crossmember question

[justin26]

can you lay frame with 22s on a 68 truck with the stock cross member air bags dro spindles c nouch ect. or do you have to section the stock member or buy drop member i know the drop member allows you to ride lower but here in arkansas the pavement is not much better than the dirt roads so riding low is really not that easy any pics or advice would be great thanks

[N2TRUX]

You can not lay "frame" with a stock crossmember unless you Z the frame.

The A-arms will hit the ground way before the frame does.

[justin26]

thanks n2trux that is agreat pic is that your truck, can you section the stock crossmenber to push it up just like the dropmember does i just wondering

[protrash64]

Yes you can.....its an old school lowering technique started back in the 70's before there was mass produced stuff to lower. Probably can find some info on it here somewhere. There was also an article in Steettrucks mag circa 2000 by Turner Enterprises that showed how to do it.

[N2TRUX]

Yes you can section the crossmember. If you go 1.5" it will get your frame "near" the ground but not on it.

If you section more, or raise the crossmember it will require steering mods.

That "was" my 82 Blazer before the Scott's Hot Rods IFS. I no longer own either version.

[jmedero]

so if you section xmember up 1.5 inches, then use 3 inch drop spindles and bags how close to mother earth can we get?

[scotts62]

4.5 inches closer plus bag drop.

[jmedero]

Thanks for the math lesson scott62! LOL. I was looking for more of a "laid out" or some kind of discription.

[jlaird]

A 1.25" sectioned xmember, modified lower control arms, 3" drop spindle, modified trailing arm crossmember, 10" notch and a 29" tall tire will lay frame.

If I was to do it over, I would have bought the dropmember in a heartbeat. Its hard to justify the price though until AFTER you do all the above. Then you will think it is cheap Trust me from someone who has been there, done that.

Heres an old pic. I made a couple of changes since to, believe it or not, NOT lay frame.

[justin26]

i would like to thank all of you people for the great answers and tip sa nd pics i just weighing my options and checking my bank account to see what is possible i know this question probaly had been answered before but i thought i would ask agian i love this sight for that one specfic reason and to answer your qusetion jmerdero that would be 10 to 11 inches or in the weeds where i live LOL

[jmedero]

jlaird any close up pics of your front end? xmember notch, arms and stuff like that?

Thanks in advance bro.

[jlaird]

yea, look through my build thread.