lowering kit
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Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 25
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i use it to tow my race trailer. only 1 car, about 6000# total weight. i've got a riser for a hitch ball from an old truck. i like 4x4's don't get me wrong, it's just where i live trails are few and far between. and lowering doesn't effect how it tows jst suspension travel. but the roads are somewhat smooth around here.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 21,285
Likes: 16
From: Nutter Fort, WV
I have seen some nice lowered trucks.
A few of them were diesels.
I may have even seen a lowered dually once or twice.
All I said is that is the first time that question has been asked in this forum for the 3 plus years I have been reading it.
Being an individual with a different idea about what looks good is great as far as I am concerned. That is what makes being alive so great. Express yourself and your individuality, I do it every day.
I will admit there are many days when I am loading heavy things in my truck by hand that I wish mine was either slammed or had air suspension so I could have it both ways. We have a large plate compactor that weighs over 200 pounds. Two guys lifting for all the are worth have a hard time lifting it 54" high and loading it on my dump bed.
A few of them were diesels.
I may have even seen a lowered dually once or twice.
All I said is that is the first time that question has been asked in this forum for the 3 plus years I have been reading it.
Being an individual with a different idea about what looks good is great as far as I am concerned. That is what makes being alive so great. Express yourself and your individuality, I do it every day.
I will admit there are many days when I am loading heavy things in my truck by hand that I wish mine was either slammed or had air suspension so I could have it both ways. We have a large plate compactor that weighs over 200 pounds. Two guys lifting for all the are worth have a hard time lifting it 54" high and loading it on my dump bed.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,697
Likes: 3
From: Marengo, Iowa
Originally Posted by crawlinrs
i use it to tow my race trailer. only 1 car, about 6000# total weight. . and lowering doesn't effect how it tows jst suspension travel. but the roads are somewhat smooth around here.
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Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2006
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i understand, i forgot to mention that i only wanna drop it 3 in front and 2 in the rear. the truck sits level and i'd like it to have just a litlle rake. not much. i've got a lot of wheel well gap. just wana do it for looks and ease of my relatives who aren't 6'6" like me.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 21,285
Likes: 16
From: Nutter Fort, WV
I have seen air ride kits for just about any type of vehicle.
Replace the springs with an air bag and four link system.
Semi's have had air ride for years and weight is not an issue with that system.
It probably would be a bit expensive, but probably close to what drop axles and all that would cost till they were installed.
Nice thing is air is adjustable a lot easier than springs.
Air pressure adjustments could compensate for ride height and also load size or weight.
I can not tell you where to look, I am just tossing out ideas.
I have seen pictures of trucks converted to air suspension.
I think I also remember one of the truck shows on TV doing a conversion not to long ago.
There is a member here in this forum that has a air suspension tandem rear axle on his pickup, now I just need to remember who.
This does make a lot more sense to me though, you should be able to have the best of both worlds. Lower air pressure for the cruise look, more air for the haul or tow mode.
I am running Ride Rite air bags on my truck for extra weight compensation on the front axle for my snow plow. Best money I ever spent to improve the ride with a plow on the truck.
Firestone makes Ride Rite and air bags for tag axles on big trucks. I also know they supply air bags for a lot of other uses in the ride department, lowered and raised.
Replace the springs with an air bag and four link system.
Semi's have had air ride for years and weight is not an issue with that system.
It probably would be a bit expensive, but probably close to what drop axles and all that would cost till they were installed.
Nice thing is air is adjustable a lot easier than springs.
Air pressure adjustments could compensate for ride height and also load size or weight.
I can not tell you where to look, I am just tossing out ideas.
I have seen pictures of trucks converted to air suspension.
I think I also remember one of the truck shows on TV doing a conversion not to long ago.
There is a member here in this forum that has a air suspension tandem rear axle on his pickup, now I just need to remember who.
This does make a lot more sense to me though, you should be able to have the best of both worlds. Lower air pressure for the cruise look, more air for the haul or tow mode.
I am running Ride Rite air bags on my truck for extra weight compensation on the front axle for my snow plow. Best money I ever spent to improve the ride with a plow on the truck.
Firestone makes Ride Rite and air bags for tag axles on big trucks. I also know they supply air bags for a lot of other uses in the ride department, lowered and raised.
Last edited by Dave Sponaugle; Jun 28, 2006 at 09:23 PM.
New User
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 16
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From: Amherst, Va
Lift it or Lower it. It's all his opinion and what he likes. We're all Ford guys here, LOL.
I'm actually having the same problem, which is trying to find a 2"/4" drop for my 89' crew cab > Diesel <.
I don't want it slammed,...but do want to level it out and give it a little lower of a stance. I also want to do 22.5" Alcoa's, which may raise it back up almost close to factory ride height anyway. Just bringing the Rim closer to the fender and closing the gap will make my 89' look a little more "modern" I guess.
As far as towing,...LOL,...I've had plenty of tow rigs that have been dropped. This however is my first diesel. I used to have a 90' F350 Crew with the 460 gas engine,...and that was a 2"/4" drop,...it rode like a Cadillac. The bumpstops were modified just a little, and it never bottomed out unloaded. As far as towing I towed a 28 foot enclosed gooseneck with it. To handle the added weight of the trailer I just added 2 Firestone AirBags over the rear axle - They're rated at 3600lbs each, 7200lbs combined at 150psi is plenty to compensate. And if you need more there are higher rated bags out there. Mine was also equipped with onboard air, so I could adjust the rear at the push of a button.
