94” c1500 base drop

[sewlow]

I find that a 2" diff Fr>Rr still has a bit of that stink-bug, kicked-in-the-booty, 'California Tilt' look.
My '97 had that with a 2/4 & it bothered the hell outa me. Just one of the many reasons why I'll never do another 2/4.

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A couple of examples of 400's with a 3" diff Fr>Rr.
While they are lower than what you want to do, they do show how a 3" difference works as far as attaining a level stance.

This is a bud's that we just finished dropping 5/8.
Check how the top of the box is near parallel to the ground.

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My '98 @ 4/6.

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Now @ 4/7.
Black vehicles are so hard to get decent pix of.

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The rear tires actually tuck up into the wheel wells just a bit. (diggity!) No more gap between the top of the tire & the bottom of the opening.
295/40/20 on 10". Lips are rolled but they didn't need to be. Did that before I got the tires & wheels & I just wanted to make sure.
The fronts are 255/45/20 on 8.5".

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For the 3/6 you want, I'd use either BellTech or DJM for the rear.
BellTech has the pinion angle pre-determined & is set within their design.
DJM's has an adjustable P/angle built into their's.
The original drop on my '98 was done with a BellTech derivative & there was no issues with the driveline's geometry @ 6".
It was when it was lowered another inch that things started to get funky.
The DJM's adjustable P/angle is good to an 8" drop when using drop shackles + a flip kit.
I can see that adjustability as both good & bad.
Great for going lower than 6".
Not so if just doing 6". I think that that may be problematic with the possibility of the diff rotating within that adjustability, especially if there was ever some serious power being thrown at it.
The DJM rep told me that that is probably unlikely, but 'probably' isn't the same as 'won't'. I heard 1% of doubt.
For the front, BellTech spindles will widen the front track by about 3/4" per side. They have their reasons, but mostly it's just an old design. Damn near 35 years old. Something to keep in mind when ordering wheels. That extra 3/4" can be compensated for with wheel offset.
DJM does not widen the track.
For the springs...cut 'em! Cut the stockers. (Here come the haters!)
1 coil = 2" of drop. Soooo...cut 1/2 a coil.
Never cut more than a whole coil.
Cutting coils is as old as HotRodding. Cutting them increases the spring rate. Beneficial for a lowered vehicle with decreased suspension travel.
...and with only cutting 1/2 a coil, the increase in spring rate isn't going to be all that dramatic anyhow. It certainly won't be kidney-bustin' race-car harsh. It's not even that bad with a whole coil cut.
Aftermarket lowering springs are merely a short version of a stock spring with the equivalent spring rate. Mush too soft.

BellTech Street Performer shocks. After annihilating damn near every other brand of 'lowered' shock out there, the B/T's are head & shoulders above the rest. I can't say enough good about them.
Not just another short shock, but one that's actually been designed specifically for lowered vehicles. A bit firmer than OEM in normal driving. Then they ramp up nice in both compression & rebound when pushed
Best ones I've torture tested so far, short of spending $1200.00 for a set of double adjustable Vi-Kings or $1500.00 for some QA1's.

 

[sewlow]

The diff in shaft sizes between a Doetsch & the BT's.

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Box cross member notch. Needs to be done for 6" or more.

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Also...BellTech Upper Shock Mount Relocation kit. Pert # 6658.
Can be hard to find. Need to search the various vendors.
Brings the shocks back to the angle they were designed to work at.
Use with the lower extenders. The lower ones do correct the angle, somewhat. Mostly they just allow a 4" shorter shock to be used with a 6" drop.
With both the upper relocactors & the lower extenders, the shocks are back to near stock angles.

 

[th838]

I find that a 2" diff Fr>Rr still has a bit of that stink-bug, kicked-in-the-booty, 'California Tilt' look.
My '97 had that with a 2/4 & it bothered the hell outa me. Just one of the many reasons why I'll never do another 2/4.

You must be registered for see images attach

A couple of examples of 400's with a 3" diff Fr>Rr.
While they are lower than what you want to do, they do show how a 3" difference works as far as attaining a level stance.

This is a bud's that we just finished dropping 5/8.
Check how the top of the box is near parallel to the ground.

