So again I am very new to all this and listened to someone who didn't know what they were talking about. So i wanna lower my truck. So my buddy says " just get the universal lowering blocks for the back and a drop axle for the front. So Me being uneducated and impatient, I did. Now i have both here and through research and just looking at them know they wont work. I know there's a tech write up somewhere can some point me in the right direction?

Thanks again ! you learn from your mistakes!

 

duplicate see below

 

I am not sure what year your truck is but based off your screename I am guessing a 52. There are good articles for 53 and up that I know of:
53-79 F-Series Steering & Suspension .: Articles
and I am not sure what the differences are but for a 52 maybe someone else can chime in.

Good Luck

 

My truck us a 52 will this still pertain?

 

As you no doubt found out, you can't add blocks to the rear axle and spring if it's mounted underneath and expect it to go down. Depending on how far down you want to go will depend on which lowering method is right for you.

We don't know what axle you bought for the front, but there are some available that will do the job. The thing you need to know is you can't just change the one part without it affecting several others, and necessatating other mods to the steering components, as well. You'll need to provide us with a little more detail on your plans for us to help you better.

 

So here's the deal, i want the truck to ride low! as low as i can go and still keep it somewhat simple. I understand i might need to make mods to steering and such. I wanted to stay away from welding but i realize that might not be a possibility. That help?

I'm going to the super cheap but still not too janky. Im willing to spend a few.

 

I can't even point ME in the right direction.My wife sometimes comes close,though.

 

Cheap way to lower the rear is to take out about half of the leaf springs but you wouldn't be able to haul much if you did that but it doesn't matter if its just a cruiser. Plus, the rear axle is under the springs in stock form now, you can flip it on top of the springs and drop it a lot more. I don't know if you would be interested but me and a few other guys on the site went with a chassis engineering "BOLT-IN" MII kit, no welding. Lowered my 51 a lot in the front with stock height spindles. If I would have gone with 2" drop spindles it would have been almost on the ground. Oh, plus you can adjust it even lower due to a special adjusting system it has. Chassisengineeringinc.com

 

read this: 1951 Ford Truck Project Pics - THE H.A.M.B.
and this:https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ss-thread.html.
going very low with out air bags is hard i hear and not cheap.

 

Here's a truck that I see locally often (it's actually for sale). The guy lowered the truck front and rear by removing every other leaf from the springs. Personally, I'm not a fan of hyperflexing (is that even a word?) the springs opposite from the manufactured arch.






The rear is done in the same fashion.

I'd spend the money and get a dropped axle from Sid's. It's well worth the money from what I hear and can easily drop the front of your truck.

 

get reversed eye main leaves , remove every other leaf . did this to mine in the front { a 53 } and it lost 2 3/4 without any weight on it . moved the front / rear hanger to the top of the frame and got extended shackles and removed every other leaf in the rear and lost about the same height with it still in the air .... and welcome to fte !!

 

Yikes, is all I can say. If those were fresh springs, I'd maybe consider that, but that is certain to fail in the near future.

I'm not sure why there is such an obsession with riding low.

 

in my case ross i think sitting just a little lower is appealing , and if it isn't sprung like a truck and sitting up like the work horse it is , i won't abuse her no more ......................

 

Everything mentioned so far pertains to your truck. The problem, as I see it, there are no "bolt it on" answers (like on TV shows).

NONE of us were any smarter than you when we started our trucks. But the real deal is we studied the problem and the possible answers. You can't be at arm's length with this stuff unless you hire a pro to do it. You will need to get greasy.

51PanelMan and 53F350 were on the money with the cheap/safe solution. You don't want to mess with 60-year old springs and call that safe. The main leaf does the major work. You can supplement its strength with the old stuff.

You can buy reverse eye main leafs for just a few bucks. (Look at LMC's catalog- LMCtruck.com - they are free).

Take your old spring sets apart and marry those new reverse mains with every other leaf from your old spring stacks. Like magic - lowered springs.

Add some 2" drop shackles (LMC again) to the back springs and you'll be looking very good for just a few bucks and a weekends sweat. You might need a little tweaking to the steering arms to reduce the bump steer you'll get by lowering the steering geometry (but that's another thread and a test drive away).

Keep us updated on your progress.

Good luck and take pictures as you go.

 

So did it today, i know some of you don't agree with taking out leafs but, when i get the money i'll do it the right way. So here's a before and after. Now i need the front done.
BEFORE


https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink


AFTER



https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink



https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink