The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop how to drop an original I-beam

You might think I'm crasy, but I'm thinking of dropping my original I-beam myself, or to be more precise with a guy that straightens truck frames. The thing is that you won't find anyone here in Germany so that's why I like like to try it myself.

I'm still looking for any ideas to do it the best way, or even better pictures of an axle being dropped?

It's an axle from a 54 1/2 Truck, that I like to lower 3 inches.

I think you are crazy! :-)
Look at this site:
http://www.droppedaxles.com

This is the best write up and how to I've seen:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=198214

Grigg

Hey that is a good write up on it that will help me to build a jig for my axle.

Thanks a lot!!

Bernd;
You've been lurking around here for 3 years and enjoying the benefits afforded by those of us that post pictures. How about posting some yourself?

Will put some in when I'm able to take some good one's, right now it's snow in Germany =(

Great, we look forward to seeing your progress.

Hi

I just took my axle out (to dropp it 3 inch) and relised that the axle is slightly bend lockig from one kingpin to the other

Is this normal?? How much is normal or has the axle to be straight as an arrow?

I would like to post a picture but don't have the time to make that happend right know...

Thanks

Hi guys

I did drop my axle 3 inch today and it worked great. Yes it was quite a bit work to build a jig but I really like the job we got out of it. I have to see how I can post some pictures the easiest way, so bear with me.

I also drillet my leave springs on each end so that I can fit a shim in that whole like posies do it to take down the friktion. I take 1 leave out in the front, 3 in the back that I put back in again after I straitend them so it will still work fn with a haevy load.

I just need to get all my stuff painted and but it back together but no hurry, we still have some snow left =)

Take care
Bernd

Proof, where's the proof?

I wonder why people go into anal implosion when someone mentions heating a axle eye a touch to help with the extrication of a stubborn king pin, but don't bat an eye when the axle is heated red hot and stretched and forced into a different shape. This seems strange to me.

Stuart

Well, it probbably is all a little strange that we still like to drive those old trucks that remind me more of my grandfathers tracktor but they just look better, much better with a dropped axle =)

I think with those old things you can heat about anything to get it straith, loose or just stretched a little. Try it on a new truck and you just get a dropped plasik bumper....

OK, here is the proove!!!

http://community.webshots.com/album/570379236KXBoqP?vhost=community

I took some pictures of the axle that I dropped last weekend. This is the first axle that I've done and I'm happe with the outcome. Yes it was quite a bit of work building the jig and so on but getting an axle shipped to Germany was way to much so that's why I dropped my axle myself.

Maybe you can still help me with something. I know most use those 2" lowering blocks for the steering linkage but has anyone tryed to weld a piece inbetween the arm to get it longer? That way I don`t have to keep looking how to drill the 7° hole and it would look better too. The only concern would be that it could bend with the power steering but I think I give it a try.

Thanks

Did you get everything worked out? You had e-mailed me and said you cracked the axle. Did you drop another axle? The steering arms you can flip the ball joints to the bottom of the steering arms. You can flip the balls to the bottom or use late model ball joints. I use the 37-64 Ford. I have posted pics of modified arm on the Stove Bolt. I'll have a tech article real soon on my web site. ...SID

Cracked the axle! That sounds frightening.

Stuart

yes it does.... that why i like leaving certain thing to the professionals..... like SID...

leonard

Jep, that is right, it did crack a little like 6 or 7 litle spots on the lower ridge on one side. I just grinded them to see how deep they where and they are about 2-3 mm deep. So I put a weld on it to get the truck running again till I have dropped a good one =)

I just got a hold of an other axle in Germany and like to try it again later, if it doesn`t work I will finally get one from SID.

I made my steering arms longer, welded a piece inbetween. I put the pictures in later.

...and we gripe how hard parts are to get around here...

My guess is that it cracked because we did not have it hot enough but well, I still have to learn a lot because this was just the first.

The problem is that we do not have many axle's avalible, hardly any to get here in Germany and the shipping from the US to Germany of an Axle from SID is just a little over my budged =(

So I went trough all the pain of trying it myself, well what else should I do when I like to have my baby dropped ??