How to lower?

[Yo Jutt]

Wondering how one would go about lowering/slamming a model? I have never done this before other than a front end of a Dodge Dart and kinda cheated adjusting wheel positioning. Also have adjusted rear ends by filling down leaf spring mounts. But I'm curious. I'm working on a 1950 Ford pickup that would look good sitting low, and am wondering how to go about it without getting frustrated and giving up. Does this require building a new frame? Or making all new suspension? Are there kits I could rob parts from? Like I said never done it, interested in broadening my skills a little. Hoping for a little insight or maybe a link a wip that has a good explanation. Thanks guys any help at all would be great!!

[Ace-Garageguy]

You're already on the right track.

It's quite easy with that particular kit to get just about any amount of lowering you could want. The question is "how low do you want to go?".

Both ends of your truck have similar suspension designs...parallel semi-elliptic leaf springs with a beam front-axle and Hotchkiss-style rear axle (sometimes called "live rear axle"). 

For just a little lowering, you can file away material from the springs where the axles attach. This would be analagous to removing a couple of spring leaves on the real thing.

For a little more lowering, if you want to do it kinda right, you'll have to either cut the spring-perches loose where they attach to the frame, and move them up (which will lower the chassis a corresponding amount) OR modify the spring shackles to let the springs fit closer to the frame rails (also lowering the chassis a like amount).

For LOTS of lowering...notice that when this model is sitting upright , the axles are BELOW the springs. If you rework the suspension so that you put the axles ABOVE the springs, you'll get a lot more drop...so much that you may have to notch the frame a little to clear the axle (called 'C-notching' on real vehicles), or modify the brackets or shackles to raise the model up somewhat.

You'll have to decide on how you want your model to sit when completed, and experiment with these techniques to get the look you're after.

NOTE: Whenever you lower the suspension on a real car or a model, you very often run into other things that have to be modified slightly for fit and clearance. Work carefully, pay attention to how things go together, and what else may need to be changed. Also try to think of what a real vehicle would require to keep from looking impossible / goofy. Real vehicles need room for the tires to move up in the fenders as the vehicle goes over bumps, and room for the front tires to steer inside the fenders too.

To get everything to work out like you want it to, it's necessary to block the model up at the finished height you want, and do some careful measuring. I strongly suggest you mock-up your model on the stock suspension and carefully measure the ground clearance as it comes, on both ends. Then remove the suspension and block the truck up at the height you want it to sit at. See if the wheels / tires you're using will actually still fit inside the fenders at that height, and if NOT, see where the problem lies, and fix it. Pay attention to the relationships between the parts and think through what each change will do.

Remember, if you subtract the measurement of the ride height that you want it it be LOWERED, from the ride height it is STOCK, that will tell you exactly how much you need to relocate your axles on the spindles, and how much to cut the rear springs.

It's all just like real cars, only smaller.  

Edited September 17, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[Yo Jutt]

Thanks, that helps quite a bit. I haven't turned too many wrenches, I come from a family of carpenters. 

[espo]

Justin, Bill has offered you some very good ideas on how to lower your pick up. You might look at some of the magazines on the news stands for additional ideas, but now it seems that everyone goes with an air bag type suspension. This could work or if you want to stay an earlier time period you might want to try the way it was done in the "old days". With a little cutting you could make a dropped front axle out of the kits stock axle, that would bring the front done a scale 3" to 4". I built this same model a few years ago as a push truck/hauler for the Revell 1/4 Midget. I lowered the front suspension as described and the rear not as much by the repositioning of the spring mounts that Bill mentioned. This put the top of the white wall tires I used even with the top of the wheel openings. This would be very realistic for the street on a 1:1 truck.  As an aside on this kit. The lower valance does not have a very good mounting to the upper fenders. I would suggest you either glue them together before painting or create some small mounting tabs to go inside of the mounting for these two parts. It wouldn't take very much and I don't think it would ever be noticed after assembly. I hope you post your build I'd enjoy seeing how it turns out.

[Yo Jutt]

First of all thank you both for the great info!! It has been saved for future reference! I was able to just place the axel ABOVE the leaf spring for the front and back. I used the stock suspension setup as it had the most room for movement. Thanks again! Here are a few pics. If interested wip is going to be posted in the light commercial section. 

[Draggon]

Perfect stance on that one

[Yo Jutt]

Thanks Glenn!! 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Perfect stance on that one

Yup. She looks great!  

[Yo Jutt]

Thanks Bill!!