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1948 - 1956 F1, F100 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Fat Fendered and Classic Ford Trucks

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Old Dec 19, 2011 | 08:19 PM
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zombiefied 247's Avatar
zombiefied 247
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Quick Question

If i take a few leafs out of the front end to lower will it make the ride rough and make it handle like crap?
 
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Old Dec 19, 2011 | 08:23 PM
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There's not that many leaves in the front to begin with, so taking out a couple will make a big difference. With less support, the truck will definitely drop. It will also leave you with a softer, bouncier ride and could very well handle like crap, being more 'springy' and having a lot more body roll. Without knowing how worn or weak your springs are before modifying, it's hard to say what will happen after you do. It'll surely be a trial and error thing.
 
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Old Dec 20, 2011 | 01:41 PM
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I removed 2 or 3 and de-arched the rest......It rides better, IMO. I had to use shorter shocks. It also has more body roll.....not horrible. I plan to install a sway bar to help it corner better.
 
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Old Dec 20, 2011 | 10:27 PM
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Hi tinman what do you mean by de arch?????
 
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Old Dec 20, 2011 | 11:06 PM
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Don't take too many leaves out. You can really increase your bump steer if you lower it too much. A good rule of thumb is to try and keep the drag link parallel to the ground. Of course you can modify the drag link angle slightly by heating and tweaking the steering arm.

Also, in your quest for lowering the truck don't get rid of the bump stops. I forgot to reinstall my bump stops and ended up breaking my main leaf one night when driving the truck kind of hard.


Bobby
 
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Old Dec 23, 2011 | 10:57 PM
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thanks for the info guys I appreciate the input
 
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