I'm lowering the rear of my 49 Chevy 3100. I've got 3" blocks but wish to go lower. If anyone has taken leaves out could you please let me know how many and which ones. It will not be used for heavy loads. Cheers, Ron.
No, it will actually improve the ride, as long as you don't try to load it up too much. I removed 2 of the shorter leaves from the rear of my '53 as I didn't plan to haul anything heavy either. It brought it down about an inch and it rode much smoother (I also added poly liner between the leaves).
Talk to Sid over at droppedaxles.com - I'm fortunate enuf to live close by so I get to bug him in person every now and then - one thing I do know - He willingly gives advice/tech help to any gearheads - super knowledgeable and friendly. dude
Thanks a lot Waldo, that'll do for me, I did not want to take out the wrong ones or too many. That's a fine looking truck, the same colour as mine too. Cheers, Ron.
On the rear you san only g o low before you will have to notch the frame. Removing a rear leaf or two on't hurt except it will limit load capacity. On the front get a dropped axle and or special lowerng springs as removing enough leaves to drop the truck low enough totally screws up the ride and handling and the axle is always bottoming out on the frame.
Thanks for your replies, the front is sorted with a 3" dropped axle and de-arched springs. It is just the rear that has to come down an inch or so more. Cheers, Ron.
...I remove all but the long 5 leaf springs and fab'd my lowering blocks which are about 4 ",...no need to notch the frame if you're using stock springs as the frame arches upward and the springs arch downward and are on longer frame hangers than most vehicles. ...you can buy replacement aftermarket rear spring kits with flatter springs, but cost $3-400 a kit.
Rusty1, what size rims and tyres are you running. I've got 7" and 8" x 15 steels but want to get the right tyres, and that looks a perfect combination on yours. Cheers, Ron.
i want to go for the same look on my truck. so if i just have one long spring in would that do the trick thanks matt
This is my front spring under my truck and proof that removing too many leaves from the springs to lower these trucks is really stupid. I broke the frame over the rear axle from the axle hitting the frame because I had done something similar on the back. That was done because I wanted to go to an event with it in 1989 and I took it back from a bare frame and my cab sitting on a pallet behind the garage to a running and driving truck in a little over three weeks with some rather suspect quick and nasty things that took a number of years to fix. If you are going to lower it do it right with a dropped axle from Sids and proper lowering springs. You might note that you answered a thread that has been dead for four years before you found it.
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