The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline LOWERING QUESTION

I'm in the process of figuring out what to do with my 55 Chevy 3100 2nd series. I would like to lower it, but I still plan to use the truck to carry firewood etc. If you use lowering springs, are you still able to haul a reasonable load in the truck, or should I just use the stock suspension. I would like to keep the cost low on this project. Thanks for your help in advance.

With a big enough load of firewood onboard, it will get LOW. My 68 Ford F100 used to get right down on the axle snubbers with a load of wood stacked as high as the top of the cab, several times every winter. The 16 foot 2-axle trailer with wood stacked 4 feet high helped accomplish the lowering. The reason they put those heavy-duty springs on one the first place was so trucks could be trucks. Once you install weak springs, the load carrying capacity goes away and you end up with a one-seat coupe with a really big, open-air trunk!
Jerry

Thanks Jerry! I appreciate the feedback.


Blair

There are a lot of options to help carry load, whether or not the truck is lowered.

On mine, I have the "Load Carrier" shocks, which have a coil spring on the outside of the shock for extra load carrying capacity. You can also use air shocks, or even overload air bags that work in conjuction with your springs. Any of these options will let you use your truck as a truck and have it lowered!

I've been down this road before, and will probably go down it again, but lowering is a two-edged sword. Sure, it lowers the center of gravity for better handling (cool in a sports car, for a truck, maybe not the point) and it normally makes the vehicle look better.

But the drawback is you lose the range of movement on your suspension (suspension travel). Sure, you can put just as stout lowering springs, but you lose suspension travel, which means you are more likely to bottom out on the suspension stops or frame. Once the suspension is at the travel limits, it is no longer a suspension, you are driving a wagon.

Folks try to make up for the suspension travel issue by putting in higher spring rates (stiffer springs). This deteriorates the ride quality. This is why 46 talks about options to produce variable-spring rates. (Off-road folks do this all the time with double coil springs stack-mounted on one suspension point.) They work on the principle of a softer spring rate until the suspension compresses so far, then the spring rate goes up. Unless done right, this still can result in a "BAM!" kind of ride. And it is done to try to solve the problem lowering created.

So theoretically you can get a lower truck with the same cargo capacity, but to do so without riding on the suspension limits, you must suffer with higher spring rates (harsher ride) or invest in some variable spring rate technology. But you still have the same issue of less suspension travel, which you always prefer more of, not less.

Here's a math example of loss of suspension travel: say the stock suspension has 10 inches of travel and you lower 3 inches. Now, unless you have done something else, you only have 7 inches of travel. Let’s say that the stock suspension could take a ton load and it would settle down 5”. It still had 5” of travel. With the lowered setup, you have reduced that to only 2” of travel. The same bump in the road now has a greater potential for a negative “impact”.

Now, if you change the suspension mounting points, the loss of suspension travel argument can be made to go away, but then at some point you are likely into sheet-metal modifications to keep your tires out of your fender wells.

Lastly, lowering can impact, for a unequal-length A-arm independent front end (GM trucks after 1960), the suspension alignment. Normally you will have excessive negative camber, toe-in (assuming tie-rods in front of the spindle), and a potential for bump-steer. Some of this can be corrected via re-alignment, but without lowering the steering-box you may still have some. Of course this does not apply to the straight axle front end of your '55.

All of this doesn’t mean lowering is a bad thing, but just some comments around your expectations. It is not a “have your cake and eat it too” situation. Of course moderation applies—a minor lowering has less negative impact than a slam into the weeds.

Just some thoughts about the theory of it --like many other things, in practice it becomes much more subjective. I've been in lowered vehicles that are just a pain and nothing else, and others where I was surprised at how well it all worked. I suggest get some opinions of folks who have already done specifically what you contemplate doing.

R-Bo;

Excellent run down. I've had the same question about lowering my 58 Suburban. I've wondered about the lowering leaf springs that are for sale on the market. I've often wondered if they provide the same load capacity. Sounds like they either wont with a good right, or will with a stiffer ride.

good food for thought.

Don't assume that they won't ride just as well. Talk to the vendor about the springs (or ideally the spring maker) to see how they compare to stock.

R-Bo definitely makes some good points, but all of his concerns can be addressed in one way or another. All my lowered vehicles ride very well. On something like the OP's 55, a dropped axle would not decrease travel, but would result in the lowered height. In IFS vehicles, dropped spindles are the best method to lower the front with no reduction in travel, and still maintaining factory geometry. I have no bump-steer problems that R-BO suggests on any of my lowered vehicles, regardless of the method used to lower it.

Sure, you can't expect it to be the same as stock. What I was talking about was an overload mechanism to increase the carrying capacity WHEN NEEDED. This isn't just segregated to lowered vehicles, in fact many of our trucks had it from the factory. It's nothing new, just different methods to keep from bottoming out.

There's nothing to be afraid of with lowering, just do your homework and decide what is best for your needs.

Merle drives a lowered stovebolt that can carry a huge load, and it rides and handles good!



Jerry

Airbags are a nice suspension addition. I have helper bags on my ram 2500. Helps with the towing and hauling each week.

Thanks for all of the feedback. I'm still debating on the solid axle versus IFS issue. How bad is the ride with a solid axle. I owned a 85 Toyota 4wd with super heavy duty springs on it. When I drove it on the interstate, I could feel every expansion joint. I felt like a bobblehead doll in that truck.

The ride won't be bad. You shouldn't have to do much to the front other than either remove leafs or go with a dropped axle. I recommend using a steering stabilizer and it won't be much different from an IFS.

Thanks!!!!!!

Hey 46gmcpu, a bit off topic but was looking through your PhotoBucket and noticed the gas tank. Looks like it fits nicely. What is it from?

Dennis

The entire truck is on an S-10 frame. The gas tank is the S-10 in the stock location.

That explains it. Thanks

Dennis