"BAD BOW's" Sport Truck Stance
The information on this page can be used for 73-87 LWB and SWB base trucks.
What is a "sport truck stance"? The stance is noted as being dropped from 2 to 2.5 inches on the front and 4 inches in the back. A "dropped" or "lowered" truck is dropped less than 2 inches in front and less than 4 inches in the back. A "slam" is any drop from 3 inches to 6 in the front and more than 5 more inches in the back. The stance desired and best look is first determined by the owner. Once the owner decides which stance he likes the next step is to decide what type of parts to use. This page documents the installation of a "sport truck stance" drop kit on my '83. There are several companies that make lowering kits for trucks. I chose a Western Chassis kit from "Sport Truck Direct". The kit includes 2.5 inch spindles and a shackle/hanger combo for 4 inches in the back. Using a 2 inch spindle and a 4 inch drop will nearly level a truck. You can level the truck by removing the heavy load springs on the rear. There is one thing to note on ordering spindles. You must know the diameter size of your rotor. GM made two different size and the spinal must be ordered to match the stock size rotor. You will also need to buy shocks for the lowered stance. You can reinstall the stock size shocks but they will not work very well. Dropped shocks There are also kits that use springs to drop the front but I chose a spindle to keep the factory front geometry as close as possible to stock. One reason to keep the geometry close to stock is an engineering "odd" that GM engineers put on these trucks. The engineering odd I'm talking about is the travel path of the front tire compared to the back tire travel path. The front travel path of the front tires is approximately 1 inch wider than the rear. Just look carefully at the pictures at the bottom of this page. The wheels in the picture all have the same back spacing and the "odd" engineering stance is noticeable. The stance can be corrected by several means. You can buy different sized "back" spaced wheels, use a spacer on the rear wheels, change the front "A" arms or change the rear end. Buying different "back" spaced wheels is the easiest.
The pictures above were the last pictures taken before the installation of the "sport truck stance" kit. Wondering what you need to install the kit? Here is short list: 4 good buddies to help remove the bed, basic tools, jack stands, floor jack, a block or 4x2~16' long piece of wood, ballpin hammer and a good chisel. You will need at least a whole Saturday to install the kit. However as you work you will probably find parts that will need replacing so realistically a whole weekend is required.
The installation of the rear kit is very straight forward. The front leaf hanger is riveted onto the frame. Use the a good small ballping hammer and a chisel to remove them. Use some vice grips to hold the chisel. A good "wack" and the rivets pop right off. Be aware that the leaf spring is under load!!! Always be aware of the load for your safety. The rear hanger is replaced by removing two bolts for each. Install the front hanger first. Then bolt up the leafsprings. Next install the rear shackle. You can use the floor jack with the wood to raise the truck frame to bolt up the leafspring.
While the bed off, check for any for any worn or broken parts. Replace anything that could use replacing. Especially the gas tank selector valve. It won't get any easier to replace it!!! Believe me if you replace the gas tank selection valve with the bed on, you will have on long experience. Things to check while the bed include broken gas tank ground straps, broken leaf springs, "U" joints on the driveshaft, transmission oil leaks, rearend oil leaks, fuel lines, brake lines and cab condition. Replace any parts necessary since you have access to a ton of parts. Got paint? Paint what you want to stop rust. Use a good wire brush to remove years of rust and grim. You will have to notch one of the bed rails to make clearance for the rear shackles. Measure carefully and cut a small section on each side. Cut out enough rail so you can later easily remove the top shackle bolt if necessary. You must also cut or replace the rear axle snubbers to keep the truck from bottoming out too quickly.
The installation of the front spindles requires more safety concerns. The biggest concern is the loaded front springs. Use the floor jack to keep the springs under load. Use a chain to keep the spring loaded. You don't want to get hit by a flying spring!!!! Replace any ball joints that need to be replaced. The spindle will fit directly in the same position as the stock spindle. The only difference on a dropped spindle is the location of the actual bearing pin for the rotor. Grease the bearings and reinstall the spindle as removed. The pictures below were the first taken with the "sport truck stance" kit.
The pictures below were taken several months later.
The pictures below were taken after the installation of the new "spoke" wheels. Notice the truck is not level. The truck is not leveled because the truck has 235/60R15s on the front and 255/60R15s on the rear. The truck would almost sit level if 255/60R15s were used on the front. The extra 1/2 inch drop on the spindles makes the stance noticeable.
How does "BAD BOW" look now?