Quote:
Originally Posted by lolife99
Thanks for the great explanation.
I had no idea the trans in your truck would be pointing up.
WIth the frame level,... I always thought the trans would be pointing down a couple of degrees.
Plus converting to drop springs or bags in your case,... usually pivots the rearend's pinion angle into negative numbers, (due to the new angle of the trailing arms) depending on how much you drop the rearend.
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Ahhh, the operative phrase here is "with the frame level". Instead of saying "for whatever reason", I should have pointed out that the frame wasn't level when doing my measurements. I had the rear up on jack stands, the springs out and used a floor jack on the center crossmember. At this point, I set the distance between the frame and the rear axle tubes to the dimension I thought would be ideal for the final ride height. This height, while not as low as it can go, is a compromise that allows me to keep my existing rear shock setup and not have to install C-notches. This distance sets the geometry between the pinion gear and the trans output shaft. Relatively speaking, the trans angle doesn't matter; only its relation to the pinion. Once the imaginary centerlines are parallel, you're in business.
My goal is somewhat different than the average builder bagging a truck. I've only done static drops in the past and the lower they rode, the less I ended up liking them. I wanted bags not so much to lower the truck (although I do like them lower than stock) but rather to compensate for trailer tongue weight. The more I looked into it, the less it seemed that I could get away with two rear bags and Schrader valves for load leveling. Next thing you know, I've got four corner bags with position sensors and a computer that controls each corner independently. Gonna make hauling gravel a cinch, though.