bolt-on lowering 1940 Ford pickup

I have stock 40 pickup and want to lower it with slight rake without any cutting or welding. I promised my dad I would maintain the ability to return the truck to it's stock status later in life.

I have searched the archives but I ended up a little confused. I want to do it right and have some money to buy the appropriate parts. Drop axles? Spindles? De-arched leafs? 3-4 inches front and back would seem right but maybe some of you have experience with what looks right and still provides a decent ride.

I've dropped a few late model trucks in my driveway before but it was easy with front spindles and rear shackles. This is a different deal.

Thanks in advance. here's a pic (but you all know what a stock truck looks like.)
Jody

 

You can remove 2 or 3 spring leafs. I will drop it and give a better ride at the same time.

 

That's a sweet looking pickup. Mines a '41.

In addition to removing a couple of spring leaves from the front and rear, (I took about six out of the rear) I had the main leaves reversed. (moves the shackle eyes up) Depending on what springs were supplied with the truck, you may need to remove #2 and #3 leaves. Some of the springs had #2 and #3 leaves wrap over the spring eyes.

A spring shop can reverse the arch in the main leaf. When the time comes to restore the suspention to original, the arch can be reversed to stock.

 

Thanks for the help.

So just working with the leafs is better than a drop axle or spindles or ?? I was thinking that if I JUST worked on the leaf springs then I would lose all my suspension travel.

Keep the education comin

 

You will loose travel. Are you going to use it as a truck?

 

Check out Posies, They offer what is called the IN-DA-Dirt kit. IT's a dropped axel, reverse eye spring, dropped stearing arms, ect, IT's a bolt on opperation to lower the front of fat fendered cars.

Also Ch***is Engenering sells a great line of parts to do basicly the same thing. They are one of the best companys for strickly bolt on stuff.

 

Just for Saturday morning donuts with the kids and the occasional run to El Mirage for SCTA events. No towing and nothing in the bed except for the old black Lab "Buck".

 

These trucks are notoriously stiffly sprung. If it isn't low enough after removing a few leaves from each spring and reversing the spring eyes, a dropped axle on the front will certainly do it.

You most likely need to get replacement spindles as well. With dropped axles, you probably need to drop the steering arms for clearance; if being able to return the truck to stock is a hard-and-fast requirement, using replacement spindles and steering arms would save the originals for the time you want to revert to the original stuff.

If you end up with the front low enough, but need to come down a little in the rear, consider longer shackles. Not probably the all-time best from a suspension standpoint, but it will bring it down. You might need a panhard bar to keep the whole thing from moving left to right, and if you really drop it, you might have problems with the u-joint angle at the front of the driveshaft.

One more thing. Think about tire sizes. The tall 16 inch tires might swap out for some shorter 15 inchers, especially on the front, to help get the car down. My 41 pickup uses 30 inch tires (P285/70R15) in the back, and little (24 inch/165R15) tires up front to get a good rake with a dropped axle.

 

If I were you and I knew id be having to put it back later. I would build a lowered front end ***embly to put in it and set the stocker aside for that day. Then id lower the back with a second spring (fewer leaves – reversed – long shackles) and save the stocker as is. It would be a easy / painless to put it back that way.

 

Yeah, that's what I did, only with 6" shackles on the rear.
Rides and drives nice.

 

I used a 4" axle, mono leaf in front and reversed eye in back. I know it's a car but it should be close.
chuck

 

Just Wondering Where Did You Get The 6 Inch Shackles To Lower The Rear End?

 

Used the posies kit on my 41. That dropped it about 4 inches. Rides great.

 

I can provide an update on what I ended up doing. Thanks for all the help.

Front: Magnum drop axle, spindles, steering arm, tie rod, drag link, Posies reverse eye spring. Used stock lever shocks but needed to heat/bend an S curve into them arms to clear. Also had to modify the shock arm links to the right length to keep the shocks in the center of their travel. The entire stock front suspension is intact in my attic.

Rear: Posies reverse eye spring. Was not low enough so had to remove a few leafs and it's pretty soft. Posies is currently building new reverse eye spring with additional 1.5 inches lower built into it. The only limit is the frame riding on the axle.

Wheels/tires: Used 16" wheels in rear and 15" in front.

I achieved my goal of not cutting/welding the pickup and still have the look I wanted. I can now say that I "could" change back to stock if wanted which is what I promised my father before he p***ed.

Now building a hotrod flatty engine. Will post pics of the build up soon. All original style. Gonna be sweet. Alot of work for 160hp....

 

looks perfect to me. Nice job.

 

I was wondering the same thing....I havent seen any of these in years....They are the fastest way to lower an old Ford but you really need a sway bar...Fastest and cheapest....quickest...
Thats the only way available to us in High school (1948)

 

...a few years (or more) back, didn't some guys bolt on those AMC spindles to old Ford axles and lower them that way. Those AMC spindles were bolt-on on the donor cars. I don't know the specifics,...but someone on here mite...and mite help someone out.

 

Looks good...now we need to get the *** end down!

 

That is one nice pickup!

 

looks great !!!! by the way I am a Carlsbad native