3/5 Drop Reccomendations

[blkcorvair]

Looking for a Good Reccomendation for a 3/5 Drop now that ECE is no more. I Plan to use a 2" front Spindle. Should I use a 2" Drop Spring? I have heard that 1" is often the same as the old worn out springs still in there.

Looking to maintain a comfortable ride as much as possible. So best shocks and possible rear re-location kit?

I have a factory 71 Sway bar installed but Ill likely add a thicker front bar and and rear bar as well.

Looking for some brand suggestions even if this all should be mix and matched to get the best outcome.

69 Short Step. Currently has inline 6. But this suspension change will also incorporate and LS/ 4L80 install. Truck is a Posi rear as well.

[TuckersTech]

A 2.5" drop spindle up front with a stock height spring and a 4" drop spring in the rear will give you a lowered stance that is level but still be something that is drivable. Around here in Southern Utah, the driveway entrances are pretty bad and the shop truck we have here didn't appreciate the setup I mentioned but if you live in a place with better roads you should be fine. There are a few options for a lowering spindle/ disc brake conversion. There is an OE spec spindle that uses your factory size ball joints. There is an "upgrade" spindle that uses the larger 73-87 ball joints. Either one of these options make your front track width slightly wider. There is a "modular" spindle option that keeps your track width the same. You would also need to decide if you're going to stay with 6 lug or convert to the 5 lug. I personally like the look of the 6 lug but there are a lot more wheel options for the 5 lug. Here is a link to the modular spindle disc brake conversion in 5 lug: https://tuckersparts.com/products/19...-5x5-5-lug-kit The picture shows 6 lug rotors so you can get it either way.

[blkcorvair]

Thank you. Keeping 6 Lug and Have the wheels picked out already. Keeping Larger Steel OEM looking 6 Lugs with my Original Dog Dish Caps. Somewhere I thought I remebered reading that a 2.5 drop spindle may have caused other issues so the reccomendations was 2" + 1" drop spring but can recall for sure.

[ivory68]

I did the ECE front disk kit (2.5" drop spindle) and 4" CPP rear springs. The front kit pushed the wheels further out (caused rubbing), so I had to get new wheels with less offset and more backspace. For the rear, I went with wider wheels with more offset to bring the tires closer to the edge. I like the ride height. It is comfortable. For reference, I have 235/70R15 front and 275/60R15 in the rear. Tuckertech mentioned "modular" spindle that keeps the track same, so you may want to look further into that option.

[blkcorvair]

Can I avoid a frame notch with 4” drop in rear? Don’t like the idea of cutting up my frame

[ivory68]

Originally Posted by blkcorvair

Can I avoid a frame notch with 4” drop in rear? Don’t like the idea of cutting up my frame

You shouldn't need to do a frame notch for a 4" rear drop. Can't say for others, but mine has been fine with just drop springs in the rear. Good luck.

[72c20customcamper]

I used CCP spindle kit in my 68 . I don’t believe anyone makes a 2 inch drop anymore . The kit I ordered said 2 inch on Summit but when I got them they were clearly marked 2 1/2 inch . . I called CCP and they advised that they don’t make a 2 inch drop and to the best of their knowledge nobody does .

I used 3inch drop springs also and have had no problems with the fronts rubbing . But I used 15 inch rims and smallish tires in front of.

[EagleChief]

I went with Performance Online (POL) for my setup. 3.5"/5" (front/rear). I didn't get to drive the truck a whole lot before the engine gave out on my, but the stance was just what I was looking for. Here's my list of what all I purchased...

[blkcorvair]

Originally Posted by EagleChief

I went with Performance Online (POL) for my setup. 3.5"/5" (front/rear). I didn't get to drive the truck a whole lot before the engine gave out on my, but the stance was just what I was looking for. Here's my list of what all I purchased...

Thank you. Did you need to notch teh frame for 5" in the
rear?

[EagleChief]

Originally Posted by blkcorvair

Thank you. Did you need to notch teh frame for 5" in the
rear?

No. From my understanding, 5" drop in the rear is as far as you can go without notching the frame. And, honestly, I still haven't relocated the rear shocks on mine yet. Still have the brackets and the new rear shocks in a box. After I did the suspension, my motor went out and I've been in a 4 yr swap on a LS motor, so I wasn't able to drive it much after the suspension swap.

[MySons68C20]

I did a 2.5" spindle drop in front with a 4" spring drop in the rear with an additional 1" drop block for a total 5" in the rear. I did not have to notch and no bottoming out or rubbing of any kind.

