Dropping the 1 ton!

[kitsbeach]

How much space between the pumpkin and the bed once done.?

I've got a "heavy" 3/4 ton with the big rear differential.

I understand all the other bits...C-notch etc. I've lowered my '67 no probs.

I figure with a C-notch there'll be 2-3" between axle tube and the frame, which is fine for me.

But wondering if there'll be 2-3 from the pumpkin to the bed floor?

Planning 8-lug short bed conversion and a 6/8 drop to be cheap and different. I know I can change over to half ton stuff if I need to.

Couple pics to show the starting point.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by kitsbeach

How much space between the pumpkin and the bed once done.?

I've got a "heavy" 3/4 ton with the big rear differential.

I understand all the other bits...C-notch etc. I've lowered my '67 no probs.

I figure with a C-notch there'll be 2-3" between axle tube and the frame, which is fine for me.

But wondering if there'll be 2-3 from the pumpkin to the bed floor?

Planning 8-lug short bed conversion to be cheap and different. I know I can change over to half ton stuff if I need to.

My dually had similar spacial dimensions @ the axle/frame rail & differental/floor. As you noted, the c-sections help @ the frame rail but you still lose clearance @ the differential/floor.

[kitsbeach]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

My dually had similar spacial dimensions @ the axle/frame rail & differental/floor. As you noted, the c-sections help @ the frame rail but you still lose clearance @ the differential/floor.

Thanks SCOTTI but did your diff hit the bed floor regularly?

I can handle a little bashing and banging occasionally on a big bump. But I don't really want continuous bottoming out. If there is less than 2-3 inches from the big 1 ton diff I might swap out to a half ton diff.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by kitsbeach

Thanks SCOTTI but did your diff hit the bed floor regularly?

I can handle a little bashing and banging occasionally on a big bump. But I don't really want continuous bottoming out. If there is less than 2-3 inches from the big 1 ton diff I might swap out to a half ton diff.

There was about 1" of clearance so it would have made contact more than desired.

My '74 1/2 ton had this same issue & would make contact more than I cared for. That was a driving factor in my decision of installing a beefier step-notch & raising the bed floor. The step-notch maintains the rail strength & the raised floor allows clearance. The truck is lower than it could have been w/no clearance issues when driving.

[kitsbeach]

Thanks SCOTI that’s exactly the info I was looking for.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by kitsbeach

Thanks SCOTI that’s exactly the info I was looking for.

No problem. I loved driving my '74 & drove it daily. My '68 that preceded the '74 was the same... C-notch required 'low' & driven daily. But, the '68 clearanced the wooden floor on it's own within the first few miles of driving; the steel floor of the '74 was not so forgiving.

While it didn't hit on every bump, it hit enough that I grew tired of it for daily use. Ultimately my plan was to correct the issue but then another board-member offered a trade for a Squarebody CC dually & I went that route as I was in the middle of building a frame for my '64 project. I took the same ideas I had for the '74 & applied them to my '64 & dually. The '64 isn't done but the dually has about 7500miles w/o a single issue w/the rear axle hitting the frame or floor. Not once....

*EDIT* I just noticed your set-up was a wooden flatbed. You might have additional clearance vs a steel floor (or less?). It warrants getting out the tape measure to verify the distance between the axle tube/frame rail & differential/floor.