Could you raise the ibeam mounting point?

[dablack00]

I know we can't lower our trucks too far because of the ibeam suspension. I have one of my trucks stripped down to the front frame. The small end of the ibeam could be raised a couple of inches and then the spring end could be lowered maybe four inches before you started having suspension problems......right?

What would be wrong with raising the small end of the ibeam?

Austin

[SmokeyBear]

As the wheel end on the beam would travel upward it would probably contact the crossmember.

[Dropped 68]

I have seen it done before, I don't have it done on mine though. The first thing that hit was the bumpstops. I Cut off my bump stops and mounts. I now only have about 1/2 of clearance between the frame and I-beam. But like was stated above you would have to notch the crossmember (the truck I saw like this had been). Basically other than alignment issues, I don't think it's worth the effort. Mine is as slammed as far as she'll go w/ a decent ride before I get my bags and IFS. And they were able to bend my beams to where I don't have negative camber. I would get drop beams but I've only got about 3-4 inches of clearance between my crossmember and the pavement

[marz68]

sombody needs to come out with a kit so that you can lay your truck in the weeds on stock I beams. I would do that but I will need a ginny pig.

[Big D's 69]

sombody needs to come out with a kit so that you can lay your truck in the weeds on stock I beams. I would do that but I will need a ginny pig.

I would be all about that.

[mcarlson11]

just design some drop spindles.

[FORDification]

just design some drop spindles.

If there's one thing that someone really needs to engineer, it's a good set of drop spindles.

[Big D's 69]

SO what is so hard about it that no one has come out with one? I'm no engineer, but almost every other vehicle has them so why not us?

[theskytoucher]

nobody wants to take the time to do it. they dont think there is the market for them but this classic trucks article might get somebody to do something about it!!! We can only hope

[marz68]

dropped I beams and dropped spindles would really get you on the ground, just remember that dropped spindles might require you to run a larger wheel cause the bottom of the I beam might hit on the inside of your wheel.

[Big D's 69]

It would just be nice to have that option. I would figure 16's or bigger would clear.

[snake]

I don't know this for sure but I suspect that drop spindles simply will not work efficiently for the I-beam/king pin style setups(twin I-beam or single I-beam). Don't take me wrong - it could probably be done but it would be more than just making a drop spindle with the spindle shaft repositioned higher.

Here are my thoughts.......

Looking at your typical drop spindle for double control arm suspensions - the actual spindle shaft remains between the upper and lower balljoints. Moving its location changes the amount of forces applied to each ball-joint but the load still goes to both and the same direction as originally designed.

Looking at our king-pin style spindle in the stock form we have the same condition as far as the actual spindle shaft being between the upper and lower kingpin bushings. See sketch

http://www.fordification.com/tech/image ... ematic.jpg

The kingpin bushings basically handle the same loads as the upper and lower balljoint on dual control arms suspensions in regard to positioning/stabilizing the spindle. However the king pin bushings are much closer together than upper and lower ball joints.

Now if the same basic concept is followed to design a drop spindle for the kingpin style spindle (simply raising the actual spindle shaft relative to the mounting points)the spindle shaft quickly moves even with or above the top king pin bushing rather than being between them. In essence this creates a cantilever design with the spindle shaft and associated forces being above both bushings which will quickly wear the bushings out, not to mention require a much beefier spindle to prevent bending. Larger bushings capable of handling the loads or wider spacing between king pin bushings could be used to handle these issues but as you can see, this quickly snowballs into custom spindles, king pins and I-beams.........

Enough rambling....... Again, let me state that I have not performed any calculations etc regarding this - these are just my thoughts as to why there aren't drop spindles available for our bumpsides. Also, when I look at street rod parts catalogs such as Speedway Motors etc, they do have reproduction spindles for many straight axle cars but I don't recall seeing any that were 'drop spindles' - just newer better materials and manufacturing processes or with revised brake mountings. Typically all kingpin style suspensions were dropped using the axles rather than the spindles......(obviously I don't know about all products ever produced so there may be something out there that contradicts my comments - I'm just speaking of what I've seen and know about)

[Big D's 69]

Well thinking of it that way it does make sense. SO maybe that is why there isn't any drop spindles. Thanks for shedding light that makes sense.

[marz68]

I don't know this for sure but I suspect that drop spindles simply will not work efficiently for the I-beam/king pin style setups(twin I-beam or single I-beam). Don't take me wrong - it could probably be done but it would be more than just making a drop spindle with the spindle shaft repositioned higher.

Here are my thoughts.......

Looking at your typical drop spindle for double control arm suspensions - the actual spindle shaft remains between the upper and lower balljoints. Moving its location changes the amount of forces applied to each ball-joint but the load still goes to both and the same direction as originally designed.

Looking at our king-pin style spindle in the stock form we have the same condition as far as the actual spindle shaft being between the upper and lower kingpin bushings. See sketch

http://www.fordification.com/images/kin ... ematic.jpg

The kingpin bushings basically handle the same loads as the upper and lower balljoint on dual control arms suspensions in regard to positioning/stabilizing the spindle. However the king pin bushings are much closer together than upper and lower ball joints.

Now if the same basic concept is followed to design a drop spindle for the kingpin style spindle (simply raising the actual spindle shaft relative to the mounting points)the spindle shaft quickly moves even with or above the top king pin bushing rather than being between them. In essence this creates a cantilever design with the spindle shaft and associated forces being above both bushings which will quickly wear the bushings out, not to mention require a much beefier spindle to prevent bending. Larger bushings capable of handling the loads or wider spacing between king pin bushings could be used to handle these issues but as you can see, this quickly snowballs into custom spindles, king pins and I-beams.........

Enough rambling....... Again, let me state that I have not performed any calculations etc regarding this - these are just my thoughts as to why there aren't drop spindles available for our bumpsides. Also, when I look at street rod parts catalogs such as Speedway Motors etc, they do have reproduction spindles for many straight axle cars but I don't recall seeing any that were 'drop spindles' - just newer better materials and manufacturing processes or with revised brake mountings. Typically all kingpin style suspensions were dropped using the axles rather than the spindles......(obviously I don't know about all products ever produced so there may be something out there that contradicts my comments - I'm just speaking of what I've seen and know about)

That was great!
I dose make sense.

[MadMaxetc]

I'm no engineer

I am!

If there's one thing that someone really needs to engineer, it's a good set of drop spindles.

I am listening...

I don't know this for sure but I suspect that drop spindles simply will not work efficiently for the I-beam/king pin style setups(twin I-beam or single I-beam). Don't take me wrong - it could probably be done but it would be more than just making a drop spindle with the spindle shaft repositioned higher.

(and the other stuff he said...)

All true, but...

let me state that I have not performed any calculations etc regarding this

Maybe I could do that. I work on CATIA all day and work with some of the best Stress Engineers in the Aircraft Biz. AND I have a set of I-Beams and Spindles just sitting around...

I will talk to them some time about it...

BACK TO THE QUESTION...

You could move the axle pivot up...but you would have to move all related parts with it.

You would have to cut some of the coils out of the spring.
You would have to notch the crossmember to allow clearance with the I's
You would have to change the drop on the pitman arm.
You might also have to notch out the frame above the bumpstops.

Oh and you would have to be sure to clear the oil pan on your engine.

That is a lot of work to keep the I-beams

PS: Engineers went to school for math and physics...not spelling and grammar.