Needing Help Lowering my 69 C10

[kedmunds]

I am open to any suggestions for lowering my 69 C10 Stepside. I am not sure what is the best way to go, so please let me know of the best and most inexpensive way to lower my 69.

I do not want it slammed, but I want it lowered enough to make the ride and look much better.

Thanks for any help you are willing to offer.

Thank You All,
Kirk

[MAC71]

I think that if you just want to lower it slightly and not have to do much work you may want to consider 2 1/2 inch drop spindles in the front and than drop springs in the rear. If you still want something of a slight rake in the stance than 3 in rear springs will work. If you want to get level more like 4 in drop springs. But if you drop to 4 in you will have to change the shock mounts and add an adjustable track arm.

I prefer Drop spindles because it maintains the front suspension geometry. In my experience in these trucks and also in a 56 Bel Air if you use drop springs the vehicles ride will be choppy. Also using spindles makes it easy to add disk brakes if you have not already done so.

Also do you have sway bars? A sway bar in the front makes a big difference on these trucks. If you only lower 2 to 3 in nothing needs to be changed with the sway bar mounts, but if you lowered the front end more than that you will need to change the mounting brackets. Rear sway bars do help with handling but not as much as what I have seen on cars.

A decent set of shocks always make a difference. If you go a lot lower than stock you need different shocks that are shorter.

Early Classic has really good parts for this and a very helpful staff. I have worked with them a few times for parts for my truck and for a few friends trucks.
http://www.earlyclassic.com/catalog.aspx?ProductId=261

[jimmydean]

The less spring drop the better the ride. So if you don't want to go too low, but still have a nice stance, a drop spindle up front and a 3" drop spring + 1" block in the rear. Still ride good, haul loads without issue and have a nice stance.

[N2TRUX]

Good advice so far. The only thing missing here is you didn't mention if it coil or leaf rear.

[jimmydean]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Good advice so far. The only thing missing here is you didn't mention if it coil or leaf rear.

I was thinking that the second I hit Submit. To be honest I have only seen a hand full of pre-square body leaf trucks in person, so I forget.

[MAC71]

I know its not the best photo but here is a friends 72 that I lowered with 2 in front springs and 4 in rear springs from early classic.

[MAC71]

Heres the photo

[angelt85]

suggestions for a 63 with coil springs all around? I want to go about 3" up front and 4" in the rear with out major modification.

Just enough to tuck the wheel a bit up front.

[Mike C]

Pay once cry once...

I highly recommend a disc conversion which will raise the price. But realistically, you can get it down 4 1/2" in the front (3 1/2" same price) and 6" in the rear (5" same price once again) with shocks for about $1100. Should handle great and have no need for a c-notch. Wheels and tires are what doubles the budget. I spent right around $3000 for everything including CalTracs and a brake booster that's not currently on the truck.

Cheap-cheap is 2" front springs, 4" rear springs and call it good. $250

I would (and did) use ECE front components. My truck is leaf so a DJM flip in the rear. Mine is 4 1/2"-7" with 27" and 29" tall tires f/r.

[jennsC10truck]

Originally Posted by Mike C

Pay once cry once...

I highly recommend a disc conversion which will raise the price. But realistically, you can get it down 4 1/2" in the front (3 1/2" same price) and 6" in the rear (5" same price once again) with shocks for about $1100. Should handle great and have no need for a c-notch. Wheels and tires are what doubles the budget. I spent right around $3000 for everything including CalTracs and a brake booster that's not currently on the truck.

Cheap-cheap is 2" front springs, 4" rear springs and call it good. $250

I would (and did) use ECE front components. My truck is leaf so a DJM flip in the rear. Mine is 4 1/2"-7" with 27" and 29" tall tires f/r.

Hi! I was reading your reply to this post and was jw if you didn't notch the rear then how did you get your 7 inches in the rear?? Reason i ask is bc we did a 6 inch flip kit on my 68 and cut springs up front and my rear is hitting frame now in the rear with just the 6 inches and i want to go 7 so im def gonna have to notch it before i pull 1 leaf like i want to do to get my 7 inches.

[Tomas86]

Hey guys I'm new to the site.
I wanted to lower my 69 c10 stepside. It's coils front and rear I was thinking lowering springs 3" in the front and 4" in the rear. Would I be able to lower it with just springs and still have a decent ride?

[bs46488]

Tomas86,

The previous owner of my truck lowered the front with just drop springs. I don't know if its 3 or 4", but the ride is horrible. Specifically I have a bumpsteer issue.

I am planning on replacing the drop springs with 2.5" drop spindles and maybe a 1" drop spring.

However, 4" in the rear should be okay. Some people might start recommending shock relocation brackets for the rear to correct the angle change

[Tomas86]

thanks for the quick response. And answer
I know most people usually convert over to disc brakes with drop spindles. But can you keep the original drum brake setup with new drop spindles? Or does it need to be converted to disc brakes ?

[68c10airstream]

Tomas86,
The suggested spindles are for disc brakes and as a current lowered 68 c10 using e.c.e. parts i have no regrets. Just make up your mind if you want to stick with 6 lug wheels of 5 lug wheels because the new rotors will have to match. Probably more choices going forward with the 5 lug (5" bolt circle) for wheels, but i'm not sure but i think the 6 lug is a match for late model 4x4 gm truck wheels. Typical late model gm wheels can be had in 16" and up, but suffer from shallow backspacing. Our old school trucks look good with the deep dish wheels (lug nuts recessed inward) with typical mounting flange is in the middle of the wheel. My 18" wheels are aftermarket, 18x8" and the mounting flange is dead center at 4", another words if you took a tape measure and checked the backside of the wheel and measured inward to the mounting flange it would be 4" from the lip of the rim and it would be the same from the front side through the spokes to the mounting flange.

As far as brakes go if you plan on adding horsepower, have a family, not retired, etc, what is your safety worth??

Welcome aboard to the best truck site!!

[hewittca]

If you run drop spindles, you have to convert to disks up front. There are no drop drum spindles. If you don't want to convert, then you can only go up to 2" lower up front with springs without making any modifications. As bs46488 pointed out, a 4" drop spring on an otherwise stock truck results in a terrible ride. That doesn't mean it can't be done, however. I have 4" springs on mine with the original front drum/spindle (although I do plan to upgrade to drop spindles soon) and the ride is very good. I did have to cut the bump stop mounts out, run the caster mod (here), flip the outer tie rods to the bottom of the spindles, and of course get an alignment, but it does ride nice now .

[Pro Performance]

A lot of great info here. Let us know if we can help further and have a series of static drop kits we put together.

http://www.azproperformance.com/Stat...its-63-72-C10/

[Tomas86]

Thanks for the info guys.
So my truck is more of a weekend cruiser. I just wanted to lower and level it. I was not wanting to go to expensive. So that's why I was thinking towards lowering springs. What's the lowest it can go but keep the ride decent. As far as addicted horse power to it, it's got a 327 run pretty good so I'll probably just keep that the way it is. What about lowering springs 2" in the front and 3" in the rear? It's a stepside if that makes a difference.