I need someone's advice on lowering the rear of my truck. I already know about the flip kits/air/hydros/mono leafs. Right now, I just need a quickie drop and am planning to use the "every other leaf" method for the rear on Friday. Graduation is coming up this Sunday, and I want Daisy to look her best! Right now, the butt end sticks up in the air like a bad '70s "hot rod".

Anyway, removing the leafs is easy. But - after graduation, I will be bringing the truck home on the back of a "covered wagon" - a semi w/a flatbed and cover. I'll be putting my 2 Y-blocks and all engine parts (one set of heads, one crank) in the bed, as well as a lawnmower.

If I remove a few leafs, then stick all that in the bed for the trip home....has anyone had probs w/goofing up the remaining leafs? What will that do? Any permanent damage?

- Someone who should know by now

 

Not trying to be smart***, for a quickie drop just for grad nite, how about leave the springs alone for now and put some weight in it, maybe throw a tarp over it. Hey, I know but its late and nobody else had any ideas.
__________________
XFM
'53 F100

 

Well, I was looking for something a little more permanent. I can't afford the flip kit just yet, and monos, like I have on the front, are $400/pair, which is worse. So, I want to do it the ol' fashioned way....take out a few leaves.

I'm just concerned that if I do that, if it will compromise the remaining springs for good after I remove the two complete engines from the bed when we move. The engines aren't in there now. The springs out back are NORS that I installed in 07/03, so they're brand new, for all intents and purposes.

This isn't the only time I will be hauling stuff, too. I dig my old hauler, but got her to restore AND haul in style! How would lowering by removing springs affect this in the short term?

 

Hey Sixoh, sorry about that quickie idea, but sinse nobody else has any ideas, heres another. Go ahead and do everything you said then: when you load the truck on the flatbed with all the weight on it: Jack up the back of the truck a couple of inches and block the frame on both sides. That will take a bunch of weight off the springs and won't let it bounce.

 

You know, that's an idea. I have thought about how to prop that rear up and get the engines' weight off. That may work. Hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Then......I'll know.

As far as leaving it that way (lowered) and hauling stuff....for the short distances that truck usually goes, I doubt it would be a factor at all. Guess I'll be gettin' up early tomorrow! I will take a before and after pic so you can see the difference!

 

Blocking the frame would probably do the trick, IF you have the truck tied down to the flatbed really well. But I read a thread somewhere (not on this site) that tying the vehicle down via the frame, or bumpers etc (versus the tires) is a bad (and potentially unsafe) choice. It has to do with the movement of the vehicle springs that allows the vehicle to walk across the bed or slowly move forward during transport - the general consensus of the threads was the proper way to transport vehicles is to use tiedowns on the tires as I recall it. I'm wondering if the frame would take a beating at the supports. I also wonder if using an inflated tire and some wood blocks to block the frame would allow it some "give" over severe bumps.

Now back to taking out some leafs - 57 thru 59 F100s have 7 leafs, not 8 like the older ones as I recall. I have the leaf springs out of the truck, and plan to take a couple of them out (back to 5 total). I think. But not sure. My plan at this point is to keep the main leaf and the next three leafs that are held together with the spring clamp and liners, then remove the next two leaves and keep the final leaf. I don't haul anything heavier than 4 bales of hay at a time in my '59 shortbed, so overloading it isn't a problem. I've been thinking of adding the Airspring "helper" airbags that are used with leafs as well for some weight and height adjustment. But removing 2 springs will only lower the rear end by about a 1/2 inch by itself, unless it sits slightly lower due to less support. This isn't a big change! But I want to keep the spring clamp and liner setup intact - I'm worried about going down to four leaves, no matter which ones they are. Taking out two springs shouldn;t affect the pinion angle, but not much is being gained in ride height either.

I'm not giving you advice - just trying to figure out the leaf spring thing for myself and thought you might find something useful in it for your project.

 

Hey thanks for the input. I do a lot of that kind of thinking, too. At this point, I think I'm just going to leave the springs alone, and go ahead with an axle flip. That will be a couple of months tho', but I'm a Dark sider at heart, and want to get her down.

I talked to a fellow FTE'er at our car show here who had the Airspring setup on his. His screen name is Highway50, and he's got a drop dead, gorgeous metallic Wisteria '56 M-100 w/ghost flames! Wow!

Since his truck is so low, he cut a hole in the bed and, instead of using a semi-tube across the width of the bed, he used a late '40s (?) differential cover that was perfectly round. Looked really sharp!

 

To be honest, there is no quickie method. Doing the springs, either removing them raising them flipping em whatever takes time unless you do it a lot. If your planning on replacing the springs within the near future you could always heat them with a torch just don't heat too much or you'll be on the floor. Some muffler places with do it for you, no guarantees. You be low, but need to scrap the springs later. I don't recommend doing this method by the way.

 

I agree, the quickest fix is weight. For a permanent fix, one option is to put the springs below the rear axle instead of on top. It will lower the rear of the truck about 4 inches. You have to remove the springs, cut the mounting flange off the axle and reweld it to the bottom of the axle, reinstall the spring below the axle and put the u-bolts in "upside down". Then you need some short shocks...done, old school style.