I stopped in at the local truck oriented parts store and priced a lowering kit for my '90 454 SS, a simple 3-4 drop, the guy came up with over 14 hundred bucks total! does that price seem right?!? 'a lot of parts and it would be "done right" but.. damn, when I lowered my '50 Stude it cost about $10.00 when I lowered my '56 88 it was about $25.00 when I lowered my '67 PU I went all out and spent about $200.00! Paul
I'm betting he figured spindles, springs, sway bar, and shocks up front and springs, sway bar, and shocks in the rear. It adds up if done correctly. Still, $1400 sounds a bit high. I would thing you could do it right for $800 or so. I was looking into dropping an Astro van and it was going to run about $800...... then I sobered up. (no offense Rocky) JH
Um, $420 from Summit for a BellTech kit including Nitro-Drop shocks, front coil springs, and a hanger/shackle kit for the rear. Mounting hardware is also included. Any lower than this and you might need to do a little fab work. Sounds like you are getting taken & bad. I'm mechanically challenged, but know for a fact that even I can install this kit over a weekend w/ nothing more than a jack, stands, crappy tools, and a rented spring compressor.
I'm right there with both you guys, I was thinking about $800.00 for everything spindles, springs, shocks and everything else, I was also thinking I could just do the basic springs, hangers, shocks, But instead of sobering up, I had a couple beers (Friday night you know) and I think I'd rather spend any amount on one of my hot rod projects then the daily driver! hell, for forteen hundred I could start a whole 'nuther project! Paul
a small part of that is something often missed-that vintage pickup you mentioned has a"knock out'on upper a-arms- that must be removed/ then purchased to allow a re- align of the front end. they are pricey......
i have a 93 stepside i bought this summer after my S10 was totaled out,bought it on a saturday and that night called Summit & ordered the stuff to drop it 4/6 drop was under $400.00 2" inch dropped spindles about$200.00 & i cut 2" out of the front coils 6"rear flip kit was about $180.00 its pretty low,but looks bitchin its not that much more work to go the extra couple inches down. and worth the extra effort IMHO oh yeah,i had to have the allignment knock out thing done too,it was 60 bucks,and when you go 4/6 if your running 15"s you need to trim the lower contol arms and of course,you need to notch the frame in the rear,no big deal since the flip kit comes with a new piece to replace the section you notched out.
dude they saw yo comin. Its not the best way to do it but my buddy has a set of 3" belltech springs he would let go. they are brand new. I put them in and he thought it was to low with his spindles. I took them out and trimmed his stock springs for him. I say if it don't rub it ain't wright. He also has a shackel kit but I think the flip kit is the better way to go on the rear. I jsut went to Jegs site and came up with $537 Stylin concepts $439.
I did mine and it was waaaaayyyyy under 14 bills more like 5 bills. I got the DJM kit from Godfathers. It's a 5/7 kit and I love it Dropped spindles and springs in the front and a flip kit and a C notch in the rear. On your truck make sure you get the correct front spindles. They make one for the heavyduty front brakes on the longbed and special option trucks (like a true 454SS) and another for the lighter duty shortbed truck. Put a 3/4 in Quickrods truck in one day w/o dropped spindles (just 3 under spings) and new hangers and shackles in the rear and with low pro tires he sits about where mine does. He got his from Stylin' Concepts and it was also a DJM system (Good stuff) Do yourself a favor and do not cut the front springs...shorter the spring the stiffer it is.
Hell I did full air suspension for less than 800. Did they at least give you a reach around. DAM that sounds expensive
Good to see this come up.....I've been planning to lower my 86 GMC for a few months now....same problem....in theory,cost should not be that high, but around here,the shops are used to getting paid by all the sport/teenage boy/Mexican with money customers.... besides...it's still a work truck...just trying to lose that hay-hauler,shrimp boat net carrying look a little....
shooooot!! i just lowered CherryBlossom's 2002 GMC on the cheap. i just cut 1 coil in front (3 1/2") and put longer rear shackles and raised front spring eye hangers (after market) in the rear. i got the rear kit free from a friend but i think it is about $200 or so NEW. if you want bags i can do better than $1400 for a kit. if interested let me know and i can get you details when i get home (i'm at the folk's place for dinner)... Mike Brimm
I had a 88 gmc, One off the things that cost are the spindles. The other is the rear set up, it's a flipkit. Thats why its somuch. Try godfather customs, on the rear flip kit. They run good deals sometimes. A 88 and a 90 are the same setup. Check ebay.
Do what Butt did, get the 4/6 kit. The drop spindle and shorter spring is just bolt on easy, just be careful of the spring, standard suspension caution. The rear is where the big difference is. The 6 inch is a flip kit, that is just simple, flip the rearend to on top of the spring. You will need to notch the frame for suspension travel, but it is not hard, just labor. The 4 inch rear kit is new hangers and longer shackles. The factory front hanger is rivited on and is replaced with one that moves the mounting point for the front spring eye up higher relative to the frame. The longer shackle does the same for the rear. Here is the thing though, it is just as much work if not more to install the 4 inch rear kit as the rear 6 inch kit. I personally have a dually with the 5/7 drop (the one tons get an extra inch for the same equivalent 4/6 drop on the half tons). I like this height and tow anything this way. In fact it was the tow truck for the BFD when we went back to the HAMB drags. I would get the 4/6 kit and spend about $500 range like others suggested. If you have basic skills and tools you can install it yourself, get a friend to help.
I have a 90 Xcab thats been lowered 10 years. I first went with a 3-4 but a year later went with a 4-6. Everyone seems to go spidel and spring in the front. I chose to get a 3 inch dropped lower contol arm. I think at the time it was actually cheaper since I was able to keep the stock spring. The control arm is also made with the clearence built in so you don't have to cut your existing control arm as mentioned above.You can also keep a stock length shock. I later added a 1 inch dropped spring when I went lower. I know guys that put the 2 inch in with the dropped control arm and it sits pretty good, but a little lower than I wanted. I should have just cut my spring for the 1 inch but did'nt really know about that at that time.You will have to knock the alighnment tabs out to get the front end alighned but you can do that yourself. That is onre of those things they fail to mention to you when you buy your stuff and in all the tch articles. The first setup on the rear had the shackel and hanger kit. One problem I had with this kit was the spring clamps on the rear of the springs would hit one of the cross supporta on the bottom of the bed. I cut a square in the bottom of the square tube cross support and the shackle could then travel up into it without hitting. When I put the 6 inch flip kit on I had to put the stock hangers back on. This kit also requires a cross member to br cut so your rearend housing doesn't hit it when it travels upward. Frame also has to be c'd but is easily done with a sawsall. Even with the frame c'd I bottomed out alot. I ended up running some airbags between the spring and frame. These worked great and I haul alot of heavy stuff in my truck. My buddy has a standard cab and did'nt have the bottoming problem I had. I figure it was due just from my truck being bigger and heavier. You will also need some of the angled shims in the rear to correct your pinion angle also. Hope my post helped with giving you some options. $1,400 sounds way too high.
[ QUOTE ] Here is the thing though, it is just as much work if not more to install the 4 inch rear kit as the rear 6 inch kit. [/ QUOTE ] This is so true.Also its easiest to just pull the bed off. I beleive there is about 8 bolts holding it on and the gas tank filler neck.(3screws)
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