difference between a spindle drop & spring drop ???

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jondevil

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Yeah , I'll see how harsh the ride is and if it's too harsh I'll have to take the hit & sell them and go to 22" . It won't be laden w/ tools or anything. Mostly just to go look at jobs. otoh , I've had low profile tires on other vehicles & never minded the ride. They were much lighter vehicles though.
 
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jondevil

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View attachment 248344 View attachment 248345 I’m telling you, I’ve had trucks with 20’s, 22’s and 24’s. The 24’s are nice. Plenty of tire and good grip.
What brands are the wheels and tires?
They're the factory Trackhawks ( aftermarket ) & the tires are 285/40-24 Atturo AZ800's. I'm big on reviews / input from peers , and although I never heard of the brand , they had a lot of very good reviews. They certainly look the part , fwiw.
btw , I was going to go w/ the same rims you have , but saw the Trackhawks at the last minute.
 
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TomB 1269

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Just to add to conversation...Spindle is the way to go if money is not an issue and the truck is 2 wheel drive.
Think of it like this;

- Coil drop means you loose 2 inches of travel height, which means shorter shocks, which results in higher likelihood of bottoming out suspension i.e. hitting bump stops.

- spindle drop is the better way, leaves the factory suspension height, shocks etc. In short think of your spindle as a vertical shaft spins right and left and that has a hub mounted on it for the wheel and tire to turn on. Now take the factory vertical shaft and move the hub the tire and rim rides on up 2 inches.
-Only real draw back is that it does place the lower control arm closer to the ground and therefore at slightly higher risk for contact with objects in the road (road kill etc.), or dragging it in ruts if you go off road.

If you want to maintain a comfortable factor street ride then spindle drop.....

If you want to road coarse, scca race then springs as it will have less suspension travel, therefore less body roll and by default a lowered spring will have more tension, i.e. be a firmer spring which is what you want on a road course but not on a daily driver

FYI, your change in tires will already have a major impact on how the truck handles and rides as there will be less give in the tire compared to stock. So A lowered spring and the tire change you are making will definitely have a harsher ride. A spindle drop will keep the "factory ride" but the tire will give it that tighter handling feel.

These trucks do roll a little on the factory suspension, but a lot of what you feel in your butt from the factory is the tires rolling over. Lower profile tires as you will have will have little to no side rolling in a corner.

4X4s have the front axle shafts to deal with and lowering spindle can be more problematic.
 
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Just to add to conversation...Spindle is the way to go if money is not an issue and the truck is 2 wheel drive.
Think of it like this;

- Coil drop means you loose 2 inches of travel height, which means shorter shocks, which results in higher likelihood of bottoming out suspension i.e. hitting bump stops.

- spindle drop is the better way, leaves the factory suspension height, shocks etc. In short think of your spindle as a vertical shaft spins right and left and that has a hub mounted on it for the wheel and tire to turn on. Now take the factory vertical shaft and move the hub the tire and rim rides on up 2 inches.
-Only real draw back is that it does place the lower control arm closer to the ground and therefore at slightly higher risk for contact with objects in the road (road kill etc.), or dragging it in ruts if you go off road.

If you want to maintain a comfortable factor street ride then spindle drop.....

If you want to road coarse, scca race then springs as it will have less suspension travel, therefore less body roll and by default a lowered spring will have more tension, i.e. be a firmer spring which is what you want on a road course but not on a daily driver

FYI, your change in tires will already have a major impact on how the truck handles and rides as there will be less give in the tire compared to stock. So A lowered spring and the tire change you are making will definitely have a harsher ride. A spindle drop will keep the "factory ride" but the tire will give it that tighter handling feel.

These trucks do roll a little on the factory suspension, but a lot of what you feel in your butt from the factory is the tires rolling over. Lower profile tires as you will have will have little to no side rolling in a corner.

4X4s have the front axle shafts to deal with and lowering spindle can be more problematic.
thanks for the info Tom , very enlightening / reassuring. I have in fact decided on a spindle set-up , just not sure which one yet . My truck is 2wd as a matter of fact. I think I'll be fine as far as damage to the control arms , no off roading w/ the truck , I have a SxS for that. I was aware of the " roll " of higher profile tires, thanks for the reminder.
 

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Old thread, but something that I can comment on.

I'm going with spindles because it's the correct way to lower any vehicle. I called McGaughy's to see what their 2" drop spindles weighed and they stated that they are forged from ductile iron and weigh 30lbs each. I checked the parts websites and they show the stock 4th gen RAM 1500 steering knuckles weighing 14lbs each. So yeah, they are heavy AF.

Check out any chassis/suspension theory book and you'll see that spindles are the only way to go. Also, body roll is a good and needed thing, it allows the suspension to move through its kinematic range providing the tire with needed camber and caster geometry for the amount of force on it. The books I've got say not to even bother with calculating weight transfer due to body roll because it isn't significant.

More or less body roll is not equal to more or less overall grip. You only want the spring to do one job: isolate the chassis from the lower control arm, NOT limit suspension travel, body roll, or wheel geometry.
 
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Wild one

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Old thread, but something that I can comment on.

I'm going with spindles because it's the correct way to lower any vehicle. I called McGaughy's to see what their 2" drop spindles weighed and they stated that they are forged from ductile iron and weigh 30lbs each. I checked the parts websites and they show the stock 4th gen RAM 1500 steering knuckles weighing 14lbs each. So yeah, they are heavy AF.

Check out any chassis/suspension theory book and you'll see that spindles are the only way to go. Also, body roll is a good and needed thing, it allows the suspension to move through its kinematic range providing the tire with needed camber and caster geometry for the amount of force on it. The books I've got say not to even bother with calculating weight transfer due to body roll because it isn't significant.

More or less body roll is not equal to more or less overall grip. You only want the spring to do one job: isolate the chassis from the lower control arm, NOT limit suspension travel, body roll, or wheel geometry.
The spindles will also move the front wheels out roughly 3/8" on both sides. You'll have to trim the lower ball joint stud ,and there's a good chance the lower ball joint stud nuts,might need a touch of grinding to fit a factory 17" rim. A good machine shop can narrow them for you.Mine have been narrowed roughly 5/8",but a 1/2" would be easier to work with.
 

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StickyLifter

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I really wish McGaughys would make aluminum drop spindles. I'm not sure how pronounced the effect would be, but I don't like the idea of doubling the weight of the steering knuckles. I think I'm going to use springs to drop 2" lower at both ends and either Bilstein 4600 or Beltech sp shocks. I'm really hoping the rear control arm and track bar geometry doesn't change too much.
 
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