Dropmember in a 69 C10

[PBFAB.COM]

Originally Posted by bgeraurd

Hey will those fit in duallys? I want to make a one ton tow rig that lays frame but I dont want to z the frame. Could I modify the contral arms to fit?

I am pretty confident that the crossmember on the 1-ton is the same, just the spindles and brakes are heavier duty. I do not see it being a problem. What year is it? I will do a little bit of research to find out. If it is pre-73 the lower control arm will need to be slightly clearanced... I was supposed to post up a pic of this, hopefully Monday I can find a little time!

[watahyahknow]

Originally Posted by porterbuilt

I am pretty confident that the crossmember on the 1-ton is the same, just the spindles and brakes are heavier duty. I do not see it being a problem. What year is it? I will do a little bit of research to find out. If it is pre-73 the lower control arm will need to be slightly clearanced... I was supposed to post up a pic of this, hopefully Monday I can find a little time!

i was considering chainging a one ton 1983 truck (see avatar but think 2 wheel drive ) to ford rack cause it seems to steer tighter (no slack in rods and such )

to bring it a bit lower i was thinking on only using other spindles and a flipkit in the back only want to go 3 to 5 inch lower , bigger wheels will bring it back up again .
for these wheels i've allso been looking intoo http://www.chromewheel.com/ , i realy realy like there 22 inch truckrim and 8 to 11 bolt adapterplate setup they make .
but im need to move back to the subject : the last man i talked to (from flaming river i think it was ) about this type of steering talked me out of it telling me the ford rack setup was too weak a setup for the one ton pickup and the trucktires i was planning to use he told me the setup would wear excesively .
if i order a the ford type steering and suspensionsetup it would be more for better cornering than the the abillity to drop the frame to the deck

what would be the best option for me ?

[PBFAB.COM]

Originally Posted by watahyahknow

i was considering chainging a one ton 1983 truck (see avatar but think 2 wheel drive ) to ford rack cause it seems to steer tighter (no slack in rods and such )

to bring it a bit lower i was thinking on only using other spindles and a flipkit in the back only want to go 3 to 5 inch lower , bigger wheels will bring it back up again .
for these wheels i've allso been looking intoo http://www.chromewheel.com/ , i realy realy like there 22 inch truckrim and 8 to 11 bolt adapterplate setup they make .
but im need to move back to the subject : the last man i talked to (from flaming river i think it was ) about this type of steering talked me out of it telling me the ford rack setup was too weak a setup for the one ton pickup and the trucktires i was planning to use he told me the setup would wear excesively .
if i order a the ford type steering and suspensionsetup it would be more for better cornering than the the abillity to drop the frame to the deck

what would be the best option for me ?

The determining factor, in deciding if a MII rack and pinion will be appropriate for any application, is the front axle weight of the vehicle. The information I have been given from "the engineers" at Maval Manufacturing a.k.a. Unisteer in regard to this issue is the following: 'If the front axle weight exceeds 1800lbs. the MII rack and pinion will be operating at its limits. At or near the 1800lbs. front axle weight it is recommended that a manual MII rack be used, not a power unit (the manual rack is a beefier unit, and has a larger pinion). Ratcheting effects have been experienced on the power unit when operated beyond this perameter' (that's paraphrased).

My recommendation would be to keep your one ton steering set-up. If the steering feels 'loose' or 'sloppy' it may be time for some components to be replaced. With the big wheels, the one-ton components... and if equipped with a Big Block, your front axle weight could be getting close to a MII's limits. Flaming River, or whomever it was you spoke to was offering good advice! It may be sufficient, but it definitely would not be recommended on such a heavy vehicle.

I would make sure the steering linkage and gear box is nice and tight, and throw a beefy sway bar on it. It might not be as 'tight' as a rack and pinion, but it will definitely do the job.

[smbrouss70]

I do think it's a good price just for the engineering that went into, but unfortunately I don't have the dough right now. I have started a "dropmember savings fund" though...

[PBFAB.COM]

Should I PM you an account # to use for your deposits?!

[PBFAB.COM]

I have a few pics of the dropmember in a small floor 69 running a 350 th400 combo. This gives an idea of where the motor is "relocated" to, and shows some of the clearances.
A couple things to clarify... the dropmember is a bolt in crossmember designed to convert to rack and pinion, and with the right tire/spindle combo the frame may be placed on the ground. With this said, there are still other modifications needed to allow one of these trucks to lay completely on the ground. The dropmember takes care of the front, but driveshaft clearance and small floor cab clearance will still need to be adressed. If you have a small hump floor... you will need to change it to the bolt in large hump. If you want the rear to be as low as the front, trailing arm crossmember will need to be modified.

If you are looking at the pic of the distributor and thinking that doesn't look like it will come out... it will... if you drop the rack and pinion, unbolt the motor mounts and let the motor down 1/2 an inch. It's one of the drawbacks/compromises that happen when making these changes. (I feel bad for the guy who stabs his distributor 180 off).

