How much drop to achieve this look?

[ken4444]

I'm trying to figure out how much drop is required to do what is shown in the pics below. These are great looking trucks and in the realm of what I want to build.

Based on my research I think I would need a drop of 4.5" front and 6" rear with 20" wheels. Does that seem correct?

[Mike C]

I'd say that's pretty good guesstimate.

[ken4444]

Originally Posted by Mike C

I'd say that's pretty good guesstimate.

Is it safe to assume that this amount of drop will require a C notch in order to do it right?

[OARNGESI]

You can do a 6in drop no cnotch

[jmking9]

Mine is lowered 4.5/6 with 20's. Check out my build thread for pics if you want.

[ken4444]

Originally Posted by jmking9

Mine is lowered 4.5/6 with 20's. Check out my build thread for pics if you want.

Solid work in your rebuild thread! I'm still reading it now. I can see the hundreds and hundreds of hours of work there...

[Mike C]

Mine is 4.5"/7" with a rear flip of the leaves. Front tires are 27" tall and rear 29". I have no C-notch and with the poly pads in the DJM kit, ride is good.

[coreyjhen]

I think the overall tire diameter is more important than the wheel diameter for achieving "the look." 20" tires are available in overall diameters from about 25" to way over 30". I'm guessing most of these are in the 27" to 29" range.

[67ChevyRedneck]

I did a 4.5/6 and didn't like it. The nose was a little too low with a little too much rake. I ended up with a 4/6 and love it. Truck is basically level with a slight rake.

[ken4444]

Originally Posted by coreyjhen

I think the overall tire diameter is more important than the wheel diameter for achieving "the look." 20" tires are available in overall diameters from about 25" to way over 30". I'm guessing most of these are in the 27" to 29" range.

That makes sense. While I was reading and learning, it occurred to me that if I could at least narrow down the variables to a drop height and wheel size, then I could worry about the specific tire size a bit later. In a frame-off restore, I'd be buying the suspension parts pretty early on and of course I want to avoid having to do anything twice, especially buying specific parts.

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

I did a 4.5/6 and didn't like it. The nose was a little too low with a little too much rake. I ended up with a 4/6 and love it. Truck is basically level with a slight rake.

So this suggests that even a 1/2" difference in the drop height is noticeable and important. My only prior experience is with lifted Jeeps where a 1/2" or 1" difference may never be detected in the over all look or handling of the vehicle, regardless of the actual amount of lift claimed by the manufacturer. Of course Jeep is a different beast than a street truck, so it's not a fair comparison. But that's my starting point.

So if I used a 4.5/6 drop and end up needing to tweak it to get less drop, what are my options? Buy taller springs (probably ideal) or use some kind of spacers on the springs (not ideal) ?

[67ChevyRedneck]

It's more difficult to tell with a vehicle that's lifted, when your only a few inches off the ground the levelness/rake are much more noticeable the closer you get to the ground. I've also seen a lot of lifted jeeps that looked "nose high" to me.

Yes, you can tweak it, I used these:





Before:



After:



Starts at post #112

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=609973&page=5

[spitfire980]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

It's more difficult to tell with a vehicle that's lifted, when your only a few inches off the ground the levelness/rake are much more noticeable the closer you get to the ground. I've also seen a lot of lifted jeeps that looked "nose high" to me.

Yes, you can tweak it, I used these:






Starts at post #112

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=609973&page=5

Can you post a link or part number of the spacers?

[Spullar]

http://www.ridetech.com/store/1963-1...n-level-2.html
something like this will always allow you to make small adjustments to the ride height.

[ken4444]

Thanks everyone for the replies and information for this novice.

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

...Yes, you can tweak it, I used these..

Yep, I can see the difference. Good to know there is a part for this.

Originally Posted by Spullar

http://www.ridetech.com/store/1963-1...n-level-2.html
something like this will always allow you to make small adjustments to the ride height.

Great suggestion. I would have to ponder the $4500 price a while before committing, but I can see the value of that kit for some projects. How many vehicle projects have started cheap only to end up having more and more money dumped into them as the project plays out, problems or discovered, or requirements change? Plenty.

On the other hand, it's one thing to say that I'm going to approach a rebuild and "do it right", but price is *always* a factor for these things. That's why I'm trying to pin down these details before having a truck in hand. Even the person paying a shop $50,000 for a full restoration doesn't want to pay too much.

Based on the input here, it looks like I'm in the ballpark with a 4.5/6 drop and 20" wheels. I will plan to weld in a C-notch plate while I'm working on the frame.

[Mike C]

As mentioned above, tire height is hugely important to the look. IMO, the 27 front 29 rear is a good all-around compromise. On my truck that means 235 55 17 in front and 275 55 17 rear.

A 275 40 20 gives you 28.7 inch overall height. Front has to be a rubber band to get any sidewall. But a 235 35 20 gets you there.

I think 17's or 18's give the best "look" but that's personal. The trucks you posted above are all great looking rides if those are 20's!

[Camaroguy]

Not the best picture, but mine is about 4.5/5.5 on 20's. I cut a half inch off the rear blocks to bring the back up because I wanted a little more rake. I also had to do a notch. It bottomed out on everything.

[Camaroguy]

This was before I raised the rear a half. So 4.5 and 6.