Lowering a 1947-1953 Chevy truck without using air bags or lowering blocks (and still have a bed)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- In this video we talk about, and show, how we lowered our 1953 Chevy pickup using off-the-shelf components and without air bags. We wanted the truck to sit and ride at the same height, and the goal was to get the bottom of the running boards to around 6" off the ground. We also wanted to maintain the original bed depth and not tunnel the floor.
We started with the original chassis and added a Heidts Mustang II front suspension kit with 2" drop spindles, and then a Chassis Engineering rear leaf spring kit. The Heidts kit lowered the truck to its current stance, but note when installing a kit like this that it may sit an inch or so high until you drive the vehicle. When we first installed it and had the full weight of the truck on it, the tie rods were still angled down, versus running parallel to the ground as they should. We jumped up and down on the front bumper and these still didn't change. Once we took the truck for a lap around the block, everything settled into place perfectly.
The Chassis Engineering rear leaf spring kit was a bolt-on kit that uses the stock leaf spring mounting locations. We bolted it on, but the rear of the truck still sat really high. We didn't want to use lowering blocks, so we decided to notch the lower portion of the frame rails and mount the kit to the top of the frame rail instead. Watch the video and we'll show you how we did this. After doing this, the truck sat almost perfectly, with a little under 6" of clearance at the front of the running boards and a little over 7" of clearance at the rear of the running boards.
I might do this on my 47 Ford. The frame is very solid and I use to be great at stick welding. Its been several years but I'm going to look for a stick/ tig welder and start cutting and welding. Thanks for showing what you did in great detail.
Nice work, think outside the box!
I love it. Doing it this weekend!
Looks good brother
Great job guys.
Alternative title: Sermon on the mounts.
I appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
Damn rookies
I also have Chassis Engineering rear springs, but use lowering blocks. I like this idea, but couldn't see where to front bolt comes out on the outside. In the video it looks like the running board bracket would be in the way of the bolt. What did you you there?
Yeah, the running board bracket was in the way. We cut out one of the rivets from this bracket and then put the leaf spring hanger bolt through that area. It didn't affect the running board stability.
Why not just reverse the spring eyes and avoid the fabrication?
What wheels are those? Thanks
Detroit Steel
What size are your tires on the truck?
Falken Ziex ZE950 P235/50R/18 front
Falken Ziex ZE950 P245/55R/18 rear
It works great but isn't cheaper and less headeaches just to replace the springs?
There may be other leaf springs out there that would lower even more, but we didn't find any at the time of our project. The Chassis Engineering ones that we put on were pretty standard at the time, and are almost level once installed. The biggest issue is really just the mounting point. Even with a flatter, stiffer spring, there's just not a lot of room for play when mounting under the frame rails.
jenkey..
😂😂😂