Another droped I beam question

northern · Post by **northern** » October 3, 2007, 11:15 pm

Ive been thinking about droping, or lowering the stance of my 65.

Ive been looking around and figured i would start with a droped I beam.
( sence theres might be no need to cut and hack a nice looking frame.

)

and if all else fails and the truck new stance doesnt meet or excedes my needs, ill remove the kit and go for a donor ltd or something with an A arm setup.

now this kit ( seen in picture ) will give me a 3" in the front and a 4" in the rear.

there company can be found here http://canuckmotorsports.com/
and the catalog im looking in is here http://canuckmotorsports.com/truck_cat_lower.html#3003

Has any one delt with these guys?
are they any good?
hows the product?

besides these guys and the dreambeams is there any others?

Marc.

Slick Fan · Post by **Slick Fan** » October 4, 2007, 1:46 pm

I'm interested in hearing feedback on these guys too.

Looks like a decent setup from here.

dwbr · Post by **dwbr** » October 4, 2007, 2:01 pm

ive always heard good things about dreambeam,, why not use someone like that?, my bro hangs out at a suspension shop, thats what they buy and use.
________
free vaporizer

jwh f-100 · Post by **jwh f-100** » October 4, 2007, 2:23 pm

I've had a question/thought, some may call it curiosity, or some may call it a brain fart but here goes. It is slightly off subject but not.

Many talk about different ways of lowering a straight axle truck but all seem to leave it nessesary to also make adjustments to steering components or some may even narrow the front axle. Maybe it is impossible but why not just a drop-spindle, leaving the steering arms at the same position with just a change to where the spindle is placed in reference to the king pin, closer to the top rather than centered ????????????

Does this make any sense at all????? Garbz, ELpolacko, Anyone?????

blackagatha · Post by **blackagatha** » October 4, 2007, 2:51 pm

yeah. you do got a good concept. It WOULD make more sense, perhaps. Granted, you couldn't drop it Much, but it would drop. Unless there is some big bag issue that I'm not thinking of.

ELpolacko · Post by **ELpolacko** » October 4, 2007, 3:16 pm

No such thing as a dropped spindle for a beam axle. You aren't going to find anything of the sort pretty much forever because of the extra load imposed by relocating the spindle stud.

Dream Beams work, So do the fabricated I-beams available from AIM/Chassis Tech but drop is limited. That's the breaks when it comes to this type of front end, rugged as all get out, handles so~so, can be upgraded in the brake department and so forth. Drops just aren't in the bag for them unless you are willing to ditch the stock crossmember and fabricate everything new again where you can locate the beams higher up in the frame and adjust the steering linkage to match.

blackagatha · Post by **blackagatha** » October 4, 2007, 6:18 pm

yeah. that's pretty much what I figured. In reality, by design, it doesn't look like it would be too conducive to adding drop spindles.

Thus we have to drop the beam, like every other oldschool rodder.... Probably around the same cost, same end result. Compromise ground clearance either way, but I'm willing to take the hit...

65TremecGT · Post by **65TremecGT** » October 5, 2007, 10:37 am

I had a 65 shorty wiht the drop beams and while it looked cool, it steered terrible, at full lock it would not re center, it would just hold the turn. Going down the road it was fine. Ended up doing a disc brake swap and ditching the beams.

ELpolacko · Post by **ELpolacko** » October 5, 2007, 12:33 pm

Typicaly when you drop the axle, regular beam or twin, you need to increase the caster angle to 7 or 8 degrees.

I have dealt with these things in the past. A good friend of mine had a set of MorDrop axles on his 74 extended cab truck. Rode, steered and handled like hell untill we cut the radius arms and increased the caster. It was tolerable but still not as good as a modern SLA IFS.

Gary Seymour · Post by **Gary Seymour** » October 6, 2007, 8:04 am

I have to bite, Elpolacko:

What is an "SLA" IFS?

Thanks!

Truckfarmer · Post by **Truckfarmer** » October 6, 2007, 8:47 am

Short arm long Arm Independent Front Suspension

ELpolacko · Post by **ELpolacko** » October 6, 2007, 9:39 am

^^ correct!^^

Sorry for the tech speak.

DROPTOP46 · Post by **DROPTOP46** » October 6, 2007, 1:27 pm

I have used "DJM" suspension parts dropped beams in the past with good results. Be sure to find out if you need dropped steering arms (you will), and, if they offer them or if you have to modify yours. If it is the later, and you have to heat and bend your stock arms, send them out to be heat treated. It doesn't cost much, and the safety factor is well worth the twenty or so bucks.

trevs66m · Post by **trevs66m** » October 6, 2007, 3:29 pm

Ihave also used DJM and the kit I GOT HAD EVERYTHING I needed to install in my 66 merc . I also added disc brakes to the install,if you use disc brakes from 69 to74 or 75 to 79 the kingpin is different so keep that in mind when you order your kit.