Ok so I have pretty much elimenated all the ways to lower a stock 55 F-100 and I think that I am going to go with a reverse eye main leaf with four leaf springs have any of you guys ACTUALLYdone this???


How much clearance do I need between the axle and the frame and do I need to change the frame2axle bumpers??

Also is there any other things I should know?

 

Another bump to the top, anyone?

 

First off....no I haven't done this befor but lets reason this out....

1 - How much clearance do you have now in stock height?

2 - How much will the reverse springs lower your ride height (I'm gonna guess about 3 inches)

3 - Install a C-Notch kit in the frame that will provide atleast 2/3rd of the amount of drop (easy math...a 2" notch for a 3" drop).

Another option rather than new springs is a leaf spring drop kit that would place the axel ontop of the spring rather than under the spring.

I,m not sure if this can be done on your particular suspension set up but it is what I have on the rear diff for my Chev 1/2 ton suspension that resulted in a 3" drop with plenty of suspension travel. Also make sure that you will be able to get the appropriate length shocks for your application before you do your drop. Anything more than a drop of 1.5 to 2 inches will require shorter shocks......or new teeth You will also need to think about drive line angles and lengths as well as potential steering issues for the front suspension.

I also figured I would bump the post for ya at the same time.

 

i did that on the front of my 56 and a spring under on the rear i used lowered volkswagen shocks on all four corrners they are adjustable and nitrogen charged it helps level it out and helps prevent bottoming out i c-noched the frame in the rear and cut down the bumpstops in the front .......i put a couple of pics in my gallery

 

Here is the text from an old post that I posted in 2006 with the data that I collected on playing with different combinations on the rear (9 inch) of my F-1. I am staying with the reversed eyes, 6 leaves and axle under the spring. I expect that my final loaded clearance from the top of the axle to the bottom of the frame rail will be between 3 and 3 1/2 inches which is what I want. I remember that novatattoo on this site tried the axle on top of the rear spring and had only 1 1/2 inches of travel available, not enough imho. Generally I think most are looking for around 3 inches of travel in the rear.
I am jag IFS in the front so I can't offer any first hand info on the front stock springs.
Note that I have not completed and run my 49.

From 2006 post:

"I have been experimenting to get the right lowering on my 49 F-1 rear. I am going Jag XJ IFS which will significantly lower the front end and I don't want a significant rake. I would like to hear from others what results they got using stock rear springs with a 9 inch rear in different combinations.
I tried the axle flip first and then reversing the eyes with the axle below the springs. All of my measurements are on a rolling chassis with nothing above the frame rails and then with 600#-6 bags of black beauty on the frame directly over the rear axle. My chassis measurements are steel to steel vertical clearance from the bottom of the frame rail to the top of the axle tube (no rubber bump stops in place) My measurements were as follows:

1. The free arch of my original springs was 5 1/2 inches verses stock spec of 6 inches.

2. Stock configuration of springs and axle
Bare Chassis=8 3/4 inches
600 # =7 1/2 inches

3. Stock springs with axle on top of springs
Bare chassis=2 1/2 inches
600# =1 1/4 inches

4. Reversed eyes, 3 leaves removed, front spring hanger flipped 180 degrees
Bare chassis=6 1/2 inches
600# =4 3/4 inches.

My goal without spending money was to get to 3 or 3 1/2 inches (of suspension travel)with a fully assembled truck. I do not have a good estimate of the total weight that the rear springs would see over and above the frame weight (frame is probably about 100 # on eack end). I had 600 # handy as a starting point. By my calculations from the above, the original springs had a spring rate of about 240 # per inch of travel and the 6 leaf stack has a spring rate of about 170 # per inch. In the last configuration that means that the addition of 340 # would drop the rear another inch (assuming a linear spring rate-note that some earlier measurement did come out very close to linear i.e. at 200#, then 400# and finally 600#)
So what are peoples guesstimates of the additional weight that the assembled truck will add to the rear springs. What would help is measurements made with a bare frame and then fully assembled. Who can offer info?
For those of you that made it to the end of this post. Thanks for sticking with it!
Any help would be greatly appreciated."

Note that my info is that the unloaded rear of the f-1 should be about 1300# fully assembled. I figure that the spring weight on the rear is about 1000#.