Is it possible to have a low-boy truck with a useable bed?

Is there a type of rear suspension that doesn't take up all of the bed space? I dig the stance, but want a functional bed.
I like don's sons truck, but as you can see, the box is no longer usable.

 

With that type of suspension,,NO,,but if you build a truck with a traditional suspension,,YES! HRP

 

so a transverse spring sits a lot lower?

 

If you can't use it why have it ?

 

I run a Tbird IRS, sits on the ground and didn't move the bed floor.

 

Not necessarily but with a huge kick-up like the truck in the photo there is no way to have a usable bed.

If you want something that low you going to have to sacrifice usability. HRP

 

In any conflict between Physics and Style, Physics will always win! i.e. "two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time"

You might investigate an "underslung" style chassis design......where the frame rails are below the axle. Spring type and placement can vary too. But short of something like that, it is what it is.


Ray

 

Parallel leaf springs take up the least room. Or IRS. You can lower the truck quite a bit on the stock suspension but it will bottom with a heavy load unless you have air bags.

 

That looks great. I've looked at those in wrecking yards, and always thought they'd make a good hot rod suspension. Nice job.

 

As mentioned underslung and or a higher ride height will vastly improve bed capacity. Another option is to run a custom made tank or one that fits the space behind the rear to sit lower, you will atleast get some cargo space back doing that.

In the OP's pic, it looks like the frame is alot higher than it needs to be.

 

Gettin my Dodge on down with Jag IRS&IFS, full bed.
Thinking about air bags now.
Could have dropped another 2".
Milton

 

What year tbirds?

 

If it's front wheel drive!

 

You can lower it alot. You can use a Dome shaped cap to make room for the differential to come up into the bed.
You can make a mild C Notch to only protrude into the bed a few inches.

It just depends on how low you want to go, the tire size and the fender style.

 

Parallell springs and a not too vicious notch will get you a useable tray in a Rudy type situation. MoFo (Avatar) has useable room in the tray..... We did the length of the country (almost) last year, and believe me, my darling wife had everything bar the dreaded kitchen sink in there, so I now have a good idea on what that little space will hold if you ask it to.
Looking for a Pic..........

Here 'tis with my bass and amp on the way to a jam at my neighbours farm..

One bit of advice I took to heart when trying to find a better (read more comfortable) ride in the very stiff (as delivered) MoFo, was...make the rear soft and it will all fall into place....and after the removal of some leaves and the addition of some new but weak as shocks...the ride is perfect. There's no weight back there.....Koni's will not help.....you need weak as piss small jap truck shocks...try it....your ass will thank you..02c...err...10c...incl GST.

 

What year truck you talking?

 

Like Kirk said, frontdrive with 455 cubes of Toronado enging / trans axle with a dropaxle in the rear. Not traditional but it sure would be a low and functional combo. Mitch.

 

Parrellel leafs and not scraping the ground. There is a price to pay for a modern ride.

Also with parrallel leaf springs you can put the fram railes right against the bed sides and no need for a panhard or the rest of thre crap that an air ride entails.

 

Exactly, Tim Conder drew one up like that, it was a 56 Ford I think that was widened and had a Toronado/Eldorado set up.

 

The last RWD, 90's? Crown Vics and G. Marquis also have an IRS that looks like it'd work, AND 5 on 5 bolt pattern.

Brian

 

Here is Tim's art work

 

Off hand, I'd say no. The trendy styled trucks are just SO low. But if you plan well, you can keep a fairly large / deep area behind the diff, I think. Another way might be to raise the entire floor as you lower the bed. You get less depth, but you don't have to fab up all those covers and pannels to hide protruding suspenion parts. Or a combination of both ideas.

I'll offer up my truck for another way on how to do it, but the bed isn't nearly low enough to be "fashionable" and I took some flack for it here and there. Looking back, I might have been able to lower it another inch or so but never anything approaching the current standard for low trucks. I was determined to keep the full bed fully functional. So ALL the chassis stuff, gas tank, air ride, battery, etc. had to be packaged below the top of the rear frame rails. And the bed's lower cross members were notched pretty far. Still, it looks ok to me, to many others, and I can haul a lot of stuff. Gary

See: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=431680&highlight=27x
and then search back thru the 4 build threads. Or just search for 27x.

There is a build album on my profile page, too.

 

All Crown vics back to at least the late 70's have a 5 on 4.5 bolt pattern.

 

FRONT WHEEL DRIVE... sorry i'll quiet down.

 

Saw a Crown Vic rear being put in an F100- looked like he could have lowered the thing 'till it was scraping the ground and still haul a full load in the bed!

 

Mine is out of a 95 T bird. They are all over Pull a Part.

Not useable??????

















Install in progress....

 

Love it! I need a shop truck BAD!

There are tons of ways to lower a truck. Spring over parallel leaf with outboarded springs with perches raised above the frame rails, flipped shackles, de-arched springs, blocks, and load levelers. All that and it could still actually carry a load.

I did one of those ridiculously Z'ed trucks. 8'' Z in front and 18" Z in the rear with a truck arm suspension. The bed was only about 6" deep. I hauled motorcycles in it. Don't forget you can build stakes for the sides, that could bring it up to the same size sides the truck came with.

 

How strong are those TBird IRS units? How wide? Based on 8.8 Ford stuff? Is 5 on 5 correct? Axle ratios? Posi? Tell me more! Sounds like it would be great for a later model project I have.

 

Olds Toronado clip and rear axle?

 

Freakin' awesome! Still have a full bed too, nice!

As for the OP, NO BED FOR YOU! You didn't need a place store people or stuff anyway.