The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop lowering 1950 chevy 6400

How effective is removing the overload springs in the back and a couple in the front to lower my truck? just curious, thinking about lowering the truck a bit.Any good kits out there or ideas?
Thanks,
Dan

I am 99.9% sure nobody makes a lowering kit for big bolts and lowering it could be a big problem depending on what bed it has.

Because the axles are under the springs removing leafs in front will immediately lower the truck the thickness of the spring and possibly a small amount more.

In the rear the 'overloads' are not supporting anything until the truck is under significant load, so removing them is not going to change anything.

Lowering one of these trucks very far is probably going to require a more radical approach and it will no longer be a 2-ton truck when you are finished.

I've had my 4400 loaded as full as I could get it (with rock, dirt, etc) and have yet to come close to even touching the overloads. Removing them will have no lowering affect,
Scott

i have not had a bed made yet, so the options are open as far as how the bed rides.what about taking some springs out from the bottom of the rear?will that lower it as much as how many i take out? will it give me a little bit of a softer ride?Its mega stiff right now.
Dan

I would say the best way would be to have new springs made by a good shop. I could be wrong but taking leafs out of something that heavy dose'nt seem safe and you couldn't load it. try talking to these guys http://www.saintlouisspring.com/

How do you intend to use this truck? What loads do you plan to carry? Speeds and distances? I don't know if you're building a rat rad or a serious hauler...

Using an axle with more drop is one way to lower the front of an I-beam axle truck.
I've used a later model axle under my truck that has 2" more drop than the stock one, and I've made up for it with taller springs.
If you want the drop just use the original springs and do all the work and effort to swap to the later axle.
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/bigbolts/p30swap/

Grigg

can't you just move the axle to to the top of the spring and gain 2-3 inches??

As well as loose about all the suspension you had. If the axle were on top of the springs it will be that much closer to the frame and not much compression left in the springs before it bottoms out.

What's with the need or desire to "lower" it to start with?

Grigg

I'll say it again. Lowering one of these big trucks is likely to require a more radical approach than lowering a smaller truck. No one makes kit parts designed to do it so you are making or adapting your own.

But if you study the clearances there isn't a lot of room to lower the frame or body relative to the axles. They just weren't designed for hot rodding. Imagine that.

So your options seem to me to be:

1) drop the front axle. Possible and you could even downsize to a 1-ton front axle to make it a little easier.
2) custom IFS install that lowers the truck.
3) Z the frame in front.
4) redesign the front suspenion putting springs and axle over the frame instead of under.

Which of those you'd choose really depends on the look and utility you want from the finished truck. I'm tempted to Z a frame just because its a process I'd like to try.

I'm sure there are various ideas that would work front and rear that I'm not thinking of too.

When it comes to the rear you have similar choices:

1) custom 4-link possibly with air.
2) Z the frame.
3) Combine the above with c-notches.
4) move the rear axle over the frame.

These are all things I've seen done to old trucks. I'd describe most the results as rat rods and while I enjoy looking at such things I find most of them poorly constructed and dangerous and would not encourage anyone to duplicate them.

My current 'back lot' includes enough big old trucks that I feel I could sacrifice one just to play a game like this. My current available time makes it seem very unlikely I'll ever commit the time to do it.

When you are done with something this radical the resulting truck isn't going to haul a load and may be difficult to drive or even license. It has the potential to attract attention at some car shows and might even be a lot of fun.

It won't really fit into the character of most of what we see and do here on the Stovebolt but I wouldn't let that bother you. Some of us will enjoy it and others will make very clear complaints.

But its your truck and I think that means you can do what you want with it.

And that begs the question again. Why do you want to lower the truck? Just what are you trying to accomplish? Perhaps I've jumped too radical and just downsizing the tires would do what you want...

I want to bottom out the front crossmember when at shows.

Remove the front axle when you get to the show!

I'll second that!

Can't see a way to do it any other way.

But back to the question, do you have a practical application or more logical reason to want to lower the truck?
I'm all for helping folks that can explain what they want to do or accomplish and have some logical reasoning, even if I don't agree with or like the results the thought process can be fun, and I'll probably learn something too.
But if all the reasoning you can come up with is you "want to bottom out the front crossmember when at shows" then I may be all out of ideas on that one...

Grigg

I think that comment was supposed to be funny. It was not from the guy who asked the original question.

I'm with you Grigg, I enjoy trying to think these things through even when I don't agree with or like some of the objectives. I may not always be right, but I enjoy having opinions!

Did not connect that the supposed reason was not from the original poster, sorry about that, but I think my comments/opinion still stands.
Either way, some more info is needed before a plan can be formulated.

Grigg