i got my 77 f100 swb. well i think i am gonna just rat rod it out i was gonna slick it up but my funds are depleated. i got drivetrain awesome body is good except for floor pans i half hearted patched an fenderwells. what is the cheapest an easiest way to lower it? i know the dream beams (drop i beams an flip kit) are the best way is there any other way to lower it an not have alignment problems?

 

No.

Anything else will cause you problems.

 

I had a 97 Ranger on bags...1st...dream beams are just that, a dream. They will bend. If a Ranger can bend them then just thing what a big block can do to them? IF and this is not the way I would go but IF you use drop beam go to a company like Belltech. I used them, I abused them and they didn't budge. IF you chose to use dream beams...take them to a welding shop and have them weld in a gusset along the bottom for some added strength.

Now with all that out of the way. Do what I am currently doing and others on this site have already done. Use a Crown Vic front end. Drops ya about 6 inches, upgrades everything to current technology and J-yards will sell you the entire set up for less then 500 buck on the average. Your beams will cost more then that. Do a search for Crown Vic Swap on this site. CarCrafter22 has a HUGE write up on the entire process.
Good Luck man.

 

Canty, I like the Crown Vic idea but that is way too much drop for me.

I just went to the Bell Tech web site and they don't show parts for '70's era Ford trucks.

 

yeah that crown vic drop is awesome but i dont have all tools to do that either. as far as cutting a torch or plasma cutter and welder. well i got a lil mig thats good for soldering thats bout it lol. i guess im just get drop beams then i just want to drop like 3". also you guys know much bout the 3+1 trannys? i had one behind my 302 but when i put my 400 in i put the granny 4 spd in. it driving me crazy not having 4 gears an when i race 2nd to 3rd is a monster shift that i usually lose all my head way an have to gain it all back.

 

There are about 500 threads on here about lowering with all types of opinions...check our the search feature. Best and Cheap don't conincide. On the cheap, you can cut your front coils (don't heat), from the guidelines that I was given by a spring manufacturer only cut 1/2 of whatever vertical height drop you desire. I.E. If you want 2" of drop then cut 1" of vertical height out of the spring. Be sure not to cut too much and you will have alot of negative camber. In the back, several cheap choices. Flip the axle will net about 4" drop, although you will have to fab new spring brackets for the axle and may have to c notch frame. DJM shackles ($60) 2" drop is a direct bolt in replacement of rear spring shackle. Also, DJM Hangars ($100) another 2" drop, or you could just grind off the front leaf spring hanger, trim the top portion move it up 2" and weld it back to the frame (you can also redrill and add a few bolts to extra measure). Also, you can remove a leaf from the spring pack to give an inch or two of drop.

Best.....would be lowering beams in the front, and 4 link air bag suspension in the back. Much, much more money.

 

yea man ive been on a couple of these treads.n this can b a sensitive issue but ive done mine i changed the 2wd spring buckets for 4wd ones took me about a day but we rebushing the front while we had it tore down this gives u a good 2 1/2 in drop w the factory ride but no matter what u will have to get the alignment done as far as the back goes u can do a couple of things take out a couple leafs n add a set of traction bars i have ladder bars on mine that came off a donor trk this might have costed me a 100 bucks to do this but i have a lot of parts layn around for these trks but u can find the 4wd buckets from a donor frame n its not hard to do

 

realy if you want to go cheep but have no tools you should
rethink your truck going cheep is great if you have the tools
to work withbut if not you could get in a world of trouble