Hello everyone! New to this forum I have a 73 d200, i recently switched the suspension frame and bed to a d100 shortbed. I installed lower control arms from a van and lowering shackles in the rear. The leaf springs are also off the d100, I like the look of how it sits right now but I currently do not have a engine and transmission in the truck so I'm sure it's going to sit much lower in the front. My question is what more can I do to lower the rear without doing a flip kit? I do not want to have to notch the frame and I currently have a truck 8 lug dana 60 that's probably gonna stay on the truck for awhile.
D100 lowering the rear
- Thread starter sam_318
- Start date
niceolddart
Well-Known Member
If you're not going to be hauling a lot of weight or towing heavy loads, remove some of the leaves from the springs. You may want to get new U-bolts first though.
How much lower do you think removing some springs would do?
How much lower do you think removing some springs would do?
niceolddart
Well-Known Member
Maybe an inch or two.
I might just do that I'm going to look in to it more to get an idea how much it'll lower the truck. I appreciate your response.
65 sporty
Well-Known Member
How many leaves are the springs now?
65 sporty
Well-Known Member
You could try removing 2 and see what you get. I wonder if anyone makes lowering springs?
niceolddart
Well-Known Member
If no one makes lowering springs, (I have Hotchkis springs on my Dakota) you can probably have a local spring shop de-arch the ones you have. A place that specializes in heavy truck springs should be able to do this no problem, you may have to remove them though.
There are different rear shackle drop brackets I think it was two inch and four inch? you mentioned that’s what you used, maybe you could get a lower drop, that’s what I used on my 81 S/b frame sitting under my 56.
There are different rear shackle drop brackets I think it was two inch and four inch? you mentioned that’s what you used, maybe you could get a lower drop, that’s what I used on my 81 S/b frame sitting under my 56.
I think 4 inch is the max, that’s what I used, my son has a 80 and he flipped his axle, it goes WAY down that way, he likes it but it is too low for my liking, I actually had mine flipped to but I put it back and used the drop shackles. Personal taste I guess, BTW, I lot of work to switch from a 3/4 long box to 1/2 ton short box, I guess you really just used the cab and front clip, nice work though.
I think 4 inch is the max, that’s what I used, my son has a 80 and he flipped his axle, it goes WAY down that way, he likes it but it is too low for my liking, I actually had mine flipped to but I put it back and used the drop shackles. Personal taste I guess, BTW, I lot of work to switch from a 3/4 long box to 1/2 ton short box, I guess you really just used the cab and front clip, nice work though.
Yeah I had an 84 d100 that had a flip kit didn't really like how it drove. I got this truck pretty cheap the goal was to eventually turn it into a shortbed, didn't wanna get carried away I have a 69 valiant that I'm also working on. Paid $200 for the shortbed and frame couldn't pass it up.
MILO
Well-Known Member
HA I always raised mine some, snow gets deep ,and water gets high makes sense to me.