The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop 3" or 4" drop axle?

I am planning on having sid strech my axle, but am not sue if I should go 3" or 4". It looks like I will only have about 3" maybe 4" of clearance from the bottom of the axle to the road with the 4" drop.

What do you guys think? I really want to go with the 4" but want to be safe at the same time. How do you guys like your 4" drop?

I used a 3" axle because 4" would've put me below the "scrub line". The scrub line is a straight line from the bottom of the rim of any of your 4 wheels to where any of the 3 remaining wheels touch the ground. (NSRA specs). You can get more than a 3" drop from a 3" axle by either removing leafs from the spring pack or going with mono-leafs. Wheel size obviously figures into this also, I'm using 15" wheels, with 16" wheels, the 4" axle probably would've been o.k.

I used a 4" from Sid in my pickup and also pulled 3 leaves out of the springs. It made for a total drop of about 5-1/2". Personally, I really like the way it looks, but I also like stuff low. If you look at Sid's website, the tech article on how to lower an AD truck is mine. As far as scrub line, if I had one flat on the front, I would be fine. If both front tires went, I would most likely be plowing pavement depending on the road. I suppose I am just planning on only one flat at a time. As far as clearance with both tires good, it is no worse than my daily driver late model pu. You just have to avoid big obstacles laying in the road...

i have one of sid's 3 inch front axles, with 1 leaf removed.
i also have 15 inch wheels with 225-70's, and if i get a flat i am gonna be in trouble, scrub line wise. not by much, but in trouble. the leaf removal has nothing to do with that.
i have 15 inch wheels with 225-70's.
you can look through my web album and see what it looks like.

leonard

I have a 4" drop axle with 2 leafs removed. Using 16 inch wheels. Only problem is, I haven't installed it yet...I hope its not too low!

Hell Casey, you can never go to low. If anything you can always plow the streets of Idaho with your truck.

With 205 75/15 tires I could only use the 3 inch dropped axle on my 37,I also took some leaves out of the springs to drop it about 4 inches.

Thanks guys... I really want it low, my last truck, 68 C-10, I bagged. Without air it sat on the front crossmember. I guess it made me a little gun shy to drop it to low. I think I will go with the 3" and drop a couple leafs and modify the mount and straps to gain another inch or two.

Well, I have a question, with those of us that have a 4inch drop axle, what would be the proper thing to do so we wouldn't have to worry about plowing our local streets? Would having 16-17 inch rims help? What about the series of tire I.E 75 and up. And if all that's the case, wouldn't that defeat the purpose of a 4inch drop cause it seems to me that those factors would lift the truck up a smidgen and we should have gone with a 3inch drop after all. I'm just curious cause I to have a 4inch drop axle that I haven't installed and want know before hand what I should do. I want my 59 as low as I can possible go. If I'm going to be helping the road department out by plowing the streets every time I get a flat I'm not to sure about that.

jawdy, thats the exact reason i went with a 3 inch axle, not wanting to "plow" the streets too much if i got a flat, or having to install bigger wheels either.
if i want it lower, i will remover more leafs.
lower looks so cool, and i eventually want to lower mine some more, but the ride quality will suffer.

leonard

Jawdy, I love your insight----


"Hell Casey, you can never go to low. If anything you can always plow the streets of Idaho with your truck."

I agree with your statement above. I'll be picking potatos from my drivers side window. A real "field truck".