You must be registered for see images attach

My '98 @ 4/6.

You must be registered for see images attach

Now @ 4/7.
Black vehicles are so hard to get decent pix of.

You must be registered for see images attach

The rear tires actually tuck up into the wheel wells just a bit. (diggity!) No more gap between the top of the tire & the bottom of the opening.
295/40/20 on 10". Lips are rolled but they didn't need to be. Did that before I got the tires & wheels & I just wanted to make sure.
The fronts are 255/45/20 on 8.5".

You must be registered for see images attach

For the 3/6 you want, I'd use either BellTech or DJM for the rear.
BellTech has the pinion angle pre-determined & is set within their design.
DJM's has an adjustable P/angle built into their's.
The original drop on my '98 was done with a BellTech derivative & there was no issues with the driveline's geometry @ 6".
It was when it was lowered another inch that things started to get funky.
The DJM's adjustable P/angle is good to an 8" drop when using drop shackles + a flip kit.
I can see that adjustability as both good & bad.
Great for going lower than 6".
Not so if just doing 6". I think that that may be problematic with the possibility of the diff rotating within that adjustability, especially if there was ever some serious power being thrown at it.
The DJM rep told me that that is probably unlikely, but 'probably' isn't the same as 'won't'. I heard 1% of doubt.
For the front, BellTech spindles will widen the front track by about 3/4" per side. They have their reasons, but mostly it's just an old design. Damn near 35 years old. Something to keep in mind when ordering wheels. That extra 3/4" can be compensated for with wheel offset.
DJM does not widen the track.
For the springs...cut 'em! Cut the stockers. (Here come the haters!)
1 coil = 2" of drop. Soooo...cut 1/2 a coil.
Never cut more than a whole coil.
Cutting coils is as old as HotRodding. Cutting them increases the spring rate. Beneficial for a lowered vehicle with decreased suspension travel.
...and with only cutting 1/2 a coil, the increase in spring rate isn't going to be all that dramatic anyhow. It certainly won't be kidney-bustin' race-car harsh. It's not even that bad with a whole coil cut.
Aftermarket lowering springs are merely a short version of a stock spring with the equivalent spring rate. Mush too soft.

BellTech Street Performer shocks. After annihilating damn near every other brand of 'lowered' shock out there, the B/T's are head & shoulders above the rest. I can't say enough good about them.
Not just another short shock, but one that's actually been designed specifically for lowered vehicles. A bit firmer than OEM in normal driving. Then they ramp up nice in both compression & rebound when pushed
Best ones I've torture tested so far, short of spending $1200.00 for a set of double adjustable Vi-Kings or $1500.00 for some QA1's.

Yours at 4/6, with the same size wheel/tire combo would actually be the exact look I’m going for! I like a little rake and that offers just the little amount I’d want…

What did you use to achieve this? I forgot to mention my rig currently has 4” lift spindles as well.

 

[MrPink]

@sewlow, I actually love the look of your 97 with a 2/4 drop. But that's me, I am doing a ~3/4 on mine.

 

[sewlow]

Those pix of the truck @ 4/6 were taken a l-o-n-g time ago.
I've had the truck over 20 years & it's been low for 18, 19 (?)
Lowered at that time with a BellTech derivative. 'Canadian Motor Sports' or 'CMS'. I lived a couple of miles away from their head office at the time & buying from them saved me a whack o'cash over ordering from the states. No longer in biz. Another victim of the last couple of year's B.S.
Anyways...
2" dropped spindles & 2" lowering springs.
Just a standard B/T style designed flip kit.
Complete 4/6 kit in a box.
Came with shocks, but they only lasted me, with my shenanigans, about a whole 8 months. (!)

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If you look close, you can see that the center of the shaft is actually burnt blue.

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The only thing left of that original kit is the spindles.
Everything else suspension wise has been custom modded in some way or another now.

