Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

alright guys..restoring my 82 short bed and in the process of deciding on amount of drop. need to see your lowered 73-87 short beds and the specs(how you got it there). was possibly thinking of doing a 2-4 drop or 2.5-4 i guess if i were to use drop spindles in the front, shackles and hangers in the rear, but not sure if it will be enough. your input will be of great help...oh yea, let er riiiiiiipppp! :metal:

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

Go directly to the 4/6 drop.

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

Always liked where this thread was goin
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ht=Drop+thread

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

lolife99..is that what you have on the sweet red ride on your profile? the 4-6? suggest prob a flip kit for the rear? i imagine its a must..

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

a little low.


http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/a...9/P1020867.jpg

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

love your truck bro but like me needs some sport mirrors;)

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

My Profile pic is a 5.5"/7.5" drop on my '69.
I suggest the 4/6 for the 73-87 trucks because it's a very streetable combination.
The flip kit is easier and cheaper. No c-notch needed. (unless you go with a 5/7 drop)
I'd use Belltech or Western Chassis components.
Drop spindles, Springs, Flip Kit, and a good set of drop shocks.
Also, a front sway bar is a cheap mod,... if you don't alreay have one.
If you do,... just add a set of Energy Suspension bushings,... and it will work fine.

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

Here's a couple of shots of my ole '87. It had 2.5" drop spindles and a 1" drop coil with a 1/2 a coil cut off (for a total of 4.5" in the front) and just a flip kit in the rear. I used the 2.5" spindles so I wouldn't have to grind on the lower control arms to be able to run my stock 15x8 rally's without any rubbing issues. It road GREAT :metal:!!!

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

Like suggested above, I would go right to a 4/6. Most people will want to go lower even from there. I did a 3/3 on my friends truck we rolled it out of the garage and not even within 10 mins of seeing it he already wants it lower.


Mines a 6/8..

http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/x...r/IMAG0079.jpg

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

2.5 front and 3.5 ish on the rear

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

im starting to like the dumbos :lol: but yea sport ones are going on with paint :metal:

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

sick pics fellas! thanks for the advice...i was originally thinking the 2-4 might be a little much, but last thing i want to do is lower my 82 and instantly wish i would have gone lower. plan is to go back with the original 8 inch rallies for now(not the ones in profile pic), and the 4-6 looks to be the way to go. keep them pics rollinnnnnnnnn'..

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

One coil cut from the front...
Overloads taken off the back...

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

4/5 drop on my 83, 2 cut coils on the front and flip kit out back :smoke:
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/4...ruck006hk6.jpg

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

Once i put the bed on my truck ill take some snap shots.I put 2 1/2 inch westin drop spindles w/ 2 inch coils.In the rear i did a 5 inch flip kit w/ a 2 inch drop leaf from bell tech, so i got a 4 1/2 in the front n a 7 in the rear..Running 18 inch coys in the front n 20s in the rear..

thanks
pat

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

3/4 and lovin it
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...mals95/3-1.jpg

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

wow it dropped that much with just the overload gone in back and one coil cut? I can understand one coil being that low but only th overload, that's pretty cool.

which is the overload? the shortest bottom one that's flat?

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

^^^I was thinking the same thing. It looks a lot lower than it should be for that little bit.
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Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

HEY MALO83

What size tires are you running? I need to cut the front coils
On mine my truck has air shocks on the back but the line blew off:lol:
I like the way it sits in the rear but now the front needs to come down a bit
Also how does tour ride with the coils cut? do your tires rub in front?

Thanks
Jeff Main

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

Omg... your truck is sick bro.. what size of tires and wheels you got. What wheels arre those...
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Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

5-7 3" djm spindles and springs and beltec flip kit and drop shackles, going back to a 2/3 in a few months
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ingc10/391.jpg

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

Good Lord! Your truck is gorgeous!!

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

hey guys..got the ole original rear end swapped out to a 3.42 posi, so now ready to order flip kit for the rear so she can be bolted all back together. have decided to go with the 4/6. lolife99/nlped would you guys suggest the following?

http://www.stylintrucks.com/part.aspx?partid=19397

do i need the c-sections/shock relocators or can i get by without? however, if it means sacrificing ride quality i will definitely spend the dough. last thing i want is a low/stiff ride i cant even enjoy...if you guys have any other links or advice please hit me with them.

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

wouldnt buy from them. many guys have had problems with them. i got mine threw summitracing with no problems

and 6inch you need a cnotch. 5 inch you dont

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

4.5ish closer to 5/6

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

This is a lmc 4/6 with about a full coil cut off both fronts, and 2 more inches of block out back. The truck is my daily, and besides the occasional lower scrape, i have no complaints.

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

:metal::metal:NICE:metal::metal:
really dig that man. is that a stock paint?? im thinking of painting my truck a gunmetal color, i like the eraly burb dark gray.

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

notch is preferable for 6in & lower , but not necessary unless you actually use your truck as a truck (hauling heavy loads etc. Am down 6.5-7 in in rear with no notch & still can carry moderately heavy loads. deepends on how many leafs also.

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

Looks lower than than 4/6 > mine is 5.5 - 7 & yours looks lower?

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

Hey Joe,... get under your truck and cut those rear u-bolts off. :lol:
There can be dangerous scrubline issues with those.

Oh yeah,... COOL truck!

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

Thanks, it's the second coat of paint thats been on the truck. Im not sure of the name, but its an 08 gm truck color. It's a little darker and has more of a metallic look than the original.

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

Well, with the full coil in the front and the 2 more inches in the back, my truck should be about a 5.5/ 8 or so. I also had to put a smaller sidewall tire in the front for wheel tub clearance, so that made it even lower.

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

are you running stock inner fender?! what size tire


and where in fl are you at

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

i hate to do any cutting to the frame...not shying away, but perhaps something along the lines of a 3/5 combo would be the next best way to go without doing any torching to the frame. unless you can still get the 4/6 without cutting(granted it wont be a work truck anyway) decisions decisions..

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

do a 4/5 it will look good. no cutting needed. but it will hit the frame sometimes when halling a load.

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

i like them!!! haha, just kidding. they are gone now bro. i put some leaf springs of a newer truck, and they were a 6pack, i only had 4 before, the old u bolts didnt fit so i bought some cheapy ones at pepboys in the meantime.

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

My '74 is about 6/8. I can't take the credit for the drop, as Scoti did it when it was his DD. I drive it to work a couple times a week, and it rides really well, though.

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

Here's mine, it's a 4/4 with shackles/hangers out back and up front is 2.5" spindles and 1 coil cut off the factory springs. Tires are 275/60/15 all around. I wanted to retain a little rake and it turned out good I think.


http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k5...h/P1010602.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k5...h/P1010606.jpg

Re: Lowered 73-87 Short Beds
 

Yeah, the stock inner fenders are still in it. I have 215/65/15's in the front and 275/60/15's in the rear. Located about 45 mins north of Tampa.