Lowering Springs on a 4x4?

[Gonchar]

My goal for my truck is for it to be an OEM+, lowered, and for it to still have 4WD. I know there probably isn't a whole lot of room between the TTB and the bumpstops, but wouldn't the added stiffness of the springs help protect my front end from constant abuse?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

What are you going to do with your truck?
I think this is something you'll have to experiment with. My 4x4 race truck I tried to keep low as possible for a better center of gravity. IIRC I used front coils from a big block f150 and cut a coil and a half out. That makes it real stiff. You might experiment with some different f150 coils. Also you could look for smaller bumpstops, or maybe cut yours down. Be aware the bumpstop has metal close to the outer portion, you might need to cut that down too.
Another possibility is to use lift brackets on the axles and stockish springs. The way the ttb works is the axle is pivoted on the coil, so if you "raise" one side, the other "lowers". It's about a 2 to 1 ratio so if you lift 6" the wheel will drop about 2". You might have a problem aligning the camber tho.

 

[Gonchar]

It's going to be a pavement princess for sure. I'm just trying to get that protouring/80s NASCAR stance. I was thinking about cutting the bumpstops, too. I also want to be able to drive this thing daily and as comfortably as possible while still achieving my goal.

It took me a minute to understand the lift bracket thing, but that sounds like a good idea. Is the cut-and-turn thing that the prerunner guys do something to consider? They do it to fix positive camber, right? If so, I could probably reverse it to fix negative camber. In theory, of course.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

If I couldn't get the camber numbers with stock pieces I would try the cut and turn. There is also cut and move the ball-joint mount. Also look for a transfer case with a differential. The early AWD Aerostar had one.

 

[Gonchar]

Where can I get more info on the ball joint thing? Don't think I've ever heard of it.

The t-case with a diff sounds cool, but I know that my junkyard doesn't have one, so might be a while before I even see one. Why should look for one, though?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

If there is a dif in the t-case, then you can run 4x4 on pavement...depending on type of dif.
I'll have to look for the ball joint thing, it's in research I was doing 10 years ago. Basically you cut out around the balljoint socket, move it out 1/2" or so, and fill in the gap with new metal. But you have to watch angles so the u-joints aren't stressed. This is for ttb or tib. Won't work on [most] tib as the beams are cast.

 

[Ranger850]

Why not just go with/convert to an AWD system. I just read this, and to me, an AWD system with cv axles would the way to go. But I do not know enough about any of it. When I was in high school, I asked a couple of guys that were avid Off Roaders about something like this. I made a joke about needing 4wd to get over speed bumps because my truck was so low. They said it could be done but why would anybody want to do that, and that the front axles diff would be what got caught on everything. So, IMO, an AWD system eliminates that issue.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

An AWD has a transfer case with a dif. That is why I suggested with the Aerostar (AWD) transfer case. It's from a RBV so will bolt in place of the existing TC , but I don't know about how driveshafts bolt up.