Lowering 63 Chevy p/up

On my 63 Chevy the front has a 2.5" dropped spindle and it sits about level with the rear now. I'd like it to come down about 1 - 1.5" in the front more...giving it a nice rake. How much of the front spring should I cut off?
Thanks,
Guy

 

I'd just cut one round out and see how it sits. You can always cut another.

 

I'd start with one round, then go half-rounds until it's right.
GreenMtnBoy chopped coils in his '63 and went too far.
PM him and see how many he went. I think it was 2 or three.

-Brad

 

Put A Big Block In It. That Should Lower It A Lil Bit J/k. What They Said

 

yup, the big block would do it.

 

2 full coils is too much.
As Brad mentioned...I speak from experience.
1 and a half would be just right
This is with 2 full coils removed and a round rubber spacer under the coils with a short bumpstop.

 

Don't dick around cutting, installing, removing and re-cutting, and having a shitty ride. You can get springs wound specially for a one, two, or three inch drop. Probably only about a hundred bucks, a dozen different places sell them, check a Truckin' magazine. I can't remember what I paid, I got the three inch, plus the spindles, and it rides great.

 

we have a 62 short box step side, we took out one full round and added a 455 pontiac and it came out just right. we droped the rear 2 inches

 

$167.
http://www.djmsuspension.com/Products/ProductsByMake/Chevy/63C10Parts.htm

 

$100 at Classic Perfomance Products. They did all the work on my '69.

1" drop
http://www.classicperform.com/Store/1960_1972_Chevy_Truck/FCS6102S.htm

2" drop
http://www.classicperform.com/Store/1960_1972_Chevy_Truck/FCS6102S.htm

 

doesn't the 62 have torsion bars?

 

it use to have torsion bars. we droped out the whole frount end and replaced it with a disk frount out of a 87 c10. very easy to do and you gain power steering.

 

HMMM.....$100 versus <$10 for a couple of cutting wheels....same amount of work....essentially the same ride...I know what I would do!

 

it seems that you have to shell out enough money for the hot rods,we spend a lot of time crawling arround the bone yards with a tape mearure. finding what will fit and makeing it work is what its all about isen't?

 

I'm all for doing things the "right" way. And while springs are relatively cheap, cutting coils is free and does'nt affect the ride that much. I've done it both ways.

 

I have had cut coils, and it is liveable. Trimming the bumpstops is vital to a good ride. It was a mini truck though, no heavy V8.

 

Pull out the spring and put it on a bench. Measure the height. If you want it to drop 2" in the truck take off 1" on the bench. This has worked on every car I ever cut the springs in. Caddies, Malibus, Monte, s-10, and c3500 duallies...... Seems to be a good rule of thumb. And yes I've used a torch to lop them off too! ....Mike.

 

Yeah, I agree...I don't mind spending money on projects (I don't MIND it...that rarely means I can afford it!), but cutting your own coils is free.
One thing to think of with this: chances are, your springs are worn from age any way, and are a little softer/a little lower to begin with. If you cut a coil, it's going to firm up the ride.
As for torching them, I've ALWAYS read that torching springs is bad because it kills the spring, etc. When I was 17, I asked a guy who I respected (and still do) about this, and he pointed out that unless the spring gets red hot, you aren't changing it's metalurgy. When you cut it with a torch, you are changing the metalurgy, but only at the point that's getting hot, not the whole thing.
Me? I'd still use a chop saw, but that's because they're cheap to rent...and now I own one. A sawzall or die grinder with a few wheels would work too.
-Brad

 

cut half a coil at a time. I remember someone telling me 1 coil is about an inch and a half drop.

 

2 1/2 drop spindles in front, 2" lowering blocks in back...but wasn't going for rake

 

has anybody ever made there own dropped lower control arms? or lowering the coil buckets as some do? i have a 64 and want the front really low but dont want to have to get into the fun of bags or z'ing the frame. just a question.

 

I spent the money and got 2.5 inch drop spindles & 2 inch drop coils for my '70 gmc and put 5 inch drop coils in the rear it sits nice and low and the ride is smooth. plus the weight of the bb helps out when cornering at higher speed.

 

3" front 4" rear drop. Done the simple way springs and shocks. It works just fine for everyday use. 283 and 4 speed.
chuck

 

I am dropping my 63 burb right now and just finished building dropped A arms , I am also going with the factory dimension that one turn equals 2" in a car( of this era) and in a truck, one turn equals 3" of drop. As for cutting half turns, you will run into the issue that no longer the end of the coil indexes into the notches in the A arm. I ( as a rule) stay with full wraps at a time and if it isnt low enough, move to another component, to get the desired drop, and stance. Go big or go home, finding replacement coils are cheap and easy, so go nuts. Keep in mind that you will experience, a ton of negative camber once you get down , so you will either have to narrow the lower arm, or replace the upper arm bolts, and add a spacer to bring the allignment into a tolerable spec. I will try and get some pics on here ASAP of the project.

 

Cop shop, good looking truck but when are you going to install the 3/4 drop you refered to?