I have a 56 f100 and I'm lowering the front with a drop axle, but I'm not sure if Ill be happy with the height when Im finished, I already did wheels and tires and a drop leaf. The axle is next, but I still dont think Ill be low enough for my taste, and Im hell bent on having the straight axle(so dont try and talk me out of that). I need someone to tell me they think its a bad idea, and give me a legit good reason not to make my own drop spindle... Ive done it before with other vehicles, basically just to see how it would work, and it was great! but Im not sure on the f100, its very front heavy and has small spindles...anybody try it or any company sell one to make it easier?
Do you want to wreck?? That's enough reason!! Put the axle on top of the springs and see if that'll get you low enough, you might have to adjust the steering box... ie. mount it to the top of the frame rail to make up for the steering arm being moved up as well.
Axles by sid will drop it for you. A drop axle is a good idea and you can get them dropped a ton, because they are a heavy axle. What you want is a stretch drop. No a drop axle is not a bad idea. Make sure that you get your drag link geometry correct so it dosn't bump you all over the place.
Maybe not an entirely stupid idea. AMC stuff and some heavy plate has made more than a few dropped spindles and disc brake conversions over the years. Plus, it would take away the need to remount the steering box to adjust for bump steer. Now, that said, I've never pulled this trick on something as heavy as a F-100, so looking at some curb weights and such would be maditory.
Exactly, did a Speedway axle (not recommended) and had serious bumpsteer problems. Got most of them worked out. Just beware if you are going that route.
You'll put your eye out. Unless you plan on doing it right with heat treating and testing afterwards ( big $$) don't. you'll get it low enough to scrape the bumps and then what ?. Can't you raise the spring mounts or put the axel on top?
Agreed ^^ Somehow I didn't catch the dropped spindle idea. I have seen F-100 axles for sale 5" drop before.
Yes, do as others here suggested, put the axle on top of the springs, and NO on fabbing the spindles. Some will say that the axle on top of the springs is a bad idea as you are hanging from the bolts but several manufacturers have built rigs this way. A friend just picked up an early Metro van and that is how it was from the factory and it was designed to haul weight.
Just another thought about lowering something this low, scrubline! When you do a dropped axle or other means to lower the frontend, the chassis structure can sometimes be below the front wheel rim height. If you blow out a tire the front chassis will bottom out on the pavement and you could or probably lose control, or at least not be able to stop quickly or in a straight line. I'm just saying it's not a good practice to have anything that cannot be crushed, say like headers, if you lose a front tire. Good luck with your low look, but do it safely.
Making your own spindles isn't a horrible idea if know what you are doing. If you have to ask if its a bad idea, you shouldn't do it.
i did a drop axle, re-arched springs and drop shackles....i'm happy with the hight, do i want it a smig lower sure but I'm hell bend agains IFS....i want the truck more on the traditional side....i dont know anything about making home made drop spindles but if it could cause a failure I would be hell bend against it as well
Thanks, I was hoping someone would bring this up. I have seen many cars built that ignore this issue to get "ultra low".....
But it is if you don't know what you are doing. I've got friends who did a number of the AMC bolt on spindle home made dropped spindle thing back in the 70's and early 80's but there are better and safer ways now. The axle on top of the spring thing although not quite kosher in many guys books would probably be the simple and safer thing to get it right down in the weeds. That will take fabricating a mount to hold the axle on the spring in the right spot and keep it there though. Somewhere I've got a photo of Phil Lovejoy's old F-1 Hound Dog that he did that to sitting beside my 48 and sitting with the bumper just as low as mine was on my 48. That doesn't mean that it will drive as good as a dropped axle and lowering spring but I'd have to believe it would be much better than cobbling up a set of dropped spindles.
If you have made them before and they worked then you probably know what you are doing and if done correctly they will work just fine. Were the others that you made for a straight axle ? If so I say go for it. I know someone that made dropped spindles for their 57 Chevy before they were available back in the early 80's and he made them from aluminum and pressed a steel shaft in for the spindle and it is still going strong today.
As far as the dropped spindle thing goes, most these guy must not remember the AMC thing from the pages of Rod&Custom about 35 years ago. If I have time I'll dig up the article and scan and post. It mimics what AMC did on millions of cars for years, so I wouldn't have a hard time with that. It also gives a set of 11" disc brakes too. I have done this before, but like I said, never on a truck. The other thing, I wouldn't be too upset about mounting the axle on top of the springs either. All of the weight hanging from the U-bolts wouldn't be a detriment when you think of the fact that 99.5% of passenger cars with leaf springs have most of their rearward weight hanging from the U-bolts too. I'd be much more concerned about steering geometry and axle to frame and oil pan clearence before Physical forces with that move.
This thread might be of interest. A few things are different than what you might want for a street truck, but there are some great ideas and workmanship in here. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=531700
You ever have a tire come off at 60 and then realize you have no brakes because it took the drum with it and as soon as you touched the brakes the wheel cylinders popped releasing all of your pressure while your car swings around into reverse so your now going 50 backwards and you can see the people who were in back of you are in front of you slamming on their brakes while you continue to slide backwards off the road only to fly into a drainage ditch at 40 and land on the back corner of the car that comes to such an abrupt and violent stop that is so jeering that it literally twists the frame so hard that all of the windows shatter? Ever have that happen? really? Make your own spindles? really?
Why not? I would venture to say that more cars have the rear axle on top of the springs then Under the springs (that's why lowering blocks work) so Why Not?
In past threads here the majority seem to think it's a bad way to lower a ride. Most trucks that fit within the HAMB cut off have the springs on top of the axle, that is what I was getting at.
The only thing wrong with it on these trucks is you usually run out of travel before the axle hits the frame, unless you notch it properly.
Okay, here's what I'm thinking. I did this years ago on my '48 Plymouth spindles and know others that have done this as well. Seems that when I started out in this stuff, you didn't just call the hot rod store and order what ever you needed to make things happen. With that said though, I by nature am completely crazy about hardware grading and quality, and stuff such as testing of welds meant for suspension use. Oh, matching weights of donor parts with inteded use vehicles as well. I would not want some one else to repeat the above ride. I might add that although the article sources mid sixties AMC stuff, it remained the same all the way to the end in '87 or so. Matter of fact, caliper on the later stuff is the same as G.M. Pretty sure rotors were too except for 5 on 4 1/2" bolt pattern.
I don't know how low you want to go but if you haveing anything below the wheel is a no no and will get you a ticket in alot of places.