 

[alignman88]

Hello all. This is my first post on here. My wife is the original owner of a 94 c1500 base… well technically she’s the second owner… she walked over to the neighbors house in a bikini and sweet talked him into selling her the truck, with less than 1k on the odo, with her “life savings…” which I believe was around $5k…

So anyways I was forced to start driving this truck about 12 years ago when money was tight and I had to sell my car. Flash forward 12 years… I’m still daily driving this truck to this day (just with a lot more grey hairs) and not because I have to anymore…

Well my wife has finally given me the clear to have a little fun with it. It still with be my daily, but I have another truck now I can use while it’s down.

After looking at every picture I can find I think I’d like to do a 3/6 drop on this truck and fit it with 20inch wheels (hot Rod look and style), I want to see a good bit of rubber (tire) over the rim. The truck has all new steering components, new upper and lower a-arms (new ball joints) and wheel bearings.

Is there a good company that makes a 3/6 kit? If not what components would you get to make this happen (remember it’s my daily and it’ll be getting a 5.3 LS swap too). I really want a good handling, well mannered setup.

If you have pictures of your own truck (or any truck really) that has a 3/6 drop could you please post them? It’s a bit unique (at least when google searching for pictures anyways) so I want to be sure that the stance is the same as what I think I’ve seen in searching.

Based on what I said about the look of the tires, which size would you buy so they don’t rub? I can do a little grinding or rolling if needed too.

Think that’s it for now…

Thanks

Building my 88 single cab now that I’ve had over 20 years. Already had a 2/4 Belltech drop 2”

Hello all. This is my first post on here. My wife is the original owner of a 94 c1500 base… well technically she’s the second owner… she walked over to the neighbors house in a bikini and sweet talked him into selling her the truck, with less than 1k on the odo, with her “life savings…” which I believe was around $5k…

So anyways I was forced to start driving this truck about 12 years ago when money was tight and I had to sell my car. Flash forward 12 years… I’m still daily driving this truck to this day (just with a lot more grey hairs) and not because I have to anymore…

Well my wife has finally given me the clear to have a little fun with it. It still with be my daily, but I have another truck now I can use while it’s down.

After looking at every picture I can find I think I’d like to do a 3/6 drop on this truck and fit it with 20inch wheels (hot Rod look and style), I want to see a good bit of rubber (tire) over the rim. The truck has all new steering components, new upper and lower a-arms (new ball joints) and wheel bearings.

Is there a good company that makes a 3/6 kit? If not what components would you get to make this happen (remember it’s my daily and it’ll be getting a 5.3 LS swap too). I really want a good handling, well mannered setup.

If you have pictures of your own truck (or any truck really) that has a 3/6 drop could you please post them? It’s a bit unique (at least when google searching for pictures anyways) so I want to be sure that the stance is the same as what I think I’ve seen in searching.

Based on what I said about the look of the tires, which size would you buy so they don’t rub? I can do a little grinding or rolling if needed too.

Think that’s it for now…

Thanks

In the process of building my 88 single cab that I’ve owned over 20+ years. Years ago I did the Belltech 2/4 spindles up front shackles/hangars in rear. This time (blew it ALL apart from interior to power train) I went with the QA1 Level 2 front coil over/tubular A-arm setup. That alone will give 2” of “drop” in ride height adjustment with stock location coil overs. Better engineered geometry enhances camber gain, and camber can go as low as -3 degree I believe. And caster values up to +7 degrees, both of these are your primary handling and “great driving” angles. With the 2” spindles I plan to be about 3” total in the front.
on the rear 4” shackle/hangar deal I pulled the thick overload leaf-would have had to cut the front to clear CalTrac bars- and removed the aluminum spacers plates between each of the leafs. Confirmed at spring shop when getting new u-bolts the spacers can go away. That should give another 1 1/2”. No C notch yet, pulled a 14ft enclosed trailer and didn’t bash the stops, now I’ve unbolted factory stops and put shorter stop there but still May notch since it’s apart. Belltech shocks for rear all I’ve ran on lowered GM’s and a Dodge.

