Trying to get my '46 Chevy 1/2T lower on the cheap, without resorting to MII or clips. First time I've tried this and it looks like it'll work the tits, but maybe I'm missing something. I mocked it up in the pic below, by putting the axle on top of the springs and adding in about a 1-1/2" block (using a piece of 2x4 for mock-up purposes only). Final plans are to mount the axle on a mill, upside-down on the stock spring pads, and to mill a flat opposite of, and parallel to, the stock spring pads. I'll then weld on a 1/4" plate for the lowering block / spring to mount against. Looks like this set up will give me approx 3-1/4" spring to ground clearance; tie rod to spring clearance of 1-1/2"; tie rod to frame of 4-1/2" and spring to frame of 4". This will change somewhat when the engine / tranny is set in, but I can modify the thickness of the lowering block, if need be or heat & bend the steering arms to adjust for tie rod clearance. Take a look, please, and tell me if it looks like it'll be safe or if you see something I hadn't considered. Do the clearances stated above sound OK ? Comments appreciated. Feels good to be back wrenching after having been outta commission for several months...health is everything !!! Thanks, -Bob
[ QUOTE ] ...health is everything !!! [/ QUOTE ] Amen to that. It's easy to take something for granted;until it's gone.Then your screwed. Sounds like you have a good handle on the suspension.
i have never switched axles from the bottom to the top on the front axle before only the rear so I am not to sure how "healthy" it would be. I would be interested in seing pics of your 46 Chevy pickem up. I had me one of them until a lightning strike parked a tree on top of her.
I did it on a 57 F100 I had. it road fine and never had problems with it. i did c-notch the frame 3/4" and put a bumpstop in the recess so the axle would never hit the frame.
Kinda make ya wonder why more people didn't think of this trick, huh? Well, there is something you may be missing and it's dead-nutz simple. The usual problem is axle-to-oil pan clearance. If you're still using the taaaaaaallllllll 6 banger, you'll prolly have a pan full of axle. Better check your clearance before finishing up this job...
[ QUOTE ] The usual problem is axle-to-oil pan clearance. [/ QUOTE ] Rocky, I didn't mention the oil pan clearance, but my buddy had brought it up. I'm installing a 327 in the truck and it looks like there should be enough clearance, but that might have to be tweaked, as well, once I actually get it mounted. I ran into a clearance problem putting a 235 into a '37 Chevy coupe I had a few years ago and wound up having to cut, section & re-weld the oil pan on that one. Thanks for bringing it up and keeping me on my toes.
[ QUOTE ] I would be interested in seing pics of your 46 Chevy pickem up. I had me one of them until a lightning strike parked a tree on top of her. [/ QUOTE ] Hellbilly_Buzzard: Damn !! I hear stories about the extreme weather in some parts of the country and suddenly a couple of snow storms don't sound all that bad !!! Or are those stories just to keep us Yanks away ?? Here's a couple of picks of my truck...the first is the day I got it home (came from Joshua, Texas) and the 2nd one is the way I left it in the shop about an hour & a half ago....
Tag, It's nice to see someone else using those little "Paper Brains". (On the firewall) Project looks good. Tommy Mc
[ QUOTE ] Damn !! I hear stories about the extreme weather in some parts of the country and suddenly a couple of snow storms don't sound all that bad !!! [/ QUOTE ] It doesn't really get that bad in S.A. Just some weird weather patterns. Two days ago it was in the 70's this morning was freezing The lightning strike was just a freak accident. Crushed the cab. Sucks cause the truck had a cherry grill. Oh well. Thanks for the pics. Still the best looking truck in my opinion.
Hope ya dont blow a tire, by the looks of it youll Grind your spring, and it will probably throw ya off the road...
I think the big problem will be setting the proper castor when you weld on the new mounting plate. The MG-TC of the same period had the axle on top of the spring and had aluminm wedges to adjust the angle.
grinding the spring seems preety unlikely if you keep the rim and just blow the tire. if you lose the whole thing i think youd be screwed either way
sounds good to me... i did something similar to a buddys truck. its like flipping the axel for full size chevy rearends. this should work fine. you miht want bump stops and it wound'nt hurt to pull a coulpe of leafs out. at least thats how we do it in l.a.
