Re: Lowering Gen II In The Rear

From: jon@dakota-truck.net
Date: Wed Jan 22 2003 - 12:36:26 EST


B1LLYW@aol.com wrote:

: I'd like to drop the rear on my '95 like an inch, to level it out. Any quick
: and dirty solutions out there to do this? I'll even settle for slow and
: expensive if I have to.

: I have NO experience with lowering trucks, only making them taller.

   I personally don't care for blocks too much, wether for lifting or
lowering, but for the amount you are looking to go, it would be a small
block and probably would work fine. As others have mentioned, be sure
to get steel blocks, not aluminum. If you can't find any I should think
just about any machine shop should be able to churn a pair out for you,
and could even machine in the pinion correction angle, if required.
  
   I feel I should mention that although I don't care for blocks, and
I cringe every time I see a 4x4 lifted to the sky with a huge block
(especially in the front!!!), my '92 Ram 4x4 did come from the factory
with ~2" blocks in the rear. When I installed the suspension lift kit
on it, the blocks were replaced with springs that not only eliminated
the blocks but gave an additional 4" of lift over stock. So anyway,
Dodge apparently feels that 2" blocks in the rear wasn't a big deal.
They weren't aluminum though. :-)

  Shackles and hangars are usually the way folks do a proper drop on
a truck, but as has already been stated, the drops available start at
2-3".

   Another option is to get your springs de-arched. (I've never done
this so I don't have any experience or sources or prices, but I know it
can be done.)

   Another more unconventional method would be to run shorter tires. :-)
If you're running anything near a stock tire (215/75 15), its probably
just under 28" tall, so you'd have to run a 26" tire to get a 1" drop.
(Something like a 255/55 15.) Of course, this is no help whatsoever if
you are looking to drop the truck to get the wheel up into the wheelwell -
but if you are just looking to move the body of the truck closer to the
ground, that would do it.

-- 

-Jon-

.---- Jon Steiger ------ jon@dakota-truck.net or jon@jonsteiger.com ------. | I'm the: AOPA, DoD, EAA, NMA, NRA, SPA, USUA. Rec & UL Pilot - SEL | | 70 Cuda, 90 Dak 'vert, 92 Ram 4x4, 96 Dak, 96 Intruder 1400, 96 FireFly | `------------------------------------------ http://www.jonsteiger.com ----'



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