec. With spindles and springs it will be no problem. Spindles add a couple of hundred bucks to the tab but they are worth it.

[Captainfab]

A '60 GMC is going to have a torsion bar front suspension, not coils. So unlerss you change the front suspension to a '71-'87 suspension, there are no coils to cut. All you do is adjust the torsion bars. As for the rear, those should not be cut. It is very dangerous if you do. I would also suggest blocks in the rear if you don't want to buy dropped coils. Do not heat the springs, this is also dangerous.

[LostMy65]

Lowering with torsion bars can get dangerous if the adjustment bolt hangs too low and catches on something.