When I last built my econoline(1992) I was more concerned about driveability. I was living in the mountains and using it for a work truck. lots of fast mountain roads. I lowered the whole drivetrain ( 302 and c-6) 3 inches. This really helped the center of gravity, made the old truck go around corners good. The headers are so low that I have overloaded the truck and it was dragging the headers. When overloaded it would lower the whole truck evenly on all 4 corners, and the front tires would touch in a tight turn.
I have just lowered my 61. First I static dropped with with a MAS axle and flipped the rear springs. I went with a 5 inch dropped axle, narrowed an inch on each side. This is super important as it helps your tire rub issue on the small inner fender. Which btw would be best to be popped in or cutt out. I can say that I would recommend a MAS axle. Its very beefy and fit as it should. The truck looked great but was not very drivable unless your a hard ass, or you lift it up a bit. Also, before I started I measured with re arched springs that had settled for 6 months. If I were to keep the static drop I would have to have raised the front up at least an inch and stiffened it up quit a bit. Heres the issues you will run into. Steering, we had to cutt and reshape the steering arm. Some tire clearance, I used a 26 inch tall tire and rim but its a skinny drag wheel. We had only four inches of travel before the axle would bounce of the shift arms. (3 spd). Maybe 5 inches to the oil pan and the bottom radiator hose. By flipping the axle over the spring in the back, ud have to beef up the spring. It bottomed out to easily...I only had 3 to 4 inches of travel before it bounce off the pumpkin. My friend at LOWBOY in Mesa put two four links in it and bagged it with full heim joint steering. We are working all the buggs out of it as we speak. I will say that sway bars are a must. I will put out a bunch a pix and a tech article about the whole thing once I get it cleaned up. You can see pics of it static dropped in one of the web sites in my signature.
Here's a thought, but since I've never been underneath one of these, I might be talking completely out of my ass... What's preventing a person from doing a body drop on one of these? It seems like it would be the easiest way to drop one and PLUS, you would still maintain the original steering geometery, wheelwell clearance, etc. It just seems like going through the trouble of completely redoing the suspension/undercarrage would be a lot more work than is neccessary just to lower one of these. But if it were truly that simple, I'm sure this would be the most obvious way to lower one. Someone who knows better than me, please feel free to school me.
What about a frame donor?? Lots of work, but something like a Safari van frame might work?? Steering should be in the right place, and setting back the engine shouldn't be a big deal. Not sure about the track width either but this might be an option.
I found this. Dont know if it helps. I do know there was lots if work involved. http://www.shadoworksart.com/doorway.htm Click on "The Artist" and then click "here" on his biggest project yet, it's toward the top, before the ink pics.
http://www.showtrux.com/showvans/earlies/ford/gallery/pages/shadowbefore.htmShadows Econo is sweet. I do believe it's finished. Painted anyways.
They can be lowered and done well, but it's a serious amount of fabrication if you want to keep it driveable and not just a show truck. Everyone does it a little differently, so how did you do it, Ray?
i don't have any good pics really. my dog ate my camera or something. i'll get around to getting some soon. i really only half lowered it. i dropped the front only so far, and with tall rear tires, has a cartoonish rake right now. i made some custom saddles to mount the stock axle over the leaf springs. about a 4" drop. it sits it a bit low, i'm probably going to add another leaf to the spring packs, it hits the bumpstops on small bumps. also needs some good shocks. i haven't trimmed the bumpstops yet either, so it's nowhere near "done". i just installed a speedway 7/8 dia tie rod to gain some clearance at the oil pan, the old one was bent and needed to be replaced anyway along with the tie rod ends, and the entire speedway assembly was only about $50.
I replaced my tie rod, too. Much lighter! I forgot about moving the axle to the top of the springs. That's a common lowering technique and the only one you can do relatively easily. It gains you a couple of inches, but I want to say it interferes with a few things, too.
I did the flip on the front axle on mine. Tires would hit the inner fender wells on bigger bumps and it had a bit of bump steer. Left it with the cartoon rake, looked pretty cool. Got tired of that and flipped it back and added a block for a gasser look. Then got bored with it and it now lives in England!
Planning on flipping the axles on my 66 Chevy Van. Just looking for as much info as I can before i start.
Larry Watson had one back in the day, it was his shop truck. he told me he had the axle dropped. it was also, according to him was his first complete metal flake job. the water company had one over here for sale all original it sold for $1,500. i fell asleep on that one. it was there surveyor truck.
I'd LOVE to see that! Anyone have any pics of Watson's Econo? I'd love to hear how he configured the front, too. A friend of mine shortened an aftermarket dropped tubular Model A(?) axle and it dropped his 64 very low, but it messed up the steering geometry, and all sorts of other things. It took a lot of re-engineering to make it work, and then it drove like crap. He lost a lot of the steering radius, the tires rubbed, and it rode like crap.
That's a cool van. It's good to see other van lovers out there. I was doing the same thing in my A-100 till I blew out the rear end.
Still interested in seeing pics if anyones got some of Watson's Van. I'm going to think it's BS until I see some... prove me wrong I made all the bracketry and whatnot to flip my axles, I'll post pictures if it ever comes to fruition.