55.2-59 Nostalgia Sid's Dropped Axle Pics - Please

[tsmith8]

I know its only the first day of August but i am planning the winter project. I am going a dropped axle from Sid's, new leaf springs, new shocks new suspension components up front.

I wanted to see pics of guys trucks that have a 3 or 4" dropped axle up front and lower springs in the back.

What springs did you use in the rear?
What manual or power steering did you install with the dropped axle?

I know quite a few will say IFS is the way to go but i have a soft spot for my straight axle and it will look good with my 383 stroker and triple carb setup.

So, anyone care to share??

Thank you.

[MARTINSR]

I haven't gotten far enough to have a runner and show ride height. But I have a 3" Sids drop with stock springs on the front that I pulled a few leafs out of. I had Sids do all the steering mods they do to accommodate it with the stock steering box. Then I got three inch dropped Posie springs in the rear. I have a few lowering blocks I may use on the rear as well, we will see how the front drops when I get the engine in it.

Brian

[MiraclePieCo]

Originally Posted by tsmith8

I know quite a few will say IFS is the way to go but i have a soft spot for my straight axle

I will never fault your straight axle. Properly set up, they ride and handle as good as anything. Funny how guys who aren't familiar with them have this near phobia about them and think they're like some primitive black magic. All my cars have had dropped I-beams and they made me want to look for slalom courses!

[RyanPartridge]

Here's my beater/daily driver/work-in-progress...

Sid dropped my original axle 3" and did my kingpins, tie rods, the works. I also replaced my worn out original springs with Posies Super Sliders(front and rear) that are supposed to give you a 3" drop and did brand new Bilstein shocks.

These upgrades, along with new tires, improved the ride unbelievably. I did have to cut down my bumps stops to allow the front leaf springs the ability to travel, no biggie.

As for power steering, when I found my truck a previous owner had already done a Toyota PS conversion which I don't personally care for. Steering feels way too "floaty" and I'd rather feel the road, even if it means using some muscle in parking lots. I got an original manual steering box and column from a member here that I just had rebuilt, I can't wait for that to go back in.

I also plan to add a sway bar which I think will give me 100% steering/handling improvement and get me right where I want to be.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

I will never fault your straight axle. Properly set up, they ride and handle as good as anything. Funny how guys who aren't familiar with them have this near phobia about them and think they're like some primitive black magic. All my cars have had dropped I-beams and they made me want to look for slalom courses!

Yep, I am with you there!

Brian

[mr48chev]

70 % of it in the springs on any I beam setup on a light truck or car.

Too many guys ride in one I beam truck with stock springs that are rusted together along with being worn so bad that there are notches in the leaves where the leaf below it wore into it. Others remove leaves from the springs in an effort to lower it like mine has and that not only messes with the ride it screws up the handling because usually the caster is thrown way off.

These trucks want to be greased every thousand miles if not more often than that. Lack of maintenance is hard on them and makes them steer hard.

We have guys coming into the hobby who have never driven a car without a rack an pinion steering as they started driving in the late 80's or early 90's or later and there never has been an older vehicle in the family.

Same with ride and handling. If you grew up riding in and then driving Lexis or similar cars or even late model Silverados the ride and handling are going to take getting used to.

Time to go to Vintiques Nationals and sniff chrome for a few hours.

[tsmith8]

Originally Posted by RyanPartridge

Here's my beater/daily driver/work-in-progress...

Sid dropped my original axle 3" and did my kingpins, tie rods, the works. I also replaced my worn out original springs with Posies Super Sliders(front and rear) that are supposed to give you a 3" drop and did brand new Bilstein shocks.

.

The Posies Super Sliders you put in the front were 3" lowering as well? or were they direct replacement with 3" lowering in the rear?

Thanks for the post reply.

[jeffs56]

Awesome man. I’m sticking with the dropped axle and springs also. Sids sells the adjustable draglink to prevent the bumpsteer as well. I have some pictures of my setup if you want to see them. I did a disc brake conversion kit on mine also. I’m going to use the stock steering also. I’m hoping mine gets going soon

[tsmith8]

Originally Posted by jeffs56

Awesome man. I’m sticking with the dropped axle and springs also. Sids sells the adjustable draglink to prevent the bumpsteer as well. I have some pictures of my setup if you want to see them. I did a disc brake conversion kit on mine also. I’m going to use the stock steering also. I’m hoping mine gets going soon

Ya, post some pics. Would love to see it.

[RyanPartridge]

Originally Posted by tsmith8

The Posies Super Sliders you put in the front were 3" lowering as well? or were they direct replacement with 3" lowering in the rear?

Yes, they're reversed eye and designed to lower your truck 3" from stock height. Both front and rear.
However, if your current springs were anything like mine, totally worn out and sagging, the truck may not be sitting at the original "stock" height anyways. So the new "lowering springs" could possibly raise the truck up. This is what happened to the front of mine.

I did the Posies springs and Bilstein shocks first, then new tires. The rear of the truck ended up sitting lower but the front came up a bit since the old springs were basically flat with no arch anymore. The truck sat pretty much level at this point. Look at my photos above and just picture the front up 3".
The truck rode and handled way better(seriously) now that the suspension was fresh and dialed in...however, a trip to the alignment shop and we discovered that I had some kingpin slop which was making my steering kinda twitchy.

I was already planning to eventually send my axle to Sid but the need for new kingpins made me bump it up on my priority list. He did the kingpins and I went with a 3" drop since I run 15" wheels and 3" just seemed more traditional for oldschool lowering.
When everything went back together I used 4 degree caster shims which now helps the truck track straight at higher speeds and feels much much nicer. Sid will fix you up with those.

Here's the springs and shocks(basic black):

http://www.posiesrodsandcustoms.com/...truck-springs/
http://www.posiesrodsandcustoms.com/bilstein-shocks/

[jeffs56]

Here’s a couple

[mick53]

Originally Posted by RyanPartridge

Here's my beater/daily driver/work-in-progress...

Sid dropped my original axle 3" and did my kingpins, tie rods, the works. I also replaced my worn out original springs with Posies Super Sliders(front and rear) that are supposed to give you a 3" drop and did brand new Bilstein shocks.

These upgrades, along with new tires, improved the ride unbelievably. I did have to cut down my bumps stops to allow the front leaf springs the ability to travel, no biggie.

As for power steering, when I found my truck a previous owner had already done a Toyota PS conversion which I don't personally care for. Steering feels way too "floaty" and I'd rather feel the road, even if it means using some muscle in parking lots. I got an original manual steering box and column from a member here that I just had rebuilt, I can't wait for that to go back in.

I also plan to add a sway bar which I think will give me 100% steering/handling improvement and get me right where I want to be.

I had my original steering box rebuilt and am going with EPAS electric power steering. It goes inline with your column and has adjustable gain so you can turn it down on the highway.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by mick53

I had my original steering box rebuilt and am going with EPAS electric power steering. It goes inline with your column and has adjustable gain so you can turn it down on the highway.

I just went to their site and it doesn't show systems for trucks at all. Are you using a Camaro (or other) clip so their system will work for you?