1988 Lowered Chevy

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Joined
Jan 3, 2022
Messages
30
Reaction score
37
Location
Morro bay
Looking for some more help..still having bottoming out issues.. Belltech 5" x 7" drop with C-notch with flip kit . Belltech lowering springs and Belltech street performance shocks. The cross member above the gear differential has been cut off. Tire size the front 215 /70/ R15 rear wheels 275/60/R15 the front is hitting and the rear is hitting.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
 

sewlow

Bitchin' Stitchin'
Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Messages
12,419
Reaction score
5,743
Location
Abbotsford B.C., Canada.
That looks like more than a 7" drop. Mine's @ 7" and there's considerably more room between the pumpkin & the box.
Those rear shocks are nearly parallel to the ground. W-A-Y too laid out. They're not compressing/absorbing. Just swinging on their mounts.
Lower rear shock extenders & the upper shock mount relocation kit, BelTech #6658 will get them back to a more acceptable angle so they'll work as they were designed.
Replace the overload in the spring pack.
That's actually a misnomer for that spring. What it really does is provide a progression to the spring's compression rate. Causes the rate to ramp up as it's compressed. Without it & the suspension just blows through the travel.
Combine that with those shock angles & & you get bang-bang-bangity-bang.
Re-installing the overload will raise the truck up about 1".
If you want the truck to come back down to 7", use a drop shackle at the 1" drop height instead.
The front is probably hitting at the rear of the wheel well, bottom of the firewall. Does no damage to the tires or the truck, but it does make a terrible noise when the tires rub.
2" drop springs or stock springs with a coil cut?
Aftermarket drop springs are soft. Cutting a coil on a stock spring increases the spring rate which works much better on a suspension with a reduced amount of travel.
Rolled or trimmed the front fender lips?
 
Joined
Jan 3, 2022
Messages
30
Reaction score
37
Location
Morro bay
Thanks brother very good info, but what are you talking about replacing overload spring ? I do have a lot of space in the front from the wheel well I even have the lip of the well tucked under so my tires don't rub.. I will get the shock extenders and shock replacement kit. But I bought shock extenders from Belltech didn't fit my truck. Never had so many problems with a lowered truck. Have you tried coilovers ?

thanks for your help
 

sewlow

Bitchin' Stitchin'
Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Messages
12,419
Reaction score
5,743
Location
Abbotsford B.C., Canada.
O.K. on looking closer, there ARE 5 leaves in there. Doh!
Actually...4+1. The overload leaf is at the bottom of the pack and generally does not conform to the shape of the rest of the leafs because it does not extend far enough to reach the clamps that hold the rest of the pack together.
I take it that you didn't do the lowering.
That sure does look to be a lot more than a 7" drop.
Do you know if those are lowering springs?
Original front spring hangars or 2" drop? Stock or drop shackles?
There's got to be some way that that drop was done with more than just a flip &...?

Mine @ 7".
You must be registered for see images attach


Sig pic is @ 6". This is @ 7".

You must be registered for see images attach


This is how the lower extender are oriented, although these have been welded & smoothed out a bit.
They had me scratching my head on the initial fitting too.
"This way? Nope. That way? Wrong. Like this? Nooo. Daaamn!"

You must be registered for see images attach


If you notice, the overload was removed & one the same length but in a shape that conforms to the rest of the spring pack was installed. This resulted in 1" of drop.
So wrong. Suspension would blow through the travel & the axle tubes be hammering the inside of the notch.
Replaced the O/L & used a drop shackle to get back the 1".

I'm really amazed at how close that pumpkin is to the bed on your truck.
 
Joined
Jan 3, 2022
Messages
30
Reaction score
37
Location
Morro bay
O.K. on looking closer, there ARE 5 leaves in there. Doh!
Actually...4+1. The overload leaf is at the bottom of the pack and generally does not conform to the shape of the rest of the leafs because it does not extend far enough to reach the clamps that hold the rest of the pack together.
I take it that you didn't do the lowering.
That sure does look to be a lot more than a 7" drop.
Do you know if those are lowering springs?
Original front spring hangars or 2" drop? Stock or drop shackles?
There's got to be some way that that drop was done with more than just a flip &...?

Mine @ 7".
You must be registered for see images attach


Sig pic is @ 6". This is @ 7".

You must be registered for see images attach


This is how the lower extender are oriented, although these have been welded & smoothed out a bit.
They had me scratching my head on the initial fitting too.
"This way? Nope. That way? Wrong. Like this? Nooo. Daaamn!"

You must be registered for see images attach


If you notice, the overload was removed & one the same length but in a shape that conforms to the rest of the spring pack was installed. This resulted in 1" of drop.
So wrong. Suspension would blow through the travel & the axle tubes be hammering the inside of the notch.
Replaced the O/L & used a drop shackle to get back the 1".

I'm really amazed at how close that pumpkin is to the bed on your truck.
Nice truck brother,
Nope didn't lower it myself. I usually do all my trucks myself but they were C10 version which was a lot easier.this truck was already like this, looking at it myself is the front was 2" drop spindles 3" coils with looks like new lower stock control arms. Rear end C-notch looks like flip kit Probably lowering shackles . So I need to find a helper spring for the rear end or find one at the junk yard take out the load spring..I need to look underneath again. Can't find the part # number you sent me for shock relocation kit..

Thank for your help
 

sewlow

Bitchin' Stitchin'
Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Messages
12,419
Reaction score
5,743
Location
Abbotsford B.C., Canada.

Also Jeg's, Amazon, Summit & others have 'em.
Have to get them while they're available. May have to shop around a bit. B/T makes a run of them on a pre-determined schedule (?) so when they're outa stock, have to wait until the next go-round.
For some reason, most of the Co.'s are using the same word-for-word generic (B/T supplied?) description which is incorrect. It reads exactly the same as the one for the lower extensions. WTF?
The description is wrong.
The part number is right.
It's a bolt-on kit. Including the bolts! WooHoo!
 
Top