Ok boys and girls I think I have outdone my own stupidity, which is saying alot. I started out with stock 15's and added reverse eye mains on the front removing the prescribed amount of springs front and rear. Dropped 2 to 3" front and rear, pretty happy but would like to drop another 2 to 3" both ends. Now here is the challenge, already have the spring perches for the rear to flip the springs under the axle and c-notch, no big deal so far. Want to add a 3" drop axle to the front and maybe add a leaf back in to achieve more travel on the front end. I think where my trouble will really begin is with the new 255x18x8.5's I have added in the past few weeks which could give me clearance problems if I lower the front as I want. The rear is not a problem can add 1.5" to the fenders and be fine its the front I am worried about. Don't want to spend the dollars on a drop axle if I can't use it. Should have gone with my first thought which was to run some skinny tires up front. Have pics of the stance and new wheels in my KMC gallery. Would like to wind up with the fenders front and rear just covering the top of the tires. Thoughts, jokes, insults, appreciated.....

 

Joe, Others have been down this road more than I. I can't help on the front/tires. My only comment on the rear is that at some point, when allowing of rear suspension travel, the rear pumpkin gets too close to the bed bottom requiring a bed floor mod or raising the bed. I suspect that others will be along with more input.

 

Hi

Nice truck. It looks like you are pretty close to the front wheel lip now. From the picture it seems like the front will rub if it's any lower but that just maybe the angle that the picture was taken.

 

Perhaps it's just the old school in me but I'd never want 8.5 inch wide wheels on the front regardless of the diameter...been through the wide wheels on the front before and won't go back...

 

Beautiful truck! I jut have to toss my opinion in here (feel free to ignore it completely)
especially since my opinion comes from the point of view of I my dislike of the thin tires mounted on huge diameter wheels on vehicles dropped to the ground look.

My opinion is to leave it like you have it now. Its gorgeous, it has a great stance and looks awesome

Bobby

 

Joe, I completely agree with Bobby, a beautiful truck and a fantastic stance. You've done a great job.

 

I appreciate you specifically saying boys and girls, I'll take it personally as i may be the only (old ford fanatic:beyond all help chick) sicko looking at pix of your beautiful truck. It is too low only if you have a panic attack if you see a speed bump. If it actually makes you cry to see a small pothole, you have two choices, raise it up a tad or seek professional help. Why'd you change the grill?

 

I appreciate you specifically saying boys and girls, I'll take it personally as i may be the only (old ford fanatic:beyond all help chick) sicko looking at pix of your beautiful truck. It is too low only if you have a panic attack if you see a speed bump. If it actually makes you cry to see a small pothole, you have two choices, raise it up a tad or seek professional help. Why'd you change the grill?

 

Alright Joe, I called my buddies at KA Customs, they do all the trick suspension stuff and have been in several mags. On the rear, if you go with a flip kit, you will have problems with the pumpkin hitting the rear deck. Most of the time, they use either heavy rubber bumpers on the frame (which restricts the rearend from travelling but will really stiffen the heck out of the rear end) or they raise the bed with a combination of clearing the bed where the rear end comes up. As for the front, the drop axle itself will give you travel clearance, plus you can play with adding leafs to get the right height you want or stance with the rear end. KA Customs recommended a IFS front to get the drop you want. I told them that wasn't an option. The 8.5" front rims will work with the right offset. However, your running some really wide rims for the front and with the lower stance you will no doubt be rubbing on the fenders and the draglink steering arm with that wide of rims on hard turns regardless of offset. That's why I went with the 7" wide on front because I had 8" and they rubbed like crazy and actually ruined the inside of the tires. Since I used the 7", I have full steering and no rubbing at all. Your going to have find a low profile tire or one that doesn't have a buldging sidewall. I don't know what to recommend here. It will work, but it'll take some trial and error and may end up costing you some bucks? I've been thinking about the drop axle myself, but 3" is too much of a drop on my front. I'll be in the weeds and I'd have to add some leafs, plus I would run into the problem with the dropping the back to look even with the front. I'm not running much clearance on my rear end now. In fact, the other day I bent one of the stainless bolts holding the bed strips with the rearend hitting a hard bump. Tough decision. Here's an article on KA Customs doing an IFS front end.
http://www.customclassictrucks.com/t..._installation/

 

Thanks for the responses. Tha majority vote wins, will leave it alone for now and not change the overall front rear balance. I really painted myself into a corner here and my inexperience in setting up ride height is showing $$$. So for now the direction will be leave the rear alone and start figuring out if adding a 3" drop axle and a leaf or two back in the front end can be done with out clearance issues. Overall if I could do that and regain some clearance maybe dropping the front another inch I would be very happy. Right now I have my hands full clearing off the firewall completely and smoothing it out will be adding some pics soon on that project. Already talking with MF about bringiing a drop axle to the Supernats so I can pick it up there and save the postage. Hey Ed, thanks alot for speaking to the boyus at KA for me really appreciate that. Brig 56, changed the grill because I just like the 56 look better thats all.

 

56 is hard to beat, i'm in love with mine, even though it cost me a ton to get the front chrome re-done,love the grill and bumper,your truck is a beaut.

 

Love the stance and the way it looks. Don't touch a thing, just enjoy it!!!

 

Why would you wish to?
If you wished to drive around in a "Ranchero", don'tcha think you should've purchased one of them in the 1st place?
If you haven't figured it out yet J.H., I tease you Modders just the same as some of you Modders poke @ me.
Just ask bobbytnm, imlowr2, G.N.W., etc.