"New" Daily Driver Pickup "Project"

255/70R-15 rear 255/60R-15 front

 

Thanks! That’s the size I was considering on the front as well. I was thinking 275/60’s on the rear though just to have a little wider tire. That’s only about an inch different in height where looks like you have a couple inches difference.

 

1/2 a coil is not enough…. Rolled it back and forth, bounced it, etc. I think I may cut another 1/2 coil tomorrow.

 

On the front of my truck I ended up doing half a coil on 2" lowering springs along with the 2 1/2" spindles. Rear is a coil/truck arm setup so its not really applicable with the squares leaf springs.

 

DEFINITELY!

Right now it looks like either there is a fat Mother In Law in the bed or you are one of those goofballs with all the lights under their trucks looking up into the sky! LOL

One question though Jeff....With the rear that low, will you be able to go pick up your next engine & trans for the next project without the tires rubbing the tops of the rear wheel wells?

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/

 

Well, that's a good question Bill. I am definitely not going for that "Carolina squat" look. And, I am currently concerned some with hauling loads.

It sort of hit me this morning while brushing my teeth that I should get all the spare parts out of the bed to see how much that is weighing down the rear currently. Probably not as much as a fat mother in law, but there is likely 200 or so pounds of stuff in there currently. Also, I think that the rear springs on this thing may be sagging quite a bit. So, the answer is I still have work to do which will likely include c-notching the frame, a set of helper airbags to both haul loads and pull my car trailer as well as maybe considering swapping those rear springs for some better ones. I know I will get there with something both cool and practical, but it sure isn't there yet. One limiting factor on these is how low you can go in the front before the front tires hit up inside the wheelwells. Best I can tell, the limiting factor in the rear is when the rearend hits the bottom of the bed floor which should happen before the tires ever hit. Anyway, probably not much going to happen this week since my wife and I are taking a short trip to Louisville.

More to come.

 

Careful of that slippery slope!

Ben

 

No kidding... If this hot rodding thing was easy everyone would do it right?

I may have to pull out the old "engineering" hat to help solve the problem(s).

 

I'll be the naysayer, Get it running and finish up the other projects. Once all those are where you want them and you've used the truck to get parts for the others then spend the time to slick out the truck....it's just a chevy.

 

Yea, yea, I know Fred. Hoping to be done with this “project” by the end of this month. Not planning to go nuts on it at all. Other than lowering it, it is mainly just getting it running and driving. I will probably wash it to get all the greasy handprints off.

 

I'm with Moriarity... you are a coil away from the win.

Sidebar: Is it wrong that I am a bit sentimental for the knock-off Centerlines on there? I am really getting that 80's high school parking lot vibe with those on it!

 

I could make you a good deal on those wheels. Oh, and I have had similar thoughts. With some decent tires, they wouldn’t be bad. They are basically the same wheels that I had on a couple vehicles in the 80’s…. I just remembered the brand of the first wheels I ever bought new like that for my 71 Monte Carlo when I was 15. They were American Eagle and they came from our local Super Shops.

 

First set of aftermarket wheels I purchased, at 16 years old, were also American Eagle faux Centerlines. They did a short stint on a 55 Chevy truck and then lived a full life on a 64 Chevy truck.

I don't currently require a set.

 

Love your truck! I had several of that body style 30 years ago or so. They look great lowered especially with the round wheelwell openings. Very cool!

 

I'm old enough to remember when the '73 Chevy trucks came out! My personal crackpot theory is that the designer(s) loved the 55 Chevy and just drew up a square version for the 73 trucks!

 

This is my old ‘86. Sorry no good pics on my phone but I had 3” drop spindles and cut 2 coils, my damn a-arms took a beating hitting things. Another thing to consider, which I didn’t when I was younger, was with spindles the control arm's are way below the scrub line if you get a flat.

 

Here are some pics of my 86 I used to daily. Drove it from 2008-2020 daily. Had 215k when I sold it. It was lowered with 1.25 coils cut and a leaf taken out. Had 275/60r15 tires on all 4 corners.

 

I miss that old truck sometimes. I daily drove it 12 years, about 10-11k miles a year. It was a stock 305 (quadrajet) 700r4 and 2.73 rear. Averaged 14-15 mpg around town and flirted with 20mpg at 80mph.

Looks like you got a good starting point and a great driver