The Stupid Lowered Questions Thread

[bow61509]

also what's the proffered method of trimming them? a cut off wheel or can I get after it with a reciprocating saw? i.e. sawzall

Sent from my static android

Yep applies to spindles but your truck is pretty low I would assume it does have drop spindles and also would assume they have already been trimmed



Edit I just noticed where you said you dont have drop spindles.... whats your current front drop and setup? Its pretty low

 

[1badgmc]

Will it go full lock after they are trimmed?

Yes. That's the point of trimming them.

Also can I go 8 inches rear with a bolt in notch or should I keep it at 7

Keep it at 7.

also what's the proffered method of trimming them? a cut off wheel or can I get after it with a reciprocating saw? i.e. sawzall

Sent from my static android

Whatever works for you.

 

[bow61509]

Yes. That's the point of trimming them.



Keep it at 7.



Whatever works for you.

cool thanks!

Sent from my static android

 

[sewlow]

With a 4/7 on my '98, it's nearly impossible to drive with 15's & the LCA's NOT trimmed. Pretty well only in a straight line.
Turn your wheels to the lock, see where they hit, then measure 2"-2.5" in from there for the amount to be trimmed. Do both sides. This extra distance is to accommodate suspension travel when turning. I did mine with just an electric grinder. Took about an hour or so to do it all in the driveway.
Get your wheels balanced using the stick-on style of weights. The clip-on type of weights have a tendency to be knocked off, or moved if the wheels do happen to scuff the rims on occasion.

Dean, your teeth fillings are gonna thank you for the C-notch install!!!
Don't forget to notch the box crossmember, too!

 

[HRV-LS1]

Thanks for the input. The kit that I looked at has calmax drop control arms and shackles. Anybody used these with success?

Anybody?

 

[sewlow]

Anybody?

Never used the dropped LCA's. When I was a newbie to this lowering stuff on GMT400's, I was told to avoid them.
Apparently, and this is just from word-of-mouth, second-hand info, they can cause alignment, premature ball-joint wear & ground clearance issues.
Dropped spindles & springs are the most common, proven method.
2/4 drop? A lowered spindle will retain the stock ride characteristics, IF that's what you want!
A lowered spring will LOOK like it's made outa thicker steel, (it is) but it retains the same spring rate as a stocker spring. It's just shorter.
Cutting your stock springs will increase the spring rate, making the vehicle ride a bit more harsh than stock, but it will make it handle like it's on rails,(!!!) if THAT's what you're looking for.
DJM & McGaughy's spindles don't push the wheels out like the Belltech's do, which can be remedied with wheel offset, but you can find more wheel designs off the shelf with standard issue offsets. Stock 15" wheels will work with all of them. Just gotta trim those LCA's.
Belltech spindles were designed back when a 17" or 18" wheels were considered huge & they push the wheels out to clear the LCA's.
Shackles are pretty well the same manufacturer to manufacturer. A simple design that's pretty hard to screw up.
Just make sure that the upper part of the shackles, near the box floor, are rounded off, not square cut. Without being rounded off, they MAY contact the box floor & wear some nice little holes in the floor. (How do I know this...? Hmmm...!)
Hope this helps in your decision!

 

[1badgmc]

Never used the dropped LCA's. When I was a newbie to this lowering stuff on GMT400's, I was told to avoid them.
Apparently, and this is just from word-of-mouth, second-hand info, they can cause alignment, premature ball-joint wear & ground clearance issues.

This is true when the LCAs are used with drop springs. When used with stock springs, the LCAs shouldn't cause any issues at all.

So, if you want to use drop LCAs, I would be absolutely certain that you'll never want to go any lower. You should not use drop springs with them and you CAN not use drop spindles with them.

 

[sewlow]

This is true when the LCAs are used with drop springs. When used with stock springs, the LCAs shouldn't cause any issues at all.

So, if you want to use drop LCAs, I would be absolutely certain that you'll never want to go any lower. You should not use drop springs with them and you CAN not use drop spindles with them.

Thanks for the clarification, Jason!

 

[1badgmc]

Thanks for the clarification, Jason!

I got away with LCAs and drop springs without failure, but I did have to replace my lower balljoints once. Everyone else I know that ran the combo had lower balljoint failures, some while they were driving.

 

[ccreddell]

What I havent heard here is that when you grind off the lower lip on your CAs you significantly weaken them. This was one of the reasons they made reinforcement plates that you welded onto the bottom of the CAs. These should be used! This is why I have never ran 15" rims with a drop spindle. To me, this is the 80s equivalent of torching springs.