Lowering straight front axel

supersmitty · Post by **supersmitty** » October 28, 2010, 6:12 am

Has anyone flipped a straight front axel and does anyone have pics of it? I am thinking about doing it on a dodge but not sure if I can. The front axle looks the same as an early ford one so I figured I can probably do the same.

Thanks,
Smitty

charliemccraney · Post by **charliemccraney** » October 28, 2010, 8:07 am

http://fordtruk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6188

Uncle Skip · Post by **Uncle Skip** » October 28, 2010, 8:51 am

Nostalgia Sid can drop them for you.
Someone here actually knows him. Greg?
U@ss

R Pope · Post by **R Pope** » October 28, 2010, 7:49 pm

An axle "flip" usually drops the front end way too much to drive regularly, as well as being a bit too Mickey Mouse to do to a nice truck. Bite the bullet and get your axle dropped!

Gary Seymour · Post by **Gary Seymour** » October 28, 2010, 8:19 pm

I think an axle flip is a viable way of lowering a straight axle truck. You can tell exactly how much lower the truck will be. Which tells you how much suspension travel there will be left. It's definitely cheap to do. With a single measurement (axle thickness) you can see how feasable it will be to do on any truck.

Notice the "lil blue uni" truck in the pictures - how the axle is braced on each side with a block. The mounting u-bolts go through these blocks on each side and the blocks are between the springs and the axle mounting flange. VERY important to do something like this to have a stable- mounted axle.

On my uni, I've done spring work, and had the axle dropped. I look at it and wonder - "wouldn't it have been easier just to flip the axle??"

As long as there is enough suspension travel to meet the service duties you have intended for the truck, I think flipping axles is an easy way to get 'er down.

R Pope · Post by **R Pope** » October 30, 2010, 8:30 am

A flip will lower it by the depth of the axle, plus the spring thickness, plus the thickness of whatever pad arrangement you build to seat the axle on. Usually over 6" total. Also check with your safety inspector, it might not be acceptable.

matt2491 · Post by **matt2491** » October 30, 2010, 10:23 am

I've moved leafs around in the pack before. Works okay and is free.

MadMaxetc · Post by **MadMaxetc** » October 30, 2010, 10:32 am

Everyone I have seen had issues with hitting the frame just durring light driving and cornering.

I would look into Mono Leefs and/or droped axle.

charliemccraney · Post by **charliemccraney** » October 30, 2010, 10:42 am

MadMaxetc wrote:Everyone I have seen had issues with hitting the frame just durring light driving and cornering.

I would look into Mono Leefs and/or droped axle.

Actually, the blue one in the link above looks to have about the same clearance mine has with standard eye monos. As long as the snubbers are left in place, it should be ok. They will prevent direct contact with the frame and soften the blow the times it does use up all of that clearance.

GDG · Post by **GDG** » October 30, 2010, 1:45 pm

Try it, it's cheap, doesn't take too long to do, if you don't like it change it back. My experience is that coolness requires some compromise with practicality sometimes!!
Go for it!!
Doug

Gary Seymour · Post by **Gary Seymour** » October 30, 2010, 4:26 pm

Wow, you are absolutely right R Pope! I didn't think to add the spring pack thickness to the drop.

It's still about suspension travel for me. If there's enough travel, I don't see anything wrong with it.

I couldn't live with the axle hitting the frame. That's why on my front springs I only went with the eyes being reversed - no de-arching - and a three inch axle drop no leafs removed (yet).

Post by **Greg D** » October 30, 2010, 5:11 pm

Gary (Truckrat) knows Sid. Mono leafs will lower it more than the drop axle and are a bolt in.
Now combine the 2 and we are talking.

Gary Seymour · Post by **Gary Seymour** » October 30, 2010, 6:10 pm

If I were to do it all over again, I would start with mono leafs.

Uncle Skip · Post by **Uncle Skip** » October 30, 2010, 6:56 pm

What I want to know is, with the mono leafs, how do you adjust for the change in the caster because of the rake?
I can see if you lower the rear the same amount, but not just the front.
If I were going to do it, I'd just drop the front because I love the "California rake". But if you don't reset the caster, it makes for a really interesting driving experience at any speed over 20 mph:shock: --- don't ask.
That's why I suggested Nostalgia Sid in the first place.
U@ss

62galxe · Post by **62galxe** » October 30, 2010, 7:19 pm

I have reverse eye monos on mine. Its 1" between the bump stops and axle. With good shocks it doesnt hit the stops very often.

ezernut9mm · Post by **ezernut9mm** » October 30, 2010, 8:02 pm

Greg D wrote:Gary (Truckrat) knows Sid. Mono leafs will lower it more than the drop axle and are a bolt in.
Now combine the 2 and we are talking.

combine the two and you get this:

supersmitty · Post by **supersmitty** » October 30, 2010, 9:20 pm

I hope to have the cab off soon and the drivetrain out so I will have just the chassis. I looked at the bump stops and the steering arm placement and I it looks like the clearance for the bump stops wont change cause they are located above the spring, not the axel, and my steering arm will actuall be more straight than before, it was pitched down before. I will post pics soon. Thanks for all the advice, hopefully the pics will give more insite and maybe persuade me to keep it or put it back to stock.

charliemccraney · Post by **charliemccraney** » October 31, 2010, 1:06 am

Uncle Skip wrote:But if you don't reset the caster, it makes for a really interesting driving experience at any speed over 20 mph

Mine drives great with no other changes other than the monos. On the highway, I get up to 80-90mph to keep up with traffic and it is excellent.

oldtrucks · Post by **oldtrucks** » October 31, 2010, 1:18 am

This is what 4 inch mono's all around and 20 inch tires and wheels does and it drives better than it did the new owner says.

Before

After

Post by **Greg D** » October 31, 2010, 1:19 am

No problems with the monos at all, drives fine even with some rake (the Uni with them was originally stock height in the rear.
You'd use caster shims just like a stock or drop straight axle if it needed adjustment.