[justcuz]

Since you are not staying stock and you want to lower it a little, I would suggest taking the coil overload shocks out of the back and see where it settles. Then pull the front coils and cut 1/2 to 1 coil out of the front springs. This should settle the rear up to an inch and you can lower the front 1.5 to 2 inches with coil cutting. I use Vise Grips next to the cut and a wet rag inside the Vise Grips as a heat sink and cut the coil with a Skil saw with a metal cutting blade. That way you don't damage the spring tension buy using a torch. Since you are not staying stock I would put a set of disc brakes up front. 3.73's with the 700R4 in OD is a 2.62 highway gear. That engine will not be turning many rpms. A rebuilt 350 with a 305 HO cam, an HEI with a curve kit and a quadrajet, would be a nice engine for that truck if you want it to be a cruiser. A set of nice gas shocks on it and add a front sway bar with urethane bushings, it will ride and handle like a dream. What I love about these old trucks is the A arm bushings are lubable and last forever, not like the later rubber ones that wear out.