How to lower your D250/D350

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How to lower your D250/D350

Postby oldestof11 » Sun May 03, 2015 2:34 pm

So there have been many people asking HOW to lower their D250/D350 trucks. Most have lowered fronts due to saggy springs. My springs were not saggy, in fact a couple people asked how I lifted the truck. So I spent this last weekend lowering the truck and took a few pics. This is by no means a step-by-step instruction, more of a tips and tricks post.

Pics are blurry due to my phones camera having some grease on it.

Here is the truck before I started messing with it.

Image

Now to do the front. I followed Jim Lane’s How To on replacing your front balljoints. Now, I have replaced the upper control arms around 3-5 months ago so it came apart real easy. A tip for popping off the lower balljoint to move the knuckle out of your way when you go to pull the spring. I have an old, useless ½” drive ratchet. The handle fit perfectly into the top balljoint hole. The steering rod lays on top of the strut rod. I put my jack under the balljoint and left a ½” gap. I put the ratchet handle into the top balljoint hole and gave it around 6 sharp whacks with a 16oz claw hammer. Popped them both off. This would also be a good time to change out your balljoints.

Now to remove the spring. I lowered the jack until I could remove it. I took that claw hammer and hooked the bottom of the spring. I used a leg and pushed the lower control arm down. The spring should pop out. Now take it over to your angle grinder and find the thinnest cutoff wheel you use. Go lightly and slowly. Each coil I cut was around 2” lower. Each cut also took around 5 minutes. I would cut one a little, then cut the other. When all said and done, I could grasp the coil within ¼” and not get burned. Here is how much I cut off.

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Now to put it back together, it is reverse. There, the front is done!

Now on to the rear. This was much more problematic as there isn’t a good write-up for replacing the rear shackles. So if you want to save your shackles, you are going to need to do stuff different.

You WILL need:

Tools:
Angle grinder
Sawzall
1-⅛” Socket
1-⅛” off-set Wrench
½” Torque Wrench
½” Breaker Bar
Hammer
Punch (I abuse my screwdivers)
¾” drill bit in a drill press
Vise

Parts:
PB Blaster
2 ¾” x 4-½” bolts
13-4100 Rear lowering shackle kit, I found this at Autozone
Image

Tools if you want to keep the old shackle and just replace bushings:
Oxy/Ace torch setup

So you want to level or lower your rear end but want to keep your springs pack? This is for you.

Jack up your truck until the leaf springs are at full extension. I jacked up the frame via the receiver hitch. Then I put jack stands under the frame and lowered the jack. I had the wheels about ½” above the floor.

First thing to do is soak the nuts in PB Blaster. Next step I did was check the bolt the leaf spring uses on the shackle. If It spins, you’re in luck. Now test the lower one. Both of mine were rusted in the bushings. If you wanted to save these shackles, now is the time to crack open that torch and use it. For me, I wasn’t keeping them so I cut them off. I first removed the nut and saved it.

Image

Now take your jack and compress the springs ever so slightly.This helps your saw blade from becoming caught when you cut through. IMPORTANT: Cut as close to the bottom bushing as possible. You are going to want to rotate it.

Image

I could not use my 4” Makita grinder to get the inside bend of the shackle so that is where you need your Sawzall. Yes, I have a Milwaukee. :)

Now that it is loose, jack up the spring pack until it hits the bottom of the bed. This is important. Break the bolt loose by putting your off-set wrench on the bolt head and your breaker bar on the nut.

Image

Once removed, tap the bolt out. If the spring pack is any less than hitting the bottom of the bed, you cannot get this bolt tapped out.

Image

Now, on to the bottom of the shackle. I cut the bolt with a grinder on the INSIDE of the shackle mount.

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Now the back part is harder. If you listened, you should have cut this down to pretty much the bushing. Now take your 4” cut-off wheel and cut through the rubber (gonna be smokey) and into the bolt. My angle grinder couldn’t get it all so I rotated it. Eventually it popped off and I could pull the rest of the shackle out.

Now take your brand new shackle kit and modify it. It is meant for a Chevy but it worked well for our springs. At the end the spring bolts to is a 9/16” hole. There are 2, one for 1” lower and one for 2” lower. Select which one you want and drill it out to a ¾” hole. Now for the bushing. Knock the metal sleeve out. The hole that it is in is ¾” big. Couple of people who I have read about using these knock them out. So I did so. Sorry, no pics as I got excited getting this far and I needed to hurry up so my wife could leave for work. I torqued the nut to 85ft lbs.

Now bolt it to the spring FIRST. Then lower the axle until you can get the bottom bolt lined up. Torque to 85 ft lbs.

Image

There you have it, a lowered rear. When it stops raining, I will get some after pics.
Jon
93 D250~ Mismatch of cheap parts, trying to look fast going slow
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Re: How to lower your D250/D350

Postby dr_funk » Tue May 05, 2015 5:32 pm

But.....why?
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Re: How to lower your D250/D350

Postby oldestof11 » Tue May 05, 2015 6:35 pm

Looks a hell of a lot better, handles better, rides better.
Jon
93 D250~ Mismatch of cheap parts, trying to look fast going slow
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Re: How to lower your D250/D350

Postby oldestof11 » Wed May 06, 2015 3:22 pm

Image

150 mile update.

Hoe. Lee. Crap. Best mod yet. It no longer crashes over/into road imperfections like pot holes that our great state of Illinois doesn't fix. It drives a bit more sturdy. More controlled. Toe changed from 3/16" inward to dead straight. It handles much better. Part of this is due to the spring rate change with less spring. The rear is rides just as it did before, a bit stiff but still controlled.
Jon
93 D250~ Mismatch of cheap parts, trying to look fast going slow
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Re: How to lower your D250/D350

Postby ellis93 » Wed May 06, 2015 4:50 pm

Jon! What is hanging down from your truck brother?
93 D250 ,5 speed,4.11s,k&n autometer tach pyro trans boost guages,GDS 60mm h1c 14cm,honed 5x10,hplp/reg,1/8 timing,M+H M2 fuel pin, tims cooler tubz
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Re: How to lower your D250/D350

Postby oldestof11 » Wed May 06, 2015 5:57 pm

Lines to the nonexistent underbed cooler. Seriously, they run to the fan and tie into each other. They will be up and tucked outta the way tomorrow.

There was a zip tie that held them up but when the tornado hit work, I flew across a set of railroad tracks that ended up not being smooth. Only damage I can see. LOL
Jon
93 D250~ Mismatch of cheap parts, trying to look fast going slow
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14mm rotor
 
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Re: How to lower your D250/D350

Postby ellis93 » Wed May 06, 2015 6:48 pm

Those wouldn't be nice to have hang on something :lol:

I like the looks of the truck Jon but it isn't my flavor. I like them high enough I don't have to worry about dragging road kill :lol:
93 D250 ,5 speed,4.11s,k&n autometer tach pyro trans boost guages,GDS 60mm h1c 14cm,honed 5x10,hplp/reg,1/8 timing,M+H M2 fuel pin, tims cooler tubz
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ellis93
14mm rotor
 
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