I'm actually having the same problem, which is trying to find a 2"/4" drop for my 89' crew cab > Diesel <.
I don't want it slammed,...but do want to level it out and give it a little lower of a stance. I also want to do 22.5" Alcoa's, which may raise it back up almost close to factory ride height anyway. Just bringing the Rim closer to the fender and closing the gap will make my 89' look a little more "modern" I guess.
As far as towing,...LOL,...I've had plenty of tow rigs that have been dropped. This however is my first diesel. I used to have a 90' F350 Crew with the 460 gas engine,...and that was a 2"/4" drop,...it rode like a Cadillac. The bumpstops were modified just a little, and it never bottomed out unloaded. As far as towing I towed a 28 foot enclosed gooseneck with it. To handle the added weight of the trailer I just added 2 Firestone AirBags over the rear axle - They're rated at 3600lbs each, 7200lbs combined at 150psi is plenty to compensate. And if you need more there are higher rated bags out there. Mine was also equipped with onboard air, so I could adjust the rear at the push of a button.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 10,501
Likes: 5
From: Faibanks Ak.
A lowered rig would not work for me, but hey what ever blows your dress up.
A crew cab is long and that extra length can sometimes high center you even without lowering it.
Bell tech used to make the drop spindles for the chevy duallys, not sure about fords.
A guy drove in to my shop while on vacation, with a chevy dually crew and the right front wheel bearing was out to the point the wheel was about to come off.
He said the spindle has to be good because he had to get back to cali to work, I told him, it I doubted but no problem the crew used to be popular here, then he said but thats a bell tech drop spindle. I told him there is a good chance your screwed because no farmer or rancher that had ever bought a dually around these parts had lowered one.
I had to have a machine shop weld a new spindle on and turn it to specs, it wasn't a cheap deal.
I tell you this because if something happens while you are away from home parts are not going to be readily available.
A crew cab is long and that extra length can sometimes high center you even without lowering it.
Bell tech used to make the drop spindles for the chevy duallys, not sure about fords.
A guy drove in to my shop while on vacation, with a chevy dually crew and the right front wheel bearing was out to the point the wheel was about to come off.
He said the spindle has to be good because he had to get back to cali to work, I told him, it I doubted but no problem the crew used to be popular here, then he said but thats a bell tech drop spindle. I told him there is a good chance your screwed because no farmer or rancher that had ever bought a dually around these parts had lowered one.
I had to have a machine shop weld a new spindle on and turn it to specs, it wasn't a cheap deal.
I tell you this because if something happens while you are away from home parts are not going to be readily available.
New User
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Amherst, Va
The only way to drop the twin beam front on an f350 correctly is to use the 3" drop "Dream Beams".
A good article I found on those is at Sport Trucks by Dev |
It shows pretty much step by step what to do.
A good article I found on those is at Sport Trucks by Dev |
It shows pretty much step by step what to do.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2008
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personally I think it would look wicked an old school ford dually 2wd lowered .. its not gonna travel that much suspension wise being a 350 dually as long as you dont have some huge tires he should be fine ?.. id frown on you if it was 4x4 lol but go for it man !!
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 724
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I don't know of any lowering kits right off hand but someone has to have one. And I think a lowered crew dually would look sweet, I don't know about everyone else but sometimes I wish I could have the look of a lifted but the ride and ease of getting in and out as a lowered. Just some food for thought while your at it why don't you put on a set of 4 or 5 inch side pipes that would look crazy dude and you wouldn't have all the black smoke getting on your trailer. I think you will have one custom ride once your done 
Logistics Pro
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,737
Likes: 179
From: Western Mass
My truck came lowered 2" in the rear, the stock spring blocks were removed. I didn't even realize it until last summer when I was swapping the front axle. But it makes sense, if you look to some of the newer truck forums, people are having trouble towing some 5th wheels because the stock trucks are now too high, and clearance over the bed is an issue. My truck came with an old 5th wheel in the bed, so it makes sense to me that it was lowered, also made the truck look level and was fairly easy to get things in and out of the back.
Unfortunately, putting the Dana 60 in the front lifted it almost 5 inches, which now makes the truck look stupid and raked backwards.... Plus its a pain in the *** getting in the cab (I'm short..) I need to rework the front anyways to put in the superduty springs I have (it rides like chit now..) and I'm going to see if I can get it to drop a few inches in the process.
Honestly, unless its a truck you're 4 wheeling all the time, I really don't see the point in lifting it, hard to get in and out of, and 99% of the time I won't need the extra clearance so its not worth it to me.
Unfortunately, putting the Dana 60 in the front lifted it almost 5 inches, which now makes the truck look stupid and raked backwards.... Plus its a pain in the *** getting in the cab (I'm short..) I need to rework the front anyways to put in the superduty springs I have (it rides like chit now..) and I'm going to see if I can get it to drop a few inches in the process.
Honestly, unless its a truck you're 4 wheeling all the time, I really don't see the point in lifting it, hard to get in and out of, and 99% of the time I won't need the extra clearance so its not worth it to me.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 10,501
Likes: 5
From: Faibanks Ak.
Subura made a nice low 4x4 pickup, it wasn't diesel but it would get you there. LOL I couldn't help it. Chevy 4x4 pickups sit pretty low, I can't even crawl under one in the center on a creeper. They SUCK.
