Lowering 72 LWB with Leaf Springs ?'s

[Gary]

Ok I'm getting ready to start some suspension work and I'm like everyone else, as in, not rich, so I'd like to keep a decent ride while lowering the stance of the truck without busting the wallet!

On the front - springs or drop spindles? I'm thinking about a 2 or 2.5 inch drop (for now anyway). If I decide to go lower later would I be better off now to go spindles or springs (and maybe add the other later for a 4 inch drop)?

I figure the springs on the truck are probably already somewhat wore so springs might need to be replaced anyway (any easy way to tell?).

Now for the rear - carolinaclassics has the ECE 4" drop leaf springs for $349 and I've found Belltech's at zmotive.com for $147 each ($294) is there a reason I should spend the extra $50 for ECE springs? Is just removing a few of the factory leaf springs and using a drop shackle a good idea or a bad idea?

Thanks for any help, suggestions, or insights

[Tx Firefighter]

If you want to save money, use the drop springs in the front. I always run the Summit brand of springs. They are about 80 dollars or so, and when you get them, they are actually Ground Force brand springs.

In the rear, I've taken leaf springs to a spring shop plenty of times and had them dearched. Cost is about 100 per pair for the dearching, and that includes new bushings installed too. You just carry the leafs down there and ask them to drop them how ever many inches you need. Usually takes a couple of hours. Look for "spring shops" in your yellow pages.

[Gary]

Which spring did you get from Summit? I didn't see one for pre 73 but I might be looking at the wrong one

http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...4925129+301637

That's the link I'm on.

All you have to do is dearch the springs? No shackles or anything?

[Tx Firefighter]

I used the 73 and up Summit springs. They interchange directly in the pre 72 trucks. When they arrive, you'll find them to be bright blue and have Ground Force brand inked onto them.

Here's a picture of them under the front of my 70 model truck...

[Gary]

Ah so the 73+ springs work just fine then? The price is right on those.

Where'd you get the anti-sway?

[Tx Firefighter]

Look in the FAQ section for an article I did about the sway bar install. All the details are there.

[theo70]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

If you want to save money, use the drop springs in the front. I always run the Summit brand of springs. They are about 80 dollars or so, and when you get them, they are actually Ground Force brand springs.

In the rear, I've taken leaf springs to a spring shop plenty of times and had them dearched. Cost is about 100 per pair for the dearching, and that includes new bushings installed too. You just carry the leafs down there and ask them to drop them how ever many inches you need. Usually takes a couple of hours. Look for "spring shops" in your yellow pages.

So, do they bolt right back in with no mods to the shackle? It seems that the lowering of the spring would lenghten it a bit. I ask because I am about to get mine lowered.

[Gary]

I ordered the front springs this morning from Summit hopefully no major mod is required

Looking under my truck the rear end doesn't look like it has much more than about 6-7 inches from top of rubber bumper on the axle to the frame (the front is pulled up on ramps so that might be taking the rear down an inch or so). I'm thinking to just get the pre-built rear 3-4" lowering springs that way I can keep my old springs around and I can raise the truck back to factory height at any time by just putting the springs back on it. Ditto front springs I'll keep them too just in case.

Also putting on sway bars is going to be a chore - the pipes for the exhaust while I'm not willing to bet cash they'll touch the sway bar I will bet they'll be close enough that you won't be able to slip much more than a pinky finger between the two.

While I was under there I looked around -

There's a small leak towards the back of the transmission around where the driveshaft goes in, and there's another leack at the rearend where the drive shaft goes in - is this an "oh my god fix it now" type thing or can this wait until I take the truck in to get the new intake/carb/headers put on it (probably next week)?

There's also an exhaust leak where the manifold connects to the exhaust pipe, that should be fixed with headers so that doesn't bother me.

There's also a leak on the valve gasket when they're replacing the intake I'll have them put on new valve cover gaskets.