going for the gusto...

[psychotic]

ok everyone seems to be saying different things. I want to lower my X 3 inches using the T-bar flip and blocks in the rear. What else do i need to do for this to be possible?
Like do i need new shocks? To cut or take off the stoppers/spacers? To take off a shock pin? I'm a little confused...

 

[Johnny V]

Fastazz,
Thanx 4 the reply!
I know all about how to lower via swaping the spacers, or using blocks. I couldn't tell by your pix how low you went, that's why I was asking about the "STOPPERS"
Also you didn't mention the allignment...???
If you did I think I know the answer to this, but did it require "SHIMS"?

You may have already said but how low did you go in the front? I know that you said the rear was the distance of the spacers, but these "SPORTS" seem to sit about a 1/2" to 3/4" higher in the front...???

Thanks again!!!

Johnny V.

 

[FastAZZ4.0]

hey pyshcotic, you don't need to purchase anything else to lower it the 3" you want. you will need about $45.00 for a deposit on the puller from autozone, i believe it is a-02078. it is the 2/3 arm puller. the pic of it is a few pages back in this thread. afterwards it would be in your best interest to get an alignment ASAP. then afterwards look into getting shims put in. i know i am going to need them. these are brand new tires, so i don't feel like having to replace them all the time. johnny V, well i can only guess i went about 3-4" in the front and about 2-3" in the rear. as far as shims go, no i haven't gotten them yet, but i do believe that i am going to need them...... well good luck......

 

[Johnny V]

Wow a speedy reply !!!

Thanks for the info, again I'll post pix when I do mine.

Johnny V.

 

[rcogs]

>>well i can only guess i went about 3-4" in the front and about 2/3" in the rear<<
_____________________________________

fastazz, what is the total thickness of the factory spacers in the rear of your '98? If it's the same as my '99 2wd Sport, my four spacers add up to 1-9/16", so that's about what the drop is in the rear of mine when I moved them to the tops of my springs two years ago(I measured from the wheel opening to the ground several times).

 

[FastAZZ4.0]

i believe each spacer was about 1/2" or 5/8" wide. and i had 4......... so do the math, cuz i suck at it real bad.

 

[psychotic]

newb question.. what are shims?

 

[X24]

PICS... finally

Hey guys... click the link in my sig. for pics. It is lowered 1" in the back and 2 1/4" in the front. Now all I need are some bigger wheels. Let me know what you think.

 

[psychotic]

What are shims ?

 

[rcogs]

>>What are shims<<
_______________________

They're just spacers. If you lower your truck a certain amount, and it knocks your camber out of it's acceptable range(in degrees), you'll need to have it adjusted(or you'll screw up your tires). Shims are used to make these adjustments, they come in different thicknesses.

 

[neo77777]

98 Dropped Sport

Godfather,
I don't have a good link right now, but I'll forward you a pic...hit me at neo77777@hotmail and I'll forward you a copy. I think you'll like the look the GT wheels give the truck!

NEO

 

[neo77777]

98 Dropped Sport

Godfather,
I must have been sleeping...check these...

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Let me know what you think!

NEO

 

[Godfather 1138]

I like the way those look, but I was looking at the 2000 GT's for mine (the 5 star style).

I know there have probably been alot of questions asked that I should be answering here, but I'm worn out....things sundenly got crazy in this town.

Catch you guys on the flip.

 

[benj75]

still waiting on the weather

i finally got my rear end lowered a couple of weeks ago. i'm still waiting on a clear sunny day, so i can detail my truck and take some good pics. this weather really sucks. if it's not raining, it's cloudy, overcast, and supposed to rain again soon.

a local alignment shop did it for me for $20.

the pins(bolts) that keep everything straight had to be cut out and replaced when moving the spacers(2dr EX).

after my ratchet breaking experience, i feel it was definately worth $20 to have someone else do the work.

the front dropped 2 3/16". moving the spacers in the rear was good for 1 1/2". so, with the rear sag i had of 11/16", my EX sets level now.

i was really surprised by the ride. maybe it has something to do with my EX only having 38,000 miles? the ride with my stock shocks doesn't really feel much harsher, but it does sound worse when i go over small potholes or railroad tracks. it's also less bouncy than i thought it would be(although it does bounce somewhat). the body still leans more than i'd like when cornering, but is much improved over stock height. i plan on replacing the shocks soon, as i'm sure the stock ones won't take the abuse of unsprung weight for very long.

 

[benj75]

i finally got some pics !

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[RTStork]

Looks great!

 

[NaplesBill]

It looks really good!

 

[benj75]

thanks for the compliments!

the pics are hosted on AOhelL, so if one or both images don't show up, just refresh the screen and they should load. i'm using a 6month free trial of AOhelL and don't really care for it. i'll be happily switching to earthlink or a local ISP in a few months.

 

[taxx]

shims are just like the wood shims you might use in a door frame, but what they are is a piece of metal triangulat in shape like a ramp so you cna change the angle of your axel to better suit the drive shaft and u-joints. I would recomend going to a drive line shaft and having them do the measurements to tell you what angle you need.

 

[psychotic]

Having someone else do it seems like a good idea. Maybe i can find a place around here to do it for me. Did you just tell them the instructions on flipping the T-bar or what? I already checked with the ford dealership on help... they said no-no