If I just want to lower the truck 2", what am I missing here?

[Revoh]

OK, here's the thing. I'd like to buy new springs, and lower the truck about 2" all around. And actually, I'd rather have the rear sit a little higher than the front. I'd much rather have a bit of a rake than shine the lights in the sky (I'm keeping the stock springs, and will not consider hacking them).

So 2" drop springs are easy to come by for the front. You can get them all day. You can buy them by themselves. You can get them from the parts houses. No problem.

But in the rear, they seem to want to sell 3" drop springs. They sell them by themselves. They sell them in kits along with the 2" front springs. Always 3" in the back.

The truck sits pretty level stock. Why would I want to lower it more in the back than the front? And for that matter, why can't I just get 2" rear springs? What's the dealio?

[k1rodeoboater]

drop spindles on the front with a 3" rear drop should get what you want.

[lolife99]

Revoh,... My take on this.
I bet your truck is already lower.
From 40+ years of use.
I bet the springs already have some sag to them.
At least 1".

Say you want to lower the front of your truck 2 inches.
I bet you would need to install a 3" drop spring.
All drop springs are compared in height, to a new "stock height" springs,... not your old sagging springs.
If you want the rear of your truck two inches lower,... install a 3" rear drop spring.
That has always been my "rule of thumb", in lowering these old trucks.

[Revoh]

Originally Posted by k1rodeoboater

drop spindles on the front with a 3" rear drop should get what you want.

That really isn't what I want. I want 2" springs all the way around. I'm not looking to change the spindles. And why are the rears 3"? I want 2" in the front, 2" in the back.

[Revoh]

Originally Posted by lolife99

Revoh,... My take on this.
I bet your truck is already lower.
From 40+ years of use.
I bet the springs already have some sag to them.
At least 1".

That has always been my "rule of thumb", in lowering these old trucks.

You could be right, but she still sits pretty high.



I just don't want the back to be ANY lower than the front.

[jimmydean]

Again, the front has sag from age, as does the rear, but unless the truck spent the last 45 years with 1000lbs in the bed, the fronts will have more "natural" sag than the rear.

If you buy new 2" front and rear springs, your truck will be about 1" lower in the front and maybe 2" lower in the back. If that makes you happy, then go for it. But traditionally the 2/3 kit will lower your truck ABOUT 2" front and rear than how it ACTUALLY sits now.

[k1rodeoboater]

Keith actually does bring up a good point. There was a post someone made a while ago with before and after pictures of their "drop" which really was more like a lift from what they had before due to the springs having sagged.

as for the why 3"...it's because they don't make 2"

[Revoh]

Originally Posted by jimmydean

Again, the front has sag from age, as does the rear, but unless the truck spent the last 45 years with 1000lbs in the bed, the fronts will have more "natural" sag than the rear.

If you buy new 2" front and rear springs, your truck will be about 1" lower in the front and maybe 2" lower in the back. If that makes you happy, then go for it. But traditionally the 2/3 kit will lower your truck ABOUT 2" front and rear than how it ACTUALLY sits now.

I do believe you know what you're talking about, but I'm too stupid to follow. If the front has say 2" of sag and the back has 1", if you put brand new stock springs in, the front would raise 2", and the back would raise 1". That would put it back to even.

From there, if we put in a 2" drop in the front, and a 3" drop in the back, the back is now lower. Yes? No? I just can't figure out what the sag of the springs has to do with that issue. Are you just saying it will barely lower anything from the way it is now with the gap?

And some of it is just a visual issue based on the fender gap. Even as it is now, I can nearly stick my head between the top of the tire and front fender, but obviously that isn't the way the back works based on the design.

I'm an idiot.

[k1rodeoboater]

Nah you're not an idiot. I had a hard time wrapping my mind around it too because I wasn't factoring in the spring sag.

with a 2/3 you will still have some rake but probably not a whole lot. Typically I've seen "leveling" kits advertised as 1/3 kits. If that's true then a 2/3 kit would drop the front one extra inch to give you a slight rake. If you want a stance like you have now but 2" lower then you'd need drop spindles on the front with stock springs or maybe 1" drop springs...IIRC. Not 100% on that last part

[fleetsidelarry]

Revoh, since they don't seem to make 2" drop springs for the back, you could use 2" lowering blocks. using blocks with your present springs takes the guess-work out of the process, i.e., whether the springs have sagged or not doesn't come into play.

you'll need longer u-bolts, of course.

