Sweptline.ORG

Hi guy's. My names Mike and Im the FNG. I didn't see a place to do an intro so i'm doing it with my first post. I'm thirty something and true car addict. I have always wanted a swepty and recently found my unicorn. I didn't think Straight, rust free, garage kept unrestored Sweptys existed anymore. Well....I was wrong. I recently found one listed on craigslist of all places. Deal was made online and truck was picked up the next day. Slant six, three on the tree short box. It still has the owner manual and a butt load of recepts with it.


I want it VERY low. I need to know who makes a dropped beam. Has anybody ran a dropped beam with a axle flip? I have messed with early mustangs for ever and one trick we use to get the stance and handling we want on the rear is to take the pack apart and flip the second spring. Then clamp it back together. That will straighten out the arch thus lowering the rear. It also raises the spring rate for better handling.This method should work front and rear with a straight axle. Anyone tried that on here? When you flip the rear axle do you need to notch the frame? It looks like it will be awful close with travel.

First of all, welcome to the site! There are a few here that have lowered their trucks in different ways, the best thing to do is use the search feature to dig up the posts. I have lowered the front of mine about 2" with the use of late model 1/2 ton 4x4 springs... they were still too stiff, so I swapped one of the thicker leafs for a thinner original. There are also some here that have used dropped front axles and even flipped fronts, which seem to incur bump-steer. You will find much discussion on this topic. As for the rear, I managed to lower it a couple inches just by removing leafs, though mine is a camper special D200, so there was plenty to remove. Anyway, good luck on your "unicorn"... looks like you have a good one!

I have been reading the boards here since christmas. I did search before I posted.Dropped beams are mentioned many times but nobody states where to get one. As far as bumpsteer goes I will find a way to fix it or make it much more tolerable. Once I get the stance I want it's just math to figure out what needs to be done. So has anyone done a flipped dropped beam? I want it to sit like Big Daddy's but don't want to go to IFS.

Well, my plan for the dropped I-beam was to send it to Dave Mann over at http://www.roadsters.com/axles/ . You might try that... it'll cost you about $430.

heres mine minus 3 leafs in the front and 3 or 4 in the back. 295/50r15 on the rear and 225/70r14 on the front.


when i can aford it im gonna go here.
http://www.droppedaxles.com/index.html

Love the way it sits OKLAMOPAR. Are both axles on top of the springs? The front of mine has 7" between the top of tire and bottom of fender. And that is with only 4 springs.

here's a pic of mine, i've got 1 leaf out of each spring pak,


but my truck is currently tore all apart, i want it much lower, without losing any ride quality.
matt

ttop88 wrote:Love the way it sits OKLAMOPAR. Are both axles on top of the springs? The front of mine has 7" between the top of tire and bottom of fender. And that is with only 4 springs.

Axles are below [stock] the springs.
And thanks for the complements.
Skip

I love the scoop look of the hood. How did you cut the holes?

I've followed the lowering posts over the last year or so. What you are proposing, I am currently in the middle of. I flipped both front and rear axles. I removed enough springs so that the front one is basically flat and the rear has little arch. I sent the front axle to Sid at dropped axles in Oklahoma. With the axle on top of the spring, you can only drop it 3" or you'll be pushin the springs thru the yard. Some of the problems encountered are bump steer and oil pan clearance. The only way to correct the bumpsteer is to put the drag link back into its original arch of travel. I did this by shortening the pitman by 1", moving the box up by about 1", and bending the steering arm down until the drag link just barely passes over the axle. If you avoid this issue as I did when I first lowered the truck, it will be unsafe to drive at almost any speed over 30 mph. It will take the wheel from your hand when you crest a hill. For oil pan clearance I notched the /6 oil pan and welded a baffle on the inside so that flow from back to sump area is unaffected. With the drop completed, the body lines, and the high cut of the front fender lip, gave the appearance that the truck was lower in the rear, even though a level showed a slight rake. So I am now in the process of dropping the front fender lips 3" to give the appearence of a lower front end. Right now with air shocks on all four corners, and just a little air, I've got 2.5-3" of clearance between the oil pan/axle, the top of tire/inner fender, and the u-bolts/frame, on the front. In the back I've got slightly more. But I would say that with out major surgery like SLICK is undergoing, this is about as low as I can get it

i luv what you did to the frt fender lip!!! thats gonna be slick when its in color! by the way looks good & low!


matt

Thanks cantspel, That is exactly what I wanted to know. I love the look of the dropped section in the front fender. I plan to run 18s and 20s on mine so with the drastic amount of drop it will still not be as low as yours. I just want the wheel wells to look stuffed. And yes, I do plan to run 4 wheel discs.

Cantspel that truck is badass!!!

The truck in this link was lowered by putting the axles above the springs and it also has 20s on it. http://upload8.postimage.org/384265/photo_hosting.html

According to the owner there were no problems with bumpsteer but I can't confirm it.

Good Info Cantspel
I'm glad that the debating on the shortening of the pitman arm paid off for some one
the most logical thing and yet so hard to grasp

Actually I should have made it clear that I tried shortening the pitman to 5" and you couldn't drive it. Pitman throw was too short, and the nut rubbed on the frame where the notch is. Once I clearanced it, steering speed was slower. So as you went around a corner, you had to be super human fast with the steering wheel to keep up with the movement of the truck. Bottom line is that the factory made a couple different lengths, the shortest being 6 3/8", don't go any shorter. You have to move the box up a little to get back what you lost. So everyone was right, it can be shortened to help fix bumpsteer, but if you go to short, it affects leverage.

Excellant information
Thanks
I sure hope everything goes right this time, for getting another house here, if so, before Spring I will have a Cross over power steering setup done, and will give out information on how along with pictures etc.etc. along with a "drop" of around "5-6" for the front
without IFS

thanks for all the helpful info. cantspel, axel flips may be in the near future for my truck. your truck is badass

Yesterday afternoon I attacked the front end; removed the steering box, and pulled one leaf out of the spring pack (second from bottom). It did drop the front a bit but I haven't measured how much yet - I was in a hurry to get everything put away and call it a day.

I measured this evening; just over an inch lower from the bump stop to the top of the spring. It's not much but it leveled the truck off nicely. I was just a bit high in the front.