How should I lower my truck?

Question:

I have a question concerning lowering my 1937 Chevy pickup that I have owned for the past 44 years. The frame is all-original 1937 Chevy as is the bed and cab. I had the straight axle removed and a Fatman Fabrication front end installed with Mustang II rack-and-pinion steering, independent suspension, disc brakes, etc. The coil springs I used were new springs for a V-8 Mustang II. I took out the original 216 cid six and replaced it with a 235 cid six-cylinder out of a 1957 Chevy truck. The motor was bored .060-inches over, a mild cam was installed, it has two single-barrel carbs on an Offenhauser intake and Fenton headers for that “split six” sound. It’s backed up with a Turbo 350 transmission with a special adapter and custom drive shaft that leads to a 1968 Nova 10bolt rear end. The suspension in the rear is the stock leaf spring setup.

Now, I would like to lower the truck 11⁄2 inches all around. I know that I could purchase dropped spindles to lower the front but could I cut a coil from the springs or would coil springs from a four or six-cylinder car work better? As you know, the 235 cid block is fairly heavy. As far as the rear end is concerned, would new leaf springs be the way to go if there is a manufacturer that makes aftermarket springs or could I use lowering blocks on the existing setup?

The truck rides and drives nicely for a 72-year-old vehicle so I don’t want to mess that up.

Answer:

You can lower your truck by cutting the front springs and removing a coil. While this is perhaps the easiest and least expensive method, it is generally not recommended. By removing a coil, you obviously change the performance characteristics of the spring and this normally degrades the ride quality. It also alters the front suspension’s geometry and this can harm ride quality, accelerate wear on various suspension and steering parts, and even create a safety issue.

You can change the springs to shorter ones but exactly which springs will work best for your particular application is difficult to say so your only practical route is to do some trial and error. Even with shorter springs, however, you will still be altering the front end geometry and risk the negative effects of doing this.

Dropped spindles are more expensive but they do offer the best solution.

As far as lowering the rear of the truck is concerned, you can either purchase new leaf springs designed to lower the vehicle’s ride height or use lowering blocks and appropriate hardware with your existing springs.