[Revoh]

Originally Posted by k1rodeoboater

If that's true then a 2/3 kit would drop the front one extra inch to give you a slight rake.

Now that's something I could live with if it really works out that way.

[Revoh]

Originally Posted by fleetsidelarry

Revoh, since they don't seem to make 2" drop springs for the back, you could use 2" lowering blocks. using blocks with your present springs takes the guess-work out of the process, i.e., whether the springs have sagged or not doesn't come into play.

you'll need longer u-bolts, of course.

I thought about something like that, but I was trying to say away from the "rigged" solutions. I just want new springs, new shocks, nothing too far from stock, no overly compressed springs or things cut up, just a simple, nice, non-radical little drop to take it out of the sky, still drive normal, but still be easy to put back to stock if the mood strikes me.

I might give the 2/3 thing a shot. You guys seem to think it's OK; maybe I'm concerned over nothing.

[k1rodeoboater]

nah it's natural. We all hate dropping the coin thinking it'll be great only to be let down. It's good that you're asking first and then buying...and not the other way around.

Check out CPP's website, they have a lowering kit that includes everything you'd need (shocks too) and you can use that as a price reference for putting together what you'd need. I may be going this route myself in the near future with my truck seeing as I need new shocks

[Clyde65]

Revoh,

Check out the Vendor forum here and CPP does have a front/rear drop special with what you will need. If you call/PM CPPJeff, he can help you out and give you more information on their products.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=426619

[fleetsidelarry]

Revoh, I wouldn't say it was "rigged. Lowering blocks are fairly common, CPPs sell the kit including u-bolts for $69.

http://www.classicperform.com/Store/...Truck/CP45.htm

the downside is that blocks place the bottom of the trailing arms and the lower shock mount closer to the pavement (in their on-line catalog, CPP "does not recommend" the 2" blocks for use with 15" wheels, interestingly, their paper catalog doesn't say anything about wheel size.) measure your current ground-to-mount distance and see how much you'd have with 2" less. I assume its a safety/liability issue since, if the tire goes flat, the shock mount can drag, instead of the wheel.

Also it can be more of a job, generally, to get the old u-bolts out of the trailing arms than it is to get the springs loose.

[k1rodeoboater]

Originally Posted by fleetsidelarry

Also it can be more of a job, generally, to get the old u-bolts out of the trailing arms than it is to get the springs loose.

Ain't that the truth. Ended up using a grinder to just cut the U bolt off on my buddy's 66 GMC

[Revoh]

Originally Posted by Clyde65

Revoh,

Check out the Vendor forum here and CPP does have a front/rear drop special with what you will need. If you call/PM CPPJeff, he can help you out and give you more information on their products.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=426619

This might work. He also has a 2" rear spring, according to that. Thanks for posting that!

[Clyde65]

Revoh, dont be surprised if they only have 3" rear springs, like has been said before, i havent seen a 2" rear spring advertised but I am FARRRR from an expert too.

[61_FL_Apache]

Can someone photoshop that for him?

[fleetsidelarry]

BTW, I was NOT happy with wimpiness of the 3" drop rear springs I bought.
The wire is only about 2/3rds the diameter of my originals. I occasionally use my truck as a truck (nothing really heavy)and the load capacity was severely reduced. They also don't seem to make a HD 3" drop spring, just a 4" one. And I'm like you, I like a little rake. I'm pretty sure my fronts are 2's (I bought the fronts at a swap meet) and with the 3's in the back, the truck actually sits too level for my taste. guess that means I need dropped spindles

[creep]

See if you can find some pictures of trucks with 2/3 drop springs and see what the stance looks like. Shouldn't be too hard on this site.

[allengator]

yep... spring sag will get you...
I once replaced STOCK springs on a 66 chevelle with 2 inch drop springs and the result was the car sat HIGHER!!!
The stock springs were THAT worn out!!

[Clyde65]

I am planning on doing bags on the rear, just for the load cap, I dont tow anything often but I like to put stuff in the back. I also will eventually do the drop spindles but not right now.

[barry h.]

I had a 66 that i used 1969 chevelle rear springs and 2 inch block and it set well and rode well.used 3 in springs in front.

[fleetsidelarry]

I see I was wrong, CPP does have a HD 2" spring. I guess I didn't think it was enough drop at the time.