Cheap Drop HELP!

[shawno72]

That looks good!! Just get the front down and she'll be in the low rider club. In my opinion it looks tons better.
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[slick copper]

Yeah I think so too! Thanks man.

How to remove, cut, and reinstall the front springs????

[oldblue1968chevy]

Consider it a good 2 hr job more less depending on how rusty things are and if your using air or hand tools

Drop lower BJ cut with low heat tool reinstall make sure it seated repeat other side

Be a good idea to go disc brake ray

[slick copper]

Probably don't have the time or tools/equip right now to do that then. Probably wait till I get it in my garage (hopefully next year) to do something like that. Looks like coil over shocks are going back in to see how that makes it sit.
Yeah disc brakes will be put in when I start my restore. All around too as long as I can find a 6 lug kit, and can still use my wheels! But definately in the front! Drum brakes are just such a pain to work on anyways!

[shawno72]

It is not a very hard job. Should only need a jack some jack stands a big hammer and I believe a 3/4 wrench or a crescent for the lower ball joint. Oh yeah and a lug wrench to take off the front wheels. Jack up front of truck and put jack stands under frame rails to let the front suspension hang. Remove wheels. Place jack under lower ball joint with about a 1/2" space. Loosen lbj nut bout half way. Hit the side of the spindle where the lbj goes through with a bid hammer. Note DO NOT HIT BALL JOINT ITSELF ONLY HIT THE SPINDLE till it pops free. Now jack up jack to support lower control arm and remove lbj nut. Lower down control arm and remove spring. Cut exactly one full coil off the bottom of the spring and reinstall. Make sure you cut the same amount off both springs to keep it level. One full coil should give you aprox 2". 1 1/2 coils =3". Do not go any more than 1 1/2 coils.
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[slick copper]

Thanks man. May try it after all. We'll see. I'm busy and excited working on my gauge cluster right now. I am excited about this too though, but now it's back to work tomorrow. I don't get much time during the work week to do anything.

[slick copper]

Well, gonna try it. As long as the wind doesn't blow me over! Crazy windy here today!

[shawno72]

Originally Posted by slick copper

Well, gonna try it. As long as the wind doesn't blow me over! Crazy windy here today!

Good luck man. Just make sure your truck is secure on the jack stands I bet it takes no more than a few hours.
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[oldblue1968chevy]

so hows it going?

[slick copper]

Well Shawn you thought wrong buddy. I've beat and banged on it till I'm blue in the face! First I didn't have a big enough wrench to fit the castle nut. So went and bought one. Finally got that off and the ball joint wouldn't break free for nothing. Then I was like well, maybe I'll take the top one loose. Of course it comes loose no problem and that's not working so when I go to tighten the nut back up it just spins.
So the truck is still sitting on the stands, I'm pissed, and got NO WHERE. Why's everything gotta be such a PITA!?

Any suggestions? I used a ball joint fork. A huge ballpeen hammer. Don't know what else to do. And now it's gonna rain off and on for the next couple days. YAY.

[shawno72]

Originally Posted by slick copper

Well Shawn you thought wrong buddy. I've beat and banged on it till I'm blue in the face! First I didn't have a big enough wrench to fit the castle nut. So went and bought one. Finally got that off and the ball joint wouldn't break free for nothing. Then I was like well, maybe I'll take the top one loose. Of course it comes loose no problem and that's not working so when I go to tighten the nut back up it just spins.
So the truck is still sitting on the stands, I'm pissed, and got NO WHERE. Why's everything gotta be such a PITA!?

Any suggestions? I used a ball joint fork. A huge ballpeen hammer. Don't know what else to do. And now it's gonna rain off and on for the next couple days. YAY.

Sorry to hear its fighting you. I used a 4 pound hand held sledge hammer to break the bottom free. Maybe I misunderstood you but did you say you got the top ball joint free? If you did just lift up the upper control arm and leave the lower balljoint attached to the spindle and you can still lower down the lower control arm to get the spring out. Let me know if this works for you.
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[oldblue1968chevy]

When i built my frontend i used a 6ft pry bar (tamper bar for dirt etc) it finally came loose..

got a friend buddy farther in law with torches?

[shawno72]

Also I just occurred to me that if you have leave the bottom bj attached you will have to unbolt the caliper and support it so that when you lower the lower contr arm you won't have disconnect the brake line.
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[Pop's C-10]

A ballpeen hammer dosen'tr have tha ball's to do tha job..you need a sledge hammer..

[slick copper]

Hmmm......Guess I need to get a sledge. Or do it by the upper ball joint. I got drum brakes think that'll be a problem? Just got VERY frustrated and had to give it up for the night. Been working on my white face gauges in the meantime. I'll figure something out. Nope John, don't really have anybody around with a torch. And can't really drive it with the tranny out. I'll try again after the rain passes. Thanks for keepin' tabs on me guys.

[shawno72]

Being that you have drum brakes I don't think you can lower down the lower control arm unless you disconnect the brake hose. That's no big deal but you will have to bleed the brakes when you are done. Better if you can get a sledge and beat the bottom. It will break free. As my dad used to say "you gotta put you purse down when you swing, son". Man that used to make me mad and all I have is girls so when I say it to them, it really doesn't have the same affect. Lol
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[shawno72]

Any more progress?
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[slick copper]

Nope. Still sittin' up on jack stands. Weather got real crappy this week. Rain and now cold. Hope to give it another try Sunday if weather holds out for me. Keep yer fingers crossed!

[slick copper]

Success!! Well, I got the stuborn driver side out at the moment. Going to cut one coil = 2". We'll see how that looks! Got new shocks to put in too, the old ones don't even push back out when I compress them by hand!!! I'm suited up and doing this in the cold, but I'm excited now! I'll have to take pics when I get it back together!

[shawno72]

Good call on changing the shocks, now is the time to do it. I am glad to hear you are winning at this point. Can't wait to see the pics. I knew you could do it. Did you use a sledge hammer?
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[slick copper]

UPDATE: One side COMPLETE!! Yeah, I had a sledge/axe out at my mom's farm. Grabbed it when I was taking apart that other truck. Beat the Shizzle out of it, and finally it broke loose. AND got the upper tightened back down. New cotter pins in too. Now off to freeze my balls off and do the other side in the dark! Here's hopin.....

[shawno72]

That's awesome Ray!! Let's see some pics of the new one sided low rider !!!
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[oldblue1968chevy]

poor truck about time i bet its cold in ky

[slick copper]

Guess what? Same DANG problem on the other side too! Why me!? So poor Copper still sits on the jack stands, just with the other wheel on. And yeah it's fricken cold!

[lolife99]

Are you using spring pressure to help separate the ball joints?