Bend my beams or drop them?
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 815
Likes: 4
From: mountaintop, Pa
Bend my beams or drop them?
I know it's been asked a millions times. I recently picked up a short bed 79, PO used drop springs in the front and rear.. It still has a 4" rake that I plan to fix with drop hangers in the rear. My plan was to have a local shop bend my beams to fix the 4deg camber.... I'm semi confident it can be done well..
The question is: am I wasting my time even getting the beams bent and just drop the coin and pick up some drop beams? I know I have to change the radius arm bushings as they look rough , not sure if the beam bushings were ever changed. So I'll have the whole front apart anyway..
Just looking for thoughts and opinions from the group. I'm looking for a level stance or small rake, not that I have money falling out of my pockets but as I get older I seem to have less time to do the job 2x... do it once do it right..
thanks
bob
The question is: am I wasting my time even getting the beams bent and just drop the coin and pick up some drop beams? I know I have to change the radius arm bushings as they look rough , not sure if the beam bushings were ever changed. So I'll have the whole front apart anyway..
Just looking for thoughts and opinions from the group. I'm looking for a level stance or small rake, not that I have money falling out of my pockets but as I get older I seem to have less time to do the job 2x... do it once do it right..
thanks
bob
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
From: british columbia, canada
I myself would do drop beams. Now I,m wondering why the truck still sits 4" higher out back, did the PO tell you he did work back there? have you been under there to look? As far as shackles and hangers out back I wouldn,t do that, unless you are doing a C notch in the frame. Why you ask? cause what you are doing is moving the axel closer to the bump stops, And you lose all upward wheel travel, thus the C notch.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 815
Likes: 4
From: mountaintop, Pa
It's actually a 3" suspension rake but the tires are 1" taller in the rear. I can see the new springs in the front and rear.
I don;t mind doing a c-notch in the rear if needed. I did not want to do an axle flip as that would give me 5-6" drop and then I'd run the risk of being too low in the rear. I could just get same size tires front and rear and just add longer rear shackles and it should get me closer to level..
Thanks for the thoughts on the front and that is the direction I'm leaning..
I don;t mind doing a c-notch in the rear if needed. I did not want to do an axle flip as that would give me 5-6" drop and then I'd run the risk of being too low in the rear. I could just get same size tires front and rear and just add longer rear shackles and it should get me closer to level..
Thanks for the thoughts on the front and that is the direction I'm leaning..
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
From: british columbia, canada
Ya if you use a drop rear shackle that will net you 1 1/2 to 2" and then fit the same size rubber front and back. It should get you to where you want to be. I forgot to mention before about bending the stock beams. Unless there is a frame and chassis shop around, it,s going to be hard to get it done. It can be done tho, and if you could fiind the right shop, it would save a lot of $$ and time, rather than new beams.
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