Lowering a Peterbilt 379!!

once u lower the front end,how do u lower the rear? i've seen show trucks that sit like lowered cars.

 

You really can't lower the rearends besides running shorter tires. The ride height (basically ther distance between the frame and axle housing has to stay about the same). You can lower the ride height, but it will throw off your driveline angles which will cause you to start losing u-joints and rearends. This situation will also have less suspension travel which will cause the truck to bottom out on the bump stops...very hard on the whole truck.

 

how do the show trucks get so low? do they switch out the whold air leaf suspension on the truck for the newer model pete suspension?

 

Most of the show trucks have low pro 22.5 tires or smaller and they also dump the air in the suspension. Another thing to consider about the show trucks is that they are show trucks. They are built to look pretty and not to work hard daily without breakage. On a show truck that gets trailered or very few miles you can get away with dropping the ride height.

 

Alot of show trucks also run carhauler suspension which sits a couple of inchs lower and then let the air out of the bags. The car hauler suspension is low low air for petes.

 

I have built a few show trucks and that is bull about them being lowered because they dont work and can get away with it. I lowered mine by taking the suspension hangers in the rear and moving them from the bottom of the rail to the upper, also i run 24.5 not 22.5 and mine lays low. My big bunk i pulled the front blocks out and replaced the ubolts and then put jones front fenders on got that real low look

 

i have a 99 pete. i took the blocks out and put tapered shims. a million miles w no trouble. cant beat that. got low pro 22.5 tires and low air laef on the rear. when i drop the air it looks like all the show trucks. could get a lil lower in front w bags but for a truck i work every day in and out of feed mills it is fine. just gotta watch gettin on scales and crossin rr tracks. lower is always better!

 

If your getting into frame work you can move your suspension mounting brackets higher up on the frame rail and fill in the old holes. Ive seen that done before with success

 

I have a 2000 T600 that I lowerd by swaping the rear hanger to a shorter one and swaping the blocks between the leaf and axel for one 90% shorter..sitting on 24.5 low pro tires I then got the truck allined and its been two years now riding low and it feels the same as it did before.. the lowest t600 on the road

 

sooo.... i just finished dropping my rear hangers and now have a funny noise from rearend at 70 mph, i was woundering if you had to change ride hight or driveline angles or if my stuff was just wore into 1 spot for so long that it doesnt like its new position? 2000 pete low air leaf thanks