6” drop in rear without a flip kit?

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JMAC53

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This is my first time posting here and dropping my truck for the first time. My question is, can you achieve a 6” drop on the rear without a flip kit using drop leaves and shackles? Would I still need to c-notch since the axle is still under the leaves?
 

sewlow

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Any drop more than 4" on these trucks absolutely, positively requires a flip & notch. Only way it's gonna happen.
From the experiences of friends that have used drop leaves, I'm not a fan.
 

Aarong23

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Any drop more than 4" on these trucks absolutely, positively requires a flip & notch. Only way it's gonna happen.
From the experiences of friends that have used drop leaves, I'm not a fan.
Unless you can find a set of hotchkis leaf springs. But good luck finding them. Tom me a year of digging. No experience with any other drop leaf springs.
 

someotherguy

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And you'll still need a notch, as mentioned, because for the axle to be in that position you will need frame clearance for travel. How you got that low is irrelevant - you still need the notch. So that's the "hard" part, might as well do the lowering the correct way with a flip kit, which is cake.

Richard
 

Turbokat

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i ended up going with 1" drop shackles and 3.5" drop leafs and well i wouldn't recommend it. the leafs are really bouncy like if you had bad shocks. Before my truck was way too stiff IMO with the oem leafs and now its too soft. Have to take it really slow over speedbumps so i don't fly out of the seat. Shock extensions helped a lot but its still not that good
 
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This is my first time posting here and dropping my truck for the first time. My question is, can you achieve a 6” drop on the rear without a flip kit using drop leaves and shackles? Would I still need to c-notch since the axle is still under the leaves?
I have Hotchkis 4" rear springs and I tried a 1"shackle and it rode like a "buckboard". When I looked it was riding on the snubbers. I ended up going with the Ridetech "C" notch 6" drop. I could not be happier.
 

JMAC53

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I have Hotchkis 4" rear springs and I tried a 1"shackle and it rode like a "buckboard". When I looked it was riding on the snubbers. I ended up going with the Ridetech "C" notch 6" drop. I could not be happier.
Thank you for the reply. I’m really partial to cutting the frame on this truck as my dad bought it 24 years ago and I’m planning on a complete factory restore later on in life
 

JMAC53

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Any drop more than 4" on these trucks absolutely, positively requires a flip & notch. Only way it's gonna happen.
From the experiences of friends that have used drop leaves, I'm not a fan.
And you'll still need a notch, as mentioned, because for the axle to be in that position you will need frame clearance for travel. How you got that low is irrelevant - you still need the notch. So that's the "hard" part, might as well do the lowering the correct way with a flip kit, which is cake.

Richard
I’ve watched/help buddies do the flip. It’s not hard, just trying to keep the frame “as stock as possible”
 

someotherguy

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I’ve watched/help buddies do the flip. It’s not hard, just trying to keep the frame “as stock as possible”
Yeah, that's why I put quotes around "hard" - it's not difficult. Someone can definitely screw it up, I've seen it happen - two most common mistakes I've seen with flip kits are not placing it accurately, or letting the frame flex after cutting/before marking to install the notch. I'd say a third would be bad quality cuts leading to cracks.

If you wanna be low, you gotta notch, though. No way around it. And properly installed, there's nothing wrong with a notch whatsoever.

Richard
 

qwikgta

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i have not installed my C notch yet, and am running a 6" drop. I removed the bump stops attached to the frame and have a good 2-3" of space. I have 4" dropped springs (bell tech) and 2" front leaf hanger (i even used a set of 2" dropped shackles but set for 1") then used a new set of air shocks to get it level. Front is dropped w/ a 3" dropped spring and 2" bell tech spindles. Running on 20" Foose rims. I don't hit the frame at all and am not in a hurry for the "C" notch at this time.
 
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