I don't want the assumption being made that all you need to lay this thing out is bolt in one of these dropmembers... it will take care of the front... but there is still a lot of work to be done to get the rear all the way down.

If you aren't looking to put the truck on the ground this is still a great product that can allow a low stance and add extra front crossmember to ground clearance that is desperately needed on these trucks.

[Rokcrln]

I would recomend changing out those heads! The exhaust ports look to be a bit clogged. LOL Nice to see some more progress.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[PBFAB.COM]

Originally Posted by Rokcrln

I would recomend changing out those heads! The exhaust ports look to be a bit clogged. LOL Nice to see some more progress.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

Those are some World S/R Torquer heads I found on E-Bay... I thought it was wierd the shipping was so cheap!

[Hart_Rod]

How much engine vibration will you get with those mounts?

[PBFAB.COM]

The engine vibration is no more than the energy suspension poly mounts (as far as I can tell... very unscientific analysis). I have been doing our custom motor mounts (for mild to mid horsepower motors) this way for a while... with no noticeable increase in vibration. I use a daystar poly bushing that has a medium hardness property to it.

I have put some miles on the 63 panel with this set-up and have zero complaints of engine vibration.

[jlaird]

A driveshaft can be shortened, right? Is that a costly thing?

[PBFAB.COM]

Originally Posted by jlaird

A driveshaft can be shortened, right? Is that a costly thing?

The driveshaft on the panel had to be LENGTHENED a bit... it ran me $225 for a new steel unit with u-joints and yolk. If your yolk and joints are fairly new and in good condition I can't see a new steel tube with balance running for than $150-$175.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by porterbuilt

The driveshaft on the panel had to be LENGTHENED a bit... it ran me $225 for a new steel unit with u-joints and yolk. If your yolk and joints are fairly new and in good condition I can't see a new steel tube with balance running for than $150-$175.

Thats true making it longer means replacing the tube so it get more expensive.

[dwcsr]

it s hould be reasonable to shorten and balance it. I had a complete shaft made with 1350 joints and the nitrous slip yoke for $395 that included shipping from ny to houston. So i would think that it should be about $75 - $125 for yours. go to denny's driveshaft in Kenmore its on 90 near the border. He does great work.

[jlaird]

thanks for the contact!

[ZZ4Blazer]

You had mentioned that it was narrowed 4", does that mean the track width from stock is narrowed 4"? 2" per side then?

It was also mentioned the distributor wont come out. It looks like plenty of clearance IMO. More than my S-10, and I can pull it out still. Did you try pulling the cap and rotor off? That gives a lot more clearance.

Very nice looking peice, been eyeing this thread up for a while. This is on my to do list, but not for a while. Where would we order one, when we eventually had the funds to?

[PBFAB.COM]

The overall track width has been narrowed a total of just under 4", that would be nearly 2" per side.

As for the distributor... it's close to coming out, but doesn't quite make it. That is with the cap removed and the rotor removed. It only needs between .25" and .5" more room.

When you're ready to place an order you can contact me, Nathan Porter, with Porterbuilt Street Rods. You can go to my website for the contact information. www.porterbuiltstreetrods.com

Of course if you find it easier you can send me a PM.

[Tony@AirRideTech]

Nathan....... that is a nice piece man!

[PBFAB.COM]

Thanks Tony.

[SCOTI]

Back TTT on this one.

Nathan,
Would you happen to have any other pics of the Gen I SBC/T400 combo installed w/the rack installed? The thread had a partial pic (sbc installed w/the rack in) but I'm trying to get a feel for the relative position of things on the Dropmember w/a SBC to determine if a Dropmember/BBC combo is feasible.

[PBFAB.COM]

I will have to dig through my pics tomorrow at the shop, or take some more at the end of the week... right now there is a Dropmember C4 sitting in the truck!

[valleycustom]

Originally Posted by porterbuilt

I will have to dig through my pics tomorrow at the shop, or take some more at the end of the week... right now there is a Dropmember C4 sitting in the truck!

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by porterbuilt

I will have to dig through my pics tomorrow at the shop, or take some more at the end of the week... right now there is a Dropmember C4 sitting in the truck!

Pics of that one would be nice too . . ......

[PBFAB.COM]

I will have to get back to you with pics of the Dropmember, with the rack and pinion installed, later in the week... or the beginning of next.

I have attached a couple pics of the Dropmember C4 (uses C4 Corvette Suspension). It is near completion... I am impatiently awaiting a rack and pinion I ordered a few weeks back . Once I get the rack I can finish up the piece, and build my fixtures for production. It is set-up to have a 5" ride height with a 27" tall tire. The tire in the pic is a 255 35R20. It will need to be ran with a Shockwave or coil-over.

[valleycustom]