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Lowering my 76 D200

5K views 18 replies 4 participants last post by  Speed Dragon 
#1 ·
hi Guys,
I need your help overhere.
i'm living in the Netherlands (europe) and drive a 76 D200. Everybody over here lift their truck. I allways try to do something different, so i want to lower it.
But now the problem....
No company or people over here knows exactly what parts to use cause we cannot find any kits for this type of truck.

My plan....
Flip the rear axle and taking 3 of the 4 leafs away (due to this i hope the rear gets softer). weld on c-section notches and install a airlift slam air kit with loadcontroller (summit part numbers air59103 and air25812).
With this construction the airbags will take over the load of the missing leafs and i can level the truck.

For the front i want to install lower coil springs (1 or 2 inch drop) but.... where can i buy these.
I'm thinking about cutting off the stock springs but i don't think this is the right way.

Can you guys help me with info about my plan. Will work or not and do you know an company who sells a kit or these parts i mentioned.

I also have a question about rimms. Can i install 16 inch diameter rimms. Some guys say that 16 inch rimms don't fit because they hit the brake caliper. Now there are 16.5 inch diameter rimms on my truck.

Please please give me info.

thank you very much.
Ed

Ps: sorry for the writing errors. i'm a dutchman with no more than 2 years of english class on highschool.
 
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#2 ·
we don't have it any better over here, almost nobody make any drop parts for these trucks. you got the right idea for the rear, just putting the axle on top of the spring will probably drop the rear 4 inches. airbags are cool, if done right. Chisholm i think makes drop control arms for the front. don't know what their # is thogh and they don't have a website. look throgh some of the old threads in this forum, there's several on dropping these trucks. also maybe look in the FAQ, if there ain't a FAQ this yet there should be ( hint hint, Moderator lol)
 
#3 ·
When I lowered mine, I had to cut the coils. I could not find anyone that made drop coils or spindles for this. I have a 73 1/2 ton. If you take 2 coils off the spring you can just get it aligned again with the ocelating bolts. Then you need to cut the snubbers off and move them up about 3-4 inches on the mounts. Shorter shocks then too or else it will bottom them out and you will have no ride travel up. For the rear I beat the heat pins out of the spring mounts and moved them both up 4" and used 2 bolts then a bead of weld around the mount. I had no drivetrain issues as far a driveshaft length was concerned. If you drop it that much you also will need a skidplate under the plastic gas tank, especially if you want to run a low pro tire on it. I ran a 215/50/15 on mine and had no more than 2" anywhere under the truck for clearance. It looked good but the ride quality just sucked. Try and find the shorter upper control arms as this may help the ride some. Good luck on your project.
 
#5 ·
Thanx guys,
i'm waiting for the parts to arrive from the states.
I only need drop coils. So Brandon, any luck with your search?????

Thanx Ed
 
#6 ·
ed3316 said:
Thanx guys,
i'm waiting for the parts to arrive from the states.
I only need drop coils. So Brandon, any luck with your search?????

Thanx Ed
so what are you looking for?? just the drop coils?? or the better question is. what size of a drop coil are you wanting?? give me some info on what you want and i will try to look it up for you its not coming up i found SOME websites for drop coils, but it didnt have you application. so let me know and i will get back to you asap oh i see a 1 to 2 in drop ok, ill check didnt read your post all the way. i just looked and i can tell this one is going to be tough, but i will get back to you on what i find out.

thx brandon
:rck:
 
#8 ·
okay, here it is.

http://www.eatonsprings.com/index.html

i was going to call them and have some front coils made for my 72 before i decided not to lower it. it already sits low enough for me on stock suspension, any time i have to get under it i have to jack it up. course i'm running low profile 295/50/15's too.
 
#9 ·
Thanx Guys.
Little update.
I ordered an air over leaf air suspension kit from airride technologies for the back (next week it is sceduled to arrive). For the front i'm thinking abbout progressive spring coils with a 2 inch drop. Problem with ordering it custom made in the states, are the oversea transport costs. These springs will be the most expensive on the planet. I found an adress over here who also makes custom springs. Ill get in contact with those guys any moment.
Ill keep you updated if this fails.
Thanks Ed
 
#11 · (Edited)
yo guys. Little update.
I've changed the plan. the dropped springs are very hard to find over here and making new one's cost me a fortune so, i ordered a airride technologies Ride pro kit with 2 three gallon tanks. I'm gonna bag the front and use a kit to relocate the shocks. At the back i use the air over leaf kit from ART. Also flipping the axle and cutting out a piece of the frame to make room for the axle.

Now a question....
how mutch can you cut out of the frame. i'm gonna make notches myself or i box the frame. How mutch is safe. what is the rule for this.

Thanx for the reply...
Ed
 
#13 ·
Brandon.
C-notches or frame boxing. That's what i'm gonna do. And No, ART doesn't supply c-notches.
Ed
 
#16 ·
Brandon.
i.m seaching the internet for pictures of c-notches so that i can see how to make one myself. A friend of mine is a classified welder so he will do the job. There is a lot off discussion going on over here in Holland abbout c-notches. The problem is.... everybody talks abbout it but nobody has done it or knows somebody who done it. That's the reason i have to find out and learn everything my self.
Till now i didn't find a site of building a c-notch in a frame. Yes, sites enough abbout special rear frames that cost a fortune.
Maybe you have a link for me.
Thanx aggain Ed
 
#17 ·
heck if i lived over there in holland i would do the job for free. weldings easy ive did it last year in ag mechanics class. alot of s-10s use the c-notch im not sure if the dodges use them or not i guess the older models do. but i wa thinking of building my own. brb

brandon
 
#18 ·
The plan's for the c-notches are made. still waiting for a few parts. When they arrive the work starts.
Keep you updated.
Ed
 
#19 ·
most of the dropped and bagged trucks i've seen have the inside of the bed cutout in order to extend the shock mounts up higher and also looks like the actually cut out a section of frame and build a "bridge" (for lack of a better word to describe it) over that section out of tubular steel, like 2x4 or 2x6 steel tubing.
 
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