Down in the dirt.

[Elvirathehearse]

Just a quick question, Anybody know the easiest, most inexpensive way to drop the frontend about three inches?

[BIGEVIL]

Just cut a couple of coils off of the front springs. It stiffened up the ride a little, but no big deal. Be sure to get an alignment when done.

[Kaos Photo]

Yep, that's what I did to my S-10 and it worked just fine!

[Elvirathehearse]

Sounds easy enough, Then do you have to put on shorter shocks? I understand the realignment but it seems that you would lose shock travel unless you changed them to a shorter travel shock?

[BIGEVIL]

On my 70, the stock shocks are fine.

[R U INJRD]

If you want to cut the springs the right way, do it in a five gallon bucket of water with a cutoff wheel (air powered, not electric - for safety).

Lot's of people just cut them with a torch, but the heat from the torch will harden the steel and they will lose their "springiness". Cutting them with a torch will give you a harsher ride than if you do it with a method that generates less heat.

[BIGEVIL]

Wow!
I never thought about the bucket of water idea.
Great info!

[Elvirathehearse]

Ok, sounds like Im cutting the front springs in a bucket of water, and putting them back in, realigning the front end and riding with the front bumper cutting the grass, sounds cool, Thanks all for the info, will post some pics when done......

[R U INJRD]

You probably already know this, but put a length of chain around the spring when removing it so it doesn't fly out and kill you.

[jlprigmore]

Haha nice last bit of info there injured. Kinda like one of those oh yeah by the way's

[R U INJRD]

It's one of those jobs that's not all that hard to do, but you don't want to just tell someone who has never done it to just go and do it. All the springs I have removed have been pretty uneventful, but there have been people killed by flying suspension springs. The closest I have come was having a bushing fly out of a press as I was trying to install it. It shot across the garage and put a nice dent in the concrete block. It's easy for me to say just do this or that having done it a hundred times, but safety is important.

[Elvirathehearse]

Thanks again, I do have a set of spring compressors and having done front end work alot, use them faithfully...just in case..lol Had a good friend killed by the spring from a strut striking him in the head. I will incorperate the help from a friend when I do this, four eyes watching is better than two.....