[SRU1436]

Originally Posted by MySons68C20

I did a 2.5" spindle drop in front with a 4" spring drop in the rear with an additional 1" drop block for a total 5" in the rear. I did not have to notch and no bottoming out or rubbing of any kind.

Are you referring to leaf springs? I’m curious as I have a leaf spring truck.

[samert111]

I lowered my 68 C10 with just CPP 3/5 lowering springs. This didn't affect my front suspension other than needing an alignment and the ride is acceptable. I was able to use the stock shock length on the front without re-locating the upper mounts. I did have to cut down the front and rear bump stops to keep the suspension from bottoming out.

On the rear I used the No Limit shock relocation kit to move the shock mounting location to behind the rear axle and outside the frame rails. The stock mounts allow the rear shocks to lay too flat if you lower more than 3 or 4 inches and essentially making them ineffective. I really like the improved handling with the No Limit kit. This along with the CPP front sway bar kit the truck handles much better and I really like the stance on the stock size 15" wheels.

I actually tried 2" drop springs in the front at first but wanted just a bit more and I was having problems with the springs nesting correctly in the upper spring pocket and rubbing on the upper opening. I noticed on the OEM springs the ends of the coils lined up with each other and the CPP springs were 180 degrees off. This caused the problems with the upper nesting correctly because the end of the spring forms a "D" shape that matches the shape of the centering boss in the upper mount. So, I cut 1/2 of the lower coil off so the cut ends of the springs were in line and that solved the problems plus gave me the additional 1" drop I was looking for.

So, if you go the lowering spring route, in the front make note that if the coil ends are in line with one another. If not, the upper spring end may not nest correctly in the upper pocket.

This summer I added the Wheel Vintiques 35 Series Rallye Wheels 15x7 with a 4" backspace with 225/75R15 tire on the front and a 15x10 with a 5" backspace in the rear with a 295/50R15 tire.

[blkcorvair]

Great Info and Pics! Thanks

Originally Posted by samert111

I lowered my 68 C10 with just CPP 3/5 lowering springs. This didn't affect my front suspension other than needing an alignment and the ride is acceptable. I was able to use the stock shock length on the front without re-locating the upper mounts. I did have to cut down the front and rear bump stops to keep the suspension from bottoming out.

On the rear I used the No Limit shock relocation kit to move the shock mounting location to behind the rear axle and outside the frame rails. The stock mounts allow the rear shocks to lay too flat if you lower more than 3 or 4 inches and essentially making them ineffective. I really like the improved handling with the No Limit kit. This along with the CPP front sway bar kit the truck handles much better and I really like the stance on the stock size 15" wheels.

I actually tried 2" drop springs in the front at first but wanted just a bit more and I was having problems with the springs nesting correctly in the upper spring pocket and rubbing on the upper opening. I noticed on the OEM springs the ends of the coils lined up with each other and the CPP springs were 180 degrees off. This caused the problems with the upper nesting correctly because the end of the spring forms a "D" shape that matches the shape of the centering boss in the upper mount. So, I cut 1/2 of the lower coil off so the cut ends of the springs were in line and that solved the problems plus gave me the additional 1" drop I was looking for.

So, if you go the lowering spring route, in the front make note that if the coil ends are in line with one another. If not, the upper spring end may not nest correctly in the upper pocket.

This summer I added the Wheel Vintiques 35 Series Rallye Wheels 15x7 with a 4" backspace with 225/75R15 tire on the front and a 15x10 with a 5" backspace in the rear with a 295/50R15 tire.

[MySons68C20]

Originally Posted by SRU1436

Are you referring to leaf springs? I’m curious as I have a leaf spring truck.

No sir, I have a coil spring truck.

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

When I bought the truck it did have a ECE 2/4 drop on it.

I added a CPP disc brake/drop spindle kit in the front of the 68. Kit is decent, I think its been said in other chats, but the brake hoses are too short. I also did 2 inch drop springs in the front, wanted it a little lower so then cut half a coil off. So now its about a 5" drop in the front.

In the rear I added 2" lowering blocks. No notch, I trimmed the bump stops for a little more clearance, but really only a solid pothole or like where there is a poor patch where they had dug up a line of some kind will it smack the stops. But I never have any kind of weight in the bed. Has shorter shocks up front, relocated ones in the rear. Also have a adjustable rear pan hard bar.

Orange is how my truck looked when i bought it, then the blue is how it currently sits.