The Stupid Lowered Questions Thread

[dangileri]

I have 31x10.5r15s all around- i was considering going cheap and doing a 2in drop shackle and cut coils enough to get 2 in out of it


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[phule]

How much room do you have from the top of the tire to the fender? On my 88 my 31s only measured like 28 and my fender was 4-5" above that so 2" would have been fine. Also check clearance. At the front and rear of the fender at the bottom I think that's were you might rub.

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[dangileri]

I think front and rear would be fine- i think its around 4inch from top of tire to wheel well iirc, ill measure it in the am. My 31s are actually 31" with stock wheels, they rub the sway bars when the wheels cut and i hit a bump like pulling in my driveway


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[dangileri]

How much clearance is required to daily drive the truck on crap roads from top of wheel to fender? 3inchs? 2inchs? Ive never had the front hit bump stops from regular driving and abuse. Im just worried i wont give the suspension enough travel room


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[dangileri]

On a standard cab short bed will 2 in shackles retain a good enough pinion angle to get away without shims and daily driving

 

[1badgmc]

You don't need pinion shims on anything if all you're doing is dropping with shackles.

 

[dangileri]

Shackles and cutting front springs i think im gonna end up doing- its the cheapest way to get 2" lower front and rear- and then from there i want to get swaybars and just make the thing handle decent

 

[ccreddell]

Ive run across trucks that were borderline in stock form-no problems or vibrations. But they were so close to being out of spec that the 2" shackle put them over the top. Dont worry too much about it, but do keep an eye (ear?) on it once you do it. Shims are cheap and easy so dont worry about having to use them.

 

[dangileri]

Thanks- i guess its time to go pick some up lol sd truck springs here i come

 

[sewlow]

You don't need pinion shims on anything if all you're doing is dropping with shackles.

Yup! It's the front hangers that'll mess with the pinion angle more than anything!

Shackles and cutting front springs i think im gonna end up doing- its the cheapest way to get 2" lower front and rear- and then from there i want to get swaybars and just make the thing handle decent

Also consider urethane bushings. At least for the front & rear sway bars. Control arm, spring eye & body mount urethane will really help. PITA the do the control arms, though.
Good shocks will make the truck handle even better. Doetsch or the Nitro Slammers are poop for handling. They're just a shorter version of a stock shock. Get the Belltech Street Performers. A bit more $$$, & they give a bit of a stiffer ride, but they do much better in the handling department.

Ive run across trucks that were borderline in stock form-no problems or vibrations. But they were so close to being out of spec that the 2" shackle put them over the top. Dont worry too much about it, but do keep an eye (ear?) on it once you do it. Shims are cheap and easy so dont worry about having to use them.

Oh yea! I've found that each of these trucks is an individual just because of their age, now.
Easy to do, though. I can change shims in about an hour.
You're truck will tell you right quick if a shim is required.
Won't need a big one though. Usually a 1.5 deg. will do it. Fat end towards the front.
Make sure that the alignment bolt in the springs goes right through the wedge & fits back into the mount on the spring pad.
If you need to extend that, don't buy the 'special' ones. They're are about 4 different lengths that GM used for the alignment bolts between the 2whl.drv.s & the 4x4's. Get the next longer (cheap!) & put a nut on there first, crank it down to the head, then grind the shoulders off of the nut.