Lowering 3500/350 bed height??

[frankwp]

It's getting about time to go truck shopping again & it's down to Ford or GMC/Chev 1 ton SRW. The issue is the bed height of the new trucks. My 5th wheel is an inch or 2 high with my current truck & would be lots higher with a new one.

One option would be to have a subframe installed on the trailer to raise it, but I don't really want it any higher. What I'd really like is to have the truck lower.

Does anyone know if this can be done without compromising suspension travel? Is it expensive? If you've had it done, I'd love to hear of your experience with it.

Thanks all.

[True_temper]

Not yet, but i could crank down the torsion bars a bit.

[frankwp]

True temper wrote:
My 2015 3500 was too high, i put these on yesterday. Dropped 2". https://www.alligatorperformance.com/mcgaughys-33200-2-rear-drop-shackle-for-11-17-gm-2500-3500

Did you do anything with the front suspension to lower it?

[SidecarFlip]

When old, we need low rider trucks with carrying capacity. I have 7 leaves in my rear spring pack, each side not including the overload leaf, which is there for looks. It's never contacted the hangers. I'd remove it but thats too much work. 5 in the front spring packs.

No wonder my wife hates to ride in it when I don't have the truck camper in the bed. The camper smooths out the ride.... somewhat. The one saving grace is I have the longest wheelbase Ford had in 1997. The truck is 19.5 feet long, front bumper to rear step bumper. Makes for interesting parking lot turns.

[True_temper]

My 2015 3500 was too high, i put these on yesterday. Dropped 2". https://www.alligatorperformance.com/mcgaughys-33200-2-rear-drop-shackle-for-11-17-gm-2500-3500

[SidecarFlip]

If I had it to do over, I'd have never lifted my truck. Back then it looked cool, but now, being older and not so spry, it's hard to get in and out. I don't have the ambition to reverse the process so I'll just deal with climbing in and out. An old fart driving a lifted 1 ton 4x4 with 35 x 12.5's on it.

[SidecarFlip]

How much the thrust angle of the driveline is impacted, depends on the length of the driveshaft from the pinion shaft to the carrier bearing and/or the tailshaft of the transmission (if there is no carrier, intermediate) bearing.

IOW the shorter the distance the more critical the alignment becomes.

Dropping the rear height 2" with a long driveshaft may not impact the U joints at all, whereas a short driveshaft length will. Why, when I lifted my truck 4" fron and back, I rotated the differentials front and rear with degree shims to replicate the angle the OEM had the driveshafts at. I machined my own shims in the shop from die steel and that was 90K miles ago and I have had no U joint issues to date. I did can the OEM U joints almost right away and replaced them with Super U's that are greasable, unlike the factory sealed for life junk.

[Bedlam]

It's not just the drive line joints, the front steering geometry changes if you drop the truck height (unless using drop spindles or component relocation kits).

The bed can be as simple as flat deck or more finished like these:

https://www.google.com/search?q=hauler+bed&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X

[frankwp]

I need to keep the box cause the truck will be used for hauling stuff some when not towing. And I'd just like to have the whole thing lower for ease of entry (mainly for my wife) and ease of loading & unloading the back.

Call me weird, but I also think the truck looks better when it's a few inches closer to the ground.

[SidecarFlip]

Bedlam wrote:
Changing your suspension height will change drive line angles which may affect the life of the joints at extreme or abnormal angles. Have you considered a hauler style bed with no bed rails? This would allow for proper hitch height without concern about bed contact. You can order the truck with a bed delete option or resell the bed to help fund the hauler bed.

I explained that to the OP early on and driveline angles are adjustable through the use of degree shims. I was just looking at mine, I'm changing a leaking hub seal so I have the wheel and hub off the truck (and I smell like hypoid oil). Was looking at mine as they are right there in my line of sight.

By a 'hauler bed', I take it you mean a flat bed. If I had issues with my bed (which I don't), I'd get one as a replacement. personally, I think they look, well, funky for lack of a better word.

[Bedlam]

Changing your suspension height will change drive line angles which may affect the life of the joints at extreme or abnormal angles. Have you considered a hauler style bed with no bed rails? This would allow for proper hitch height without concern about bed contact. You can order the truck with a bed delete option or resell the bed to help fund the hauler bed.

[frankwp]

Thanks for the answers guys. I'll find a shop to do the work, cause I don't even like changing my own oil anymore. But it's good to at least have an idea what I'll be up against.

I think the GM trucks use torsion bars in the front, at least my ancient '03 does.

And I agree Flip, that a lower truck would be much more user friendly.

[BB_TX]

On my previous F350 FX4 SRW, I had the dealer replace the 4" blocks on the rear axle with 2" blocks to drop the rear 2". I think the 4x2 and DRW comes with 2" blocks.

[SidecarFlip]

frankwp wrote:
Thanks for the info Flip, that's what I was hoping to hear. Does the front suspension use spacer blocks as well?

No, your front suspension (2wd or 4wd) is coils. If you go 4wd, the same applies to driveline angles as the rear. Dropping the front (with coils) would entail aftermarket shortened coils (which are available) or removing the OEM coils and lopping off some of them, which is also doable but it has to be a cold cut.

Ford is building their new trucks way too high but it's a 'macho' thing. At my age, I'm more concerned with sleeping than macho.

if you lived around here, I'd lend a hand. I have a nicely equipped shop for doing that stuff.

My old Ford (1997 F350 SRW) has leaf springs front and rear with solid axles (4 wheel drive). Rides like a lumberwagon empty but is stone easy to work on. Why I keep it.

[frankwp]

Thanks for the info Flip, that's what I was hoping to hear. Does the front suspension use spacer blocks as well?