drop or cross member vs z'ing frame

[BIG KRIS]

Is one way better than the other?Found a shop i'm going to check out his work,but he told me he has never done a dropmember install but what he would do is z the frame.But for some reason my spidey sense is telling me no.

[Hottrucks]

subscribbed....I would go with a drop memeber ..theres probably a bunch of reasons but I would think a bolt in DM has to be easier to put in ???

[ShowSS12]

if ya got the cash i say DM... if not then Z-ing is the way to go IMHO

[Inverter]

The DM. is the wave of the Future...Seriously,Its worth every penny.Look into what the DM offers and weight it against the Z.
You'll know what to do.

[68laydout]

I did a Z because it didn’t cost me a dime. Had some scrap metal lying around and did it myself. I would likely get a DM if I was going to pay someone to Z. DM has so many benefits and if I wasn't on a shoe string budget I would have bought one. Rack in pinion, narrowed track width, wheel centerline corrected, weight reduction. Plus it just looks badass!

[rotgg]

i would z for the dif in money if you go with drop member you will be sorry when you try to sell your truck putting $3500 to $4000 in your front cross member is not so smart when you think of what these trucks are worth

[nastyc10]

I say dropmember. I pulled my old x-member out and installed my dropmember in a few hours by myself in my garage. There is no telling how much the labor cost would be for a Z'd frame. I spent about $1700 on it including rack and pinion, swaybar, and steering linkage. It will center your wheels in the fenders and narrow the track width so you can ride lower without tire rubbing issues.

[edflores]

Originally Posted by nastyc10

I say dropmember. I pulled my old x-member out and installed my dropmember in a few hours by myself in my garage. There is no telling how much the labor cost would be for a Z'd frame. I spent about $1700 on it including rack and pinion, swaybar, and steering linkage. It will center your wheels in the fenders and narrow the track width so you can ride lower without tire rubbing issues.

dropmember ftw for sure. especially if your paying for it.
a z only has a cost benefit if you have the know how and tools to do it yourself

[draggin86]

drop member you know what you getting no matter what.. who knows what a shop will do... i seen some hack jobs. it just makes sense to buy something that bolts on...

[N2TRUX]

I don't feel it should be a comparison of one vs the other. If you can't afford the Dropmember, then wait till you can. If you have the fab skills to do a Z correctly, you can probably earn the money to buy a Dropmember.

If you don't have the fab skills to do it correctly, you shouldn't be considering it as an option. If you can't do it yourself, and you have to pay someone to do a Z, you would be better off buying a Dropmember.

[kev2809]

if i had the cash i wouldnt even consider a z over a dropmember. BUT, if you can do a z...then why not do a z. there is nothing wrong with it. personally, if you can afford it and/or the time saving up for one, then wait on the dropmember. it just looks so much cleaner

[BIG KRIS]

Thanks everyone never doubt the 1st mind...

[andrewmp6]

The drop member is a bolt on besides welding in the notches for the tie rods.The price is cheap really a rack and pinion for these trucks is 3k.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by rotgg

i would z for the dif in money if you go with drop member you will be sorry when you try to sell your truck putting $3500 to $4000 in your front cross member is not so smart when you think of what these trucks are worth

Or . . .... Another perspective is the Z could be done incorrectly if you didn't know what you're doing or were unfortunate enough to work w/an unscrupulous shop & you could not be able to sell it @ all. Since the Dropmember is a bolt-in deal that only needs the steering notches welded in, a novice w/no welder or welding skills could install one in his truck & take it to his local muffler/welding shop & have the c-notches welded up.

$3500 to 4K is not required to install one of these front crossmembers. If you opt for the full a-arms & such, it could be that much. But the c.member w/later model a-arms can & has been done for 2K (give or take a few hundred depending on your ability to find needed parts @ decent prices).

[andrewmp6]

And the dropmember was designed to narrow the track width and centers your wheels in the wheel wells.If you use your stock a arms and a used rack you could pull it off for 2k or less.

[BIG KRIS]

Ok one more ?Just how much involved is the dropmember?Besides the frame notch what more has to actually be done?Or is it really truly unbolt the stock unit notch and bolt in the dropmember button it all back up and your driving?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by BIG KRIS

Ok one more ?Just how much involved is the dropmember?Besides the frame notch what more has to actually be done?Or is it really truly unbolt the stock unit notch and bolt in the dropmember button it all back up and your driving?

That sure sounds simple.... but it's not quite that easy (although it is pretty straight forward).

It's best to have the drivetrain out of the way whether you Z or do a Dropmember. The c.member itself is a true bolt in deal. The holes that originally were used for the OE c.member locate the DM. They need to be drilled up one size but that's about it.

You'll need to purchase a R&P set-up either from your local auto parts joint or from Summit, Jegs, etc. You'll need the appropriate steering parts (shaft, u-joints, & idler if necessary).

The tranny c.member gets relocated because of the motors now slightly elevated position so it requires some holes to be drilled after determining where it needs to be (each application is different so there's no 'exact' to this step).

The install can be done w/o welding the frame for the notches if you don't have the required gear. It would need to be trailered to your local welder to burn them in.

Most vehicles require swapping from the engine driven cooling fan to electric; some won't (Dino's green truck uses the engine driven fan).

That's about the jist of it. I recommend contacting Nathan & ask him any questions you might have. He's listed many p/n's & info & could help you regardless of your decision.

[BIG KRIS]

Thanks again Scoti.I have spoke with Nate i just wanted to get some feedback from people that may have done this already,seeing that i'm new to all of this.As bad as i would like to have it it may be a lil more than i'm looking to take on myself.

[andrewmp6]

You could start with a simple bag and tubular control arms for the front.And later if you want to get the dropmember depending which front bags you get you can reuse it all.

[Mello Mel]

The DM only works with one style tubular arms,is this correct ?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Mello Mel

The DM only works with one style tubular arms,is this correct ?

The original versions worked w/6x-87 a-arms. Current versions work w/PB, Ride Tech, or 73-87 a-arms.