I think dollar for dollar the QA1 front setup with their sway bars front/rear and good rear shock package can’t be beat. That being said it’s far from cheap, I paid about $1,500+ before sway bars and I think price is near $1,800 now. They have another kit that will go up to 6 or 7” lower in front and a total rear coil over system. The control arm bushings are a composite not rubber and have grease fittings for service and keeping them quiet.
Here’s a link: https://www.qa1.net/c1500

I’ve Spoke with the QA1 engineers several times and they are very helpful as is their customer service. I’ve been in the suspension/handling/alignment game almost 25 years with the last 15+ working for wheel alignment system manufacturer so I really look at this type thing with a critical eye. Hope all that rambling helped. Good luck and happy spending

 

[th838]

I find that a 2" diff Fr>Rr still has a bit of that stink-bug, kicked-in-the-booty, 'California Tilt' look.
My '97 had that with a 2/4 & it bothered the hell outa me. Just one of the many reasons why I'll never do another 2/4.

You must be registered for see images attach

A couple of examples of 400's with a 3" diff Fr>Rr.
While they are lower than what you want to do, they do show how a 3" difference works as far as attaining a level stance.

This is a bud's that we just finished dropping 5/8.
Check how the top of the box is near parallel to the ground.

You must be registered for see images attach

My '98 @ 4/6.

You must be registered for see images attach

Now @ 4/7.
Black vehicles are so hard to get decent pix of.

You must be registered for see images attach

The rear tires actually tuck up into the wheel wells just a bit. (diggity!) No more gap between the top of the tire & the bottom of the opening.
295/40/20 on 10". Lips are rolled but they didn't need to be. Did that before I got the tires & wheels & I just wanted to make sure.
The fronts are 255/45/20 on 8.5".

You must be registered for see images attach

For the 3/6 you want, I'd use either BellTech or DJM for the rear.
BellTech has the pinion angle pre-determined & is set within their design.
DJM's has an adjustable P/angle built into their's.
The original drop on my '98 was done with a BellTech derivative & there was no issues with the driveline's geometry @ 6".
It was when it was lowered another inch that things started to get funky.
The DJM's adjustable P/angle is good to an 8" drop when using drop shackles + a flip kit.
I can see that adjustability as both good & bad.
Great for going lower than 6".
Not so if just doing 6". I think that that may be problematic with the possibility of the diff rotating within that adjustability, especially if there was ever some serious power being thrown at it.
The DJM rep told me that that is probably unlikely, but 'probably' isn't the same as 'won't'. I heard 1% of doubt.
For the front, BellTech spindles will widen the front track by about 3/4" per side. They have their reasons, but mostly it's just an old design. Damn near 35 years old. Something to keep in mind when ordering wheels. That extra 3/4" can be compensated for with wheel offset.
DJM does not widen the track.
For the springs...cut 'em! Cut the stockers. (Here come the haters!)
1 coil = 2" of drop. Soooo...cut 1/2 a coil.
Never cut more than a whole coil.
Cutting coils is as old as HotRodding. Cutting them increases the spring rate. Beneficial for a lowered vehicle with decreased suspension travel.
...and with only cutting 1/2 a coil, the increase in spring rate isn't going to be all that dramatic anyhow. It certainly won't be kidney-bustin' race-car harsh. It's not even that bad with a whole coil cut.
Aftermarket lowering springs are merely a short version of a stock spring with the equivalent spring rate. Mush too soft.

BellTech Street Performer shocks. After annihilating damn near every other brand of 'lowered' shock out there, the B/T's are head & shoulders above the rest. I can't say enough good about them.
Not just another short shock, but one that's actually been designed specifically for lowered vehicles. A bit firmer than OEM in normal driving. Then they ramp up nice in both compression & rebound when pushed
Best ones I've torture tested so far, short of spending $1200.00 for a set of double adjustable Vi-Kings or $1500.00 for some QA1's.

So I think I’m going to go with the belltech standard kit with 4/6 drop. It says their spindle sits .5” wider than stock. With 20x8.5” front wheels what backspace would be needed? I’m going 20x10” rear.

 

[sewlow]

So I think I’m going to go with the belltech standard kit with 4/6 drop. It says their spindle sits .5” wider than stock. With 20x8.5” front wheels what backspace would be needed? I’m going 20x10” rear.

I've always kinda found the whole backspace/offset thing a bit confusing. Haven't spent a lot of time thinking about it anyhow.
But...there's guy's here that know that stuff inside out & backwards.
There is a whole thread on the subject.