First let me start by stating I have never done a truck before of any kind mostly mid to late 60's muscle cars(dad's favorite) and this is my first attempt at a build without my dad to tell me what and how so I find myself here and I think I've searched this forum the chevy truck forum and any other one I could find and I can never find a thread where a straight answer is givin on many of my questions and never answered by someone actully driving the vehicle NOW it's always "years ago I did this and so on..." so I'm hoping if maybe I post I'll get lucky so sorry for the same questions you see everywhere but here we go....... How low can I go in the rear? A few things to keep in mind when answering. I could care less about towing or hauling capabilities but I don't want it to ride like garbage either so heating the springs is not an option, cutting I know isn't really either because of shape of spring. I want at least a 5" drop in rear but need to know if that's possible without having to: A. notch frame B. replace or cut up current rear crossmember C. replace carrier bearing D. use air bags E. do I need to go to a one piece driveline If some or all of these need to be done to achieve the drop I'm looking for than so be it I just want to know what is and isn't an option thank you for taking the time to answer or point me in the direction of my answer Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
There is a thread on here By Flat-and-Low Called "Flat and low's '64 C10 build" Look for it and do some reading because he is amongst the best at C10 stuff out there today. Off the top of my head, 5" on a C10 is pretty damned low to try with out at least a simple "C" notch. Best would be an exaggerated big "C" notch for something that deep. Drop springs are available in 2" and 3" drops, and a pair of blocks for the rest will get you where you want to go. Without any sort of notch I would expect 3" to work, and maybe four inches, but I almost guarantee it will hit in the rough.
There's a BUNCH of good info on this site: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?p=5797030
Need Louvers is right. Flat N Low is setting the bar pretty high - (or low ). Post #20 on this thread says it pretty good: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=733800
Welcome to the site, Sean! You can go down 5" in the rear pretty easily with just a spring. You'll have about 3.75" of travel before the rear end with smack the frame. You could drive it that way, but like Chip says, you'll hit the frame when the road gets rough or if you fully compress the rear spring. If you decide to go more than 4", let me make a few suggestions: 1): Change out the factory track locator to a longer style, like the Early Classic Super Track Bar kit. The short bar on a lowered vehicle will shove the rear end to the passenger side and make it feel like it's trying to pitch the rear end out of the passenger side wheelwell. 2): Relocate the shocks. The factory shock angle is too drastic when you lower the back more than 4". Early Classic also makes a nice relocation kit, and sometimes they will sell the Super Track Bar and the shock brackets in one package. Super nice folks, and they make great stuff. 3): If you want to go 5" total rear drop, I like the 3" drop coil and the 2" block. The more drop you go on the coils, the spongier the ride gets. The 3" drop coil still has a bit of firmness to it, and Boris Maryanofski at Street Machinery in Ohio makes an excellent billet aluminum lowering block kit with u-bolts that he sells for around $79, and it's worth every penny. 4): If you go lower than 4", I would suggest putting in a C-notch to keep things in check and also give you some capability of going lower in the future. There are a lot of different notch selections from bolt-in, weld in, to large bridge-style set-ups. One thing to remember, if you go to anything that raises the rear frame rails for clearance, you're going to have to raise the bedfloor. Believe it or not, the bolt-in notches give a pretty decent amount of clearance, and the top of the framerail stays in the stock location. 5): When people lower trucks, they tend to concentrate on the axle tube hitting the frame, so they'll install a notch for clearance. You also have to check your axle housing clearance to the bedfloor. Oftentimes, the axle housing will hit the floor before the axle contacts the snubber on a c-notch. Always make sure that the snubber is your last contact point. 6): No need to cut up your trailing arm crossmember. It'll be fine. 7): You don't need to go with a 1-piece driveshaft, you stock unit will suffice. Just keep an eye on your pinion angle. You might have to put a small shim under your carrier bearing to keep it all within the proper alignment. You can make a '60-'66 truck ride like a dream if you do your homework. It's the perfect combination for a nice ride: a long wheelbase and coil springs at all 4 corners. If you haven't done already, check out www.67-72chevytrucks.com. There is a ton of info on that site, and the people there are great and love to help.
Thank you to all who have responded I appreciate your input, finally some info to get started if anyone has any other little tips or little no one ever tells you but you also need to do this.....type of info please feel free ro share as I could use all the help I could get with this truck Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Hello I see your also in sacramento i also have a 66 c10 but i ended up air bagging mine with just the basic c-notch and bolt in plates but you might get some ideas from my build thread if you want to check it out: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=629142 ive had a few of these trucks now I love them , if you ever need some help wrenching on yours on the weekend or something let me know.
I have hit up Lost Hope on the Chevy Forums and followed his build. Let me tell you this guy is inventive, creative and resourceful. Ive read and re-read his build and find new things everytime.
I have to agree with Flat n Low, the 3" spring and 2"'block is a good combination for a static drop. I originally had 5" springs but wanted a better ride so I made the switch along with a shock relocation setup from No Limit. It passes the wife test she likes the ride now.
You will need: 3" front and rear springs. 2 or 2 1/2 dropped spindles, 2" rear blocks and a bolt in mini notch from any of the vendors. You can keep your driveline unless you go lower. An adjustable track bar (or find axle center when dropped at static height and modify yours) . You will not have to modify the center crossmember and it will ride nice, better with front and rear shock relocators or fab some that stand the shocks more upright. Buying dropped shocks will help also. Lowering is like racing, the faster ( or lower) you go, the more money and time you spend.
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