[ QUOTE ] Hope ya dont blow a tire, by the looks of it youll Grind your spring, and it will probably throw ya off the road... [/ QUOTE ] I've know TagMan long enough, and I'm pretty sure he knows what a SCRUB LINE is......
The only two things that could be an issue are: 1) You may have a bump steer issue with the angle of your drag link 2) make absoilutely sure you have the axle mounted real strong and make the lowering block so it can not move or deform. You have significant forces on the front end from braking and turning. This is one of the reasons that the 4x4 guys do not use blocks on the front, they always use new leafs. A better option would be to have your stock leafs de-arched so that you do not need the block.
Anyone ever tried this on an F1? I'm looking for an inexpensive way to lower the front of mine. I'd really like one of Elpolacko's Dodge Dakota kits but the $$$$ aren't there right now. Frank
Buffalo Enterprises does the flip thing with chev truck axles. He does it much as you describe by cutting off the old perch and welding on a new one. I think he said you get 4" with no worries about the six pan. You might call him and tell him you are going to do it yourself. http://www.inliners.org/buffalo I talked to him about it for my truck but after doing all the measurements and for how low my truck is it was better for me to just z the frame more.
[ QUOTE ] The only two things that could be an issue are: 1) You may have a bump steer issue with the angle of your drag link [/ QUOTE ] I've got pretty bad bumpsteer after lowering my truck via the leafs.
I would not use lowering blocks, I would probably pull a spring or two out, it will give you a nicer ride and lower it. Or you might be able to reverse the eyes on the main leaf. Those will both be safer alternatives to blocks. the more you lean the top of the axle towards the back of the truck, the less bumpsteer should be an issue. I can let go of the steering wheel in my 28 sedan at 80 miles an hour and it goes dead straight like an arrow untill I want to steer again. The angle of castor is really important, if you pay attention to that, you should have a nice driving truck. Of course, when I say lean it back, do it within reason, I'm sure there is an actual geometric equation for this, but I'm damned if I know what it is. I just go by experience, and eyeball it.
[ QUOTE ] I think the big problem will be setting the proper castor when you weld on the new mounting plate. The MG-TC of the same period had the axle on top of the spring and had aluminm wedges to adjust the angle. [/ QUOTE ] The37Kid: Thanks for the thought. The stock axle had a removeable angle wedge plate for castor adjustment when I took it apart. I'll make sure to check it out when it's reassembled. [ QUOTE ] I've know TagMan long enough, and I'm pretty sure he knows what a SCRUB LINE is...... [/ QUOTE ] Ron, isn't the scrub line that ring on the bath tub...????? Dan Collins, 38Chevy454 and everybody else that contributed.....thanks for your comments. I take them seriously and will take another look at it tomorrow. Thanks a million, guys. Kinda like having a bunch of friends over while you're working and offering their insight......without having to pop for the beers !!!!!
Scrub line and frame clearance.... I havea '40 GMC. same frame, axle and springs. I ground the rivets out and swapped the front shackle hangers side to side so the shackles mout 2" higher on the frame it's 2" lower in front, about. I took out two spring leaves, a shorter one and a middler one. with a SBC and the hood and radiator on, I'm running highboy, there's enouge weight on the springs to flatten them out to the point that there is only 2 3/4" between the top of the spring and the bottom of the frame. if I put the 2" tall axle in there, there would only be 3/4" travel, and that's not even counting the thickness of anu U bolts wrapping around the axle. I seriously doubt you have room for a lowering block too. You need to put the engine and front end or that much real weight on the front end to see what you are reall dealing with for travel. I don't think you have any travel at all. (Ask Dr Frankenstein) With weight on it, with the block, the axle is going to be touching the frame at rest. you might as well just bolt the axle directly to the frame and run some low pressure flotation tires Set it up without the block for now. Weld up the mount that duplicates the stock mounting pad on top, only for the bottom of the axle, and make it so you can add a block later if I'm wrong*. I'd be checkin out the design of those rear axle flipping kits they make for Astro Vans and other trucks and making a similar contraption for this. probably be a plate with four steel tubes the right length to pick up the U bolts from above the axle, and allow the axle to sit tight on the pad.... That way you don't have to weld on the axle. *(I've already fullfilled my wrong quota for this year though, so this timeI'm pretty sure I'm right)
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