First off... I have a 79 sr5
1. To convert so that I can use drop spindles on my truck what all has to be changed over? And is this a bolt on procedure?
2. What is the biggest lowering block that can be used safely?

 

i have a 3 inch block and i get some axle wrap when i punch it. its annoying but safe, i wouldnt run anything bigger then that. i havnt played with drop spindles in so long that i cant remember what swaps in anymore..someone else is gonna have to educate us both.

 

i don't think i've really felt axle wrap....
is it wheel hop you're thinking of?

 

not sure if he's still making em or not but seth aka twistedminis makes bolt on arms and spindles i think for 79-83.

 

Im running the 4-inch angle blocks on my truck with no problems!

 

Ive gotten axle wrap. It changed the thrust angle and the trucks rear end wiggled side to side with throttle. Kinda scary really. But that was with 3in aluminum blocks.

To run 84+ drop spindles and arms on a 79-83....

You need spindles, brake hardware, ball joints, upper and lower control arms, strut rods and a whole lot of alighnment shims.

Its basically bolt on except the alighnment and a bolt hole you have to drill for the torsion bar perch on the control arm.

 

Pretty straight forward It sounds like... and the alignment shims is that because the uca is shorter that the 79-83 uca and need to make up for it?

 

dont intend to thread jack but is it possible to use 3in lowering leaf springs and then add a 2in drop block to the back as well?

 

I dont if this info will help but my 82 thats under construction has 4 inch blocks with a mono leaf. It will be getting the biggest weld on notch that it can fit without cutting up the bed. For the front Im will be doing drop spindles and a b/j flip with the torsions turned all the way down. Im planning to have this as my daily with a 6/8 static drop.

 

i would do 3 inch blocks and 2 inch springs. the blocks dont loose you suspension/shock travel while the springs do.

obviously after a point you get axle slap on the frame

 

and don't forget to either...
a. trim the bump stops
b. remove them entirely

 

If I had to guess, the lower control arms are longer. (But thats a guess).

Youll have about 3 degrees too much camber and it takes a solid inch of shims to get the UCA shimmed in enough to not burn up the tires.

Its easy enough to do the swap if you can change suspension bits. Theres nothing really special about it except for finding matching parts... (Because I did get a later model LCA, (like 94) and it was different than a say a 87 control arm.

How much drop is it worth?... I did a BJ flip, the 2 in drop spindles...And when I let down the truck onto the ground the tires sat on the fenderwalls. (but they are big 16's) In my sig pic. Currently the t-bars are jacked all the way up now just to not rub the tires on bumps, which does happen every now and then.

If I tubbed the front, I would get 3in drop arms. Then It would be dragging the crud out of it statically.

Hope it helps.

 

well i already installed 3in belltech leafs, just put 16x8 rims on there and would like to close the wheel-wheel well gap a bit more. thinking of a 1-2" drop all around (i havent even touched my torsion bars yet)

 

Yeah I'm trying to get the truck low enough to where I am just barely off the ground... I don't care about scraping or anything and will definately cut fenderwells if I have to but I think at biggest ill run 15's