Have been working on my 55 for a year now and have finally come to the realization that I need to slow down and do what I want instead of trying to get finished then look back with regrets. Which means I am ready to drop her down for a low level ride and need your help. Plan to replace the stock front axle with a drop 3" from Mid fifties and add a flip kit to the rear(relocate springs below the rea end). So, what I am looking for are pics of a c-notch rear. MF offers a c-notch kit that I will need to weld in place but would like to see one or two that are all ready done before I tear into it. Will probably have to widen the rear fenders as well something like 1.5 to 2" to get over the 255x18's alreadt installed. So if you have any examples of a c-notch rear in your galleries please let me know. Also if you have any pics of widening stock rear fenders which I will have to do. Yeah I know I can get plus size glass fenders but want to keep her all metal and want to do it myself.

 

What can happen if you go tooo low. I think this is a guy's truck on this Forum. Nice truck. His truck was "on the ground", probably airbags. I think you will find that the top of the rearend will hit bottom of the bed first before other things.
There are some notch pics in my gallery. I didnt use a kit , we made our own. If i ever do annother truck i wouldnt notch it as much.

Mark

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I think that is a bit low for my tastes.

 

Joe
Take a look at my rear suspension photo's. I started with the bent plate from MF's and found it didn't allow for enough drop, mostly because my son wanted to drop it below ride height with air bags. I ended going with a section of 7" dia pipe and added some reinforcement above the frame. There are many way's to accomplish the same end result. Not shown in the pictures but in the works is a boxing plate on the inside. The best thing to do is mock up what you want for tires/wheels and drop the frame until you get the ride height you want. The bottom of the C-notch needs to be 3.5- 4" plus the thickness of a rubber bump stop above the axle. If you want to drop it below ride height with air-bags you need to drop the frame to the lowered height and increase the C-notch accordingly.

 

Bruce,
Nice meats on the rear. Looks like you used the square tubing on the top as a air bag and lateral frame support? Did you box the frame as well? I have already relocated my rear spring front hangers up as high as I can on the frame and removed three leafs so I am down probably 2 to 3" already. Am thinking if I flip the springs under the axle I may have to add a spring back in to adjust the final height. Certainly can find some quarter inch plate and make my own c-notch sections rather than spending 46$$ on the same thing.

 

Pretty sure one of my earlier galleries shows my C notches - home-made...

 

[QUOTE=joe hoffman]Bruce,
... Looks like you used the square tubing on the top as a air bag and lateral frame support? Did you box the frame as well? QUOTE]

Joe,
You're right the tubing reinforces the c-notch and supports the air-bag bridge. The inside of the frame will be boxed as well. As I indciated earlier, it just takes a bunch of measuring to figure out how much to c-notch the frame. After accounting for all the movement anticipated take your measurements then check them again before you do any welding or cutting. One last thing. Brace the original frame rails and install any new steel above the c-notch before you cut out any of the original frame. You will have a better chance of keeping everything square that way.

 

Bruce,
Thanks for the input. A lifetime ago I was a shipyard welder and can attest to how much heat can move things around. Brace it first is always the way to go. Do beleive I will make my own. Will update my gallery when I get into it. Joe

 

I knew you'd be posting this sooner or later Joe. LOL... The low bug has biten ya huh? I'm going through the same thing. Not only the rearend but the front. I checked with several frame streetrod builders here in CA. They all discouraged me from using airbags. They told me I'd be sorry and they couldn't count how sets of airbags they removed from vehicle because the owner hated them. So, now I'm back to staying moderately low. If I go lower in the front, it's a IFS front end (no thanks) If I lower the back, C notch with four link or air bags. The price we pay for being low. LOL...

 

I'm going to renew an old trend. I'm going to go gasser with my 56 F100.

 

Lewislynn, I'm with ya on the gasser. I'm going the same way with my '60. I got the front up about 3" over stock. Need to get the wheels and tires before I do any thing else to the suspension. I can go up about another 1 1/2" easily.

 

Joe, i have some pics of my C Notches i made from 1/4" flat stock, you could also use a piece of pipe (easier i think!) and cut it to width and then split it, then trim it to fit. the job is Really pretty easy.

 

Here are pictures of my notched 55. I don't think there is a "flip kit". You simply need to buy new axle perches (13 bucks) and go from there.



excuse the mess and dust..