[hero_07]

hey guys, im gettin a 87 Chevy Silverado, next week i believe, and i was just wonderin what would be the cheapest and easiest route to take one down a couple inches...3 or 4

[SDSJap]

let the air out of the tires?

summit and similar places sell things to spread or clamp your coil springs that would lower it a little(make the ride alot rougher too)

[pzatchok]

If your not worried about ride then going the old school way and cutting springs is the cheapest. Cut 1/4 of a coil off at a time untill you get it as low as you want. Going to low will change the angle of the wheels and that will need corrected for or you will be riding on one edge of the tires all the time.

As for the rear end. I don't know if you have leaf springs or coil. If coil do the same as the front. If leaf and you have the axle over the spring you could use a lowering block. If the spring is over the axle I would take it to a sping ahop and have them make you a set of springs to match the ride of the front.

I wouldn't use any of my advice past the 2 to 3 inch mark though. After that things get a bit more technical and far more expensive.

Cutting the springs will make it ride like a tank.
Just remember. I might be on the rode while you are. So please remember safety first. I don't want you running into me because something broke.

In the end I would try to find out all the info I could before doing anything. Libraries are great. You don't need to spend a week doing it just to find out the first time you take it out the guy next to you knew a better and cheaper way. Or the safe way.

[SDSJap]

cutting the springs, never thought of that

[leastbay]

ive heard of heating them with a torch and then let the weight of the vehicle push down on them, ive seen someone do it to a car but it had springs in the front and the rear, it rode like a brick afterwards. I just bought an 85 silverado and i am gonna order the drop spindles and springs for the front and the flip kits for the rear.Give me a couple of minutes and i will post the site the cheapest way to do it without really screwing anything up is to just get smaller springs in the front and the blocks in the rear, just depends how much you are looking to spend.

[willys36@aol.com]

Cheapest and easiest is torch the springs. Heat main leaf springs to red hot about where the second leaf starts. It will sag immediately. Heat coil springs to red hot on two sides of a coil, ditto.

[leastbay]

look at truckin.com and then go to suspensions

[93_406cobra]

Dude go and get a Bell Tech kit or some thing like that. Heating the spring is not the way to go. After you heat they the ratings change. Most springs are progreesive and gain power to lift weight as they compress. Also after you heat the springs the ride sucks you may not like it but you are stuck with it. If you put a kit on you would be able to remove it and put your stock stuff back on. Belltech makes a kit with coil springs and a rear flip (puts you rear alxe on top of the rear leaf springs) for a small amount of money. All the stuff you get from they will allow you to use your truck like a truck after you install it like towing. look at
www.godfathercustoms.com

They have the kit for your truck for $269 pretty good if you ask me. 2-4 drop from this kit.
Good luck.

[leastbay]

yeah like i said ive seen it done on a car and it was cra**y im sure a truck would be even worse.

[willys36@aol.com]

You guys are not answering the question as asked. He specifically asked for the cheapest, easiest way to lower his truck. You guys are giving him the best way which isn't the proper answer to the question. Focus!

[GMW]

- Let air out of tires = Not drivable
$ Heat springs = (In my opinion) Not drivable
$ Cut springs = Drivable, but crappy ride
$$ Replace springs with lowering springs = Drivable, better ride
$$$ Lowering kits, drop spindles = Drivable, almost factory ride
$$$$$$$$ Channel the body = Drivable, factory ride, looks cool

[pzatchok]

I only offered cutting the springs because if you torch them your basicly perminantly compressing them. You loose suspemtion travel and you have no real way of making sure each spring comes out the same. With cutting you at least have a little more controle over the prossess.

[SDSJap]

"Let air out of tires = Not drivable"
let air out of tires = joke

[Physh1]

Heating the springs...I know it's a cheap way to do it but the ride will suck. There are budget drop kits out there that are budget minded and great quality.

Look at Western Chassis. They've been around forever. Great prices (mainly because they don't advertise). DJM would be next price wise....a little more money but just as great. BellTech is good too but the most expensive. I've installed all 3 brands before and all are good. If your wallet is tight get the Western Chassis kit or a DJM kit.

Cameron

[BarryK]

Originally posted by willys36@aol.com
Cheapest and easiest is torch the springs. Heat main leaf springs to red hot about where the second leaf starts. It will sag immediately. Heat coil springs to red hot on two sides of a coil, ditto.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Engineering question:

I have a vehicle that in 3/4" lower than fact spec's in front- everything is new.
With what your saying here if car was level and raised 3/4 off floor, I would assume they will stretch as well?
And stretching effect ride rate? If so with this little bit, would you even notice?

I've exhausted all other adjusting options.