[lowmopr]

To anyone who has cut out thier inner fenders. If you have any pictures of the front subframe connected to the car with or without the motor. I am trying to see where and how I can z the frame rails to make the front end sit lower. I know I am going to cut to body from the floor and drop it down about 2 inches to get the body to lay on the ground when its all air out, but I need to z the front end so the K member is even with the rest of the floor.

so any pictures would be great, or if you have any better Ideas, i could use them. I am not using sleeve bags like the shockwaves, I am using round airbags, like semis and minitrucks use.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[wjaholic]

Once you cut it all up, How are you going to reconnect the steering column to the steering box?

Please tell me that this car you are planning on cutting on is severly damaged in the front section! I hate to see some one cut up a perfectly good mopar! I am all for heavy modifications, I hate to think of all the mopars that went to the crusher that could have been great street machines or race cars.

Good Luck! BBD

 

[Guest]

If you're going that route to lower it, the best method would be to leave the chassis stock, cut the perimeter, lower the body down, and weld it back onto the floor. You can chop the rails, but the drivetrain and exhaust will still be down too low below the floor. If you lower the whole body instead, you'll keep all the ground clearance underneath, but the body itself will be down where you want it. Then you could use simpler methods for the air ride and everything will work nice without hitting speed bumps, and you won't have to worry about suspension geometry. In this arrangement, remove the inner fenders nicely, lower the body from the firewall back first. You can then hang the fenders from the body with the rear bolts and just section the inners and rad support to fit in place.

It's an ambitious project, but I've seen it done a few times and the results were awesome.

 

[Guest]

On the steering column, you can shorten it up to the firewall, and that would give you enough distance to use 2 ujoints to mate up to the stock steering box....

 

[lowmopr]

I was planning on dropping the body over the floor about 2 inches (known in the mini-truckin world as a body drop) but in order to make the body look even with the ground, I would have to drop the body crooked due to K member sitting lower than anything else. The mazda pickups that we bag have an engine crossmember that sits about 1 1/4" below the rest of the frame. Most people drag the crap out of the crossmember untill it lays flat, but some people z the frame so that the crossmember will always be intact.

My car has a slant six, I was thinking of leaving it in there and putting tripple side draft webers on it or a 4barrel Hyper-pak for that kind of different look. I havnt measured it to see how low it sits. I was planning on running dual exhuast exiting in the rear fenderwells. You wont be able to see where the pipes exit, but you will hear it. The other reason I was leaving the /6 in it was I think a 360 would be a little big with the body drop and all, I know a big block would be way to big, but you with lowriders its "low and slow" heh, I know you can get some power out of those /6. This would also give me a little room for the steering and the exhuast and stuff.I am thinking that I may have to make a larger tunnel for the tranny and driveshaft though.

I just had this Idea from seeing one of my mazda friends "Z"ing thier frame. I would love to have my Valiant laying and scraping the ground. I might have to make custom arms for the front suspension to get the amount of lift I want, I dont know, i havnt talked to the local truck group to see what they think could be done.

The car in question is not damaged at all. It is a 1971 Plymouth Valaint 4-door with a slant six. It has 80,000 original miles on it. the car is all orginal, I know it would be nice to restore it, but you can talk to anybody and they will tell you that when restoring a 4-door, you will spend more money than the car is worth. I am kind of on the verge to sell it or start customizing it. I have never seen a bagged and bodydroped mopar before, nor one that lays the subframes.

Thanks Bill for the info, you gave me some more things to think about an measure. do you think a 360 is any bigger in the engine bay than a slant six, if it would fit nicely with it laying, I might be able to use a stripped down version of the alter-k with the double A-arms which would be way easier. Does the alter-k sit the same distance beloe the rails or is it tighter?

thanks again
-Mike

 

[katoomer]

Try looking at www.fatmanfabrications.com Page 17 dropped spindles for mopars- it's hte only ones I've found for a bodies.

 

[signet]

katoomer
thanks for the spammy link.

 

[katoomer]

Sorry, its http://www.fatmanfab.com/06page17.htm