Dropping driveline for SOA in a 40? (1 Viewer)

[greenbeasty]

Help me out with a budget trail only 40. I have a 70ish 40 that I have owned for years. Did Tellico back in the day with Rainman and all the other old guys. I had a SOA with 38s and loved it, wife hated the heigth and tippy feeling. Later went back under axles to drive on street when Tellico closed.

NOW, started wheeling again and want to do another SOA using

FJ60 axles and wheel spacers for width
stock fj40 springs, minus a couple of leaves
anti wrap bar on rear axle
wide 36s or 37s

My question is about center of gravity. I am truing to stay as low (as possible with a SOA), and wide ( using 60 axles and spacers) . Would there be any great benefit in lowering the driveline a couple of inches?
I have 2F, sm420, and 3sp case.

I have not looked real close at the fabrication need to lower the engine and trans. Is it ever done?
The buggies looking so wide and low is what started me thinking about COG.

Lemme hear thoughts from you guys, good or bad.
Thanks, Frank

 

[Krazyfj]

I made all new leaf spring brackets to try to keep it as low as possible when I did my SOA, I also did a shackle reversal and cut a hole through the frame and used RuffStuff's 8" shackles, the truck sits fairly low but has a lot of down flex, I will see if I have any pic's. As for the dropped drivetrain, I guess it depends on the terrain you wheeling, I wheel in rocks so I want my drivetrain up out of the way but not so high it affects stability.

Buggies stay so low because the use 3 or 4 links instead of leaf springs, much more easier (hehe) to lower the vehicle.

 

[mr jits]

I'm running 56" Dakota springs with the front and rear with shackle mounts moved 2" and 4" respectively. The bottom of my sill is sitting 24" above the ground when level, which puts the bottom of the slider 22" from the ground.
The set up has 4" of up travel limited by bump stops, and 10" down which I May have to limit with straps.
Overall what I have built up is very similar to what you have in mind, minus spacers for width. My truck is sitting pretty low and wide on H1 headlocks with 3.5" of backspacing.

 

[greenbeasty]

Thanks to both of you. After thinking and reading your post, I don't think lowering the drive train is worth the work, I also wheel mostly rocks also.

 

[BionicCruiser]

mine is the opposite. it sits way high. I'm on full width 1 tons, but frame is over 28" of clearance. drive train almost flat. I can tip it way farther off camber than I am comfortable with(and I am comfortable pretty far over). lots of body roll and never flopped it. looks like you have a good plan for keeping it low as possible. leave the drive train alone. too much work and not necessary for your needs, IMHO.

 

[greenbeasty]

Thanks BC