drop crossmember, 73-87 GMFS

[DHPmike]

Well I keep getting calls and emails about making a dropped crossmember for the 73-87 GM fullsize. Im wondering what you guys think. Should I do this or not?

I have access to a frame clip that I can use to do some mockup and jig work on. I appreciate any opinions.

[lowtxchevy]

Go for it man!!!!! Gotta keep expanding that business

[Chevyguy]

Do you have a round about price on what you think it will run?

[SoloSDN]

make a 67-72...i got a truck u can even use haha

[DHPmike]

The 67-72 should be the same as the 73-87.

Pricing depends on what all will have to be included with it. Like steering ends to go on a Mustang II rack, engine mounts, bag plates etc.

Im certain it will come with the crossmember, mounts for the Mustang II rack, upper arm mounts and upper bag plates. anything else Im not sure yet.

with that being said Im looking at a target price of 500 to 600

[drasticwagon]

I need one

[SoloSDN]

that price is awesome

[DHPmike]

well I will make is at low priced as I can. You guys know Im not trying to get rich at this.

[johnboyislow]

if it moved the wheels forward 1 inch and narrowed the track width 1.5 inches per side and i could run slam 8 bags i would be interested......... i would prolly be interested in some of your upper and lower arms too if u could make a package deal

[DHPmike]

right now the plan is to move the wheels in about an in, maybe the 1.5" then also move the wheels forward but not sure on the amount. It depends on what the suspension geometry will allow.

I feel this is a part thats needed in a real world price.

[Chevyguy]

I dont know if it'll make you rich, but I do know it would be easier for people to purchase this over PB or any other company making them.

[Eazy]

i like my dropmember

[DHPmike]

Ive seen one and they are pretty nice. The price is not so nice....

I will have something on these pretty soon.

[Chevyguy]

So are you gonna build it to the specs of your arms? Or are your arms built to factory specs?

[DHPmike]

lowers are factory length, uppers are 1/4" longer, balljoint angles are a little different.

Im not sure until I get my hands on the steering rack. Thats the main factor that determines the width of the arms. Id like to make it use the factory arms or my arms and not have to make special arms to fit that crossmember.

[Eazy]

pb dropmembers are made to use air rides arms or stock arms and now his arms
and you get what you pay for

[DHPmike]

pb dropmembers are made to use air rides arms or stock arms and now his arms
and you get what you pay for

Not really, thats an old tired statement thats no longer true in many cases. These days people sell things at what they think they can get for it. when something unique comes out people usually overprice it because they can. That doesnt mean you get what you pay for. it means you payed the price they thought they could get.

remember back in the day when DirecTV came out with small sattelites the box and dish was 750 bucks, now they are free when you buy service. The dish and service was not worth 750 then and certainly wouldnt be now even though the service now and the box is 100 times better.

when the Iphone came out the price was way more than it should have been, not worth it then or now.

if PB charged 3 grand for the setup would it still be the same situation? "get what you pay for"? NO

if they charged 150 bucks for the setup then what? then you get more than what you pay for.


Tired statement that has little to do with worth these days. These days most companies price things at market rate, which could be 100 times what they have in it or just 2 or 3 times what they have in it.



My philosophy is to price the item at at least 3 times what I have in it so I know Im making money but ripping someone off. Not trying to get rich off people, just trying to build parts that help people.



The plan is to make this work with stock arms or any arms that fit the stock crossmember. so in that case then ART would fit, Mine would, SD would, etc

[Chevyguy]

There's no point in arguing eric, you have a pb member great! It does what its supposed to.

If mike manages to get one out, I'm sure its gonna do what its supposed to. His parts seem to be doin pretty good, as well as not havin to worry about getting shot through that part lol.

You can def put me down for one! Will be pickin one up fo sho


Sent from my T-Mobile G1 using Tapatalk

[Rojo]

agreed

[DHPmike]

Hey I agree that the PB dropmember is a good piece. I have seen one first hand, the new version. Its a nice piece

Im not sure what all came with the piece I saw, nor what it cost exactly. I dont knock PB for their price since they did recently bring it down some and also put it on sale frequently. I can only go by what I put into a part. I just have to disagree with the statement as a blanket statement. In the case of the PB dropmember, if you think its a good deal then great.



Mine will not be a case of trying to undercut someone else. If it costs me too much to make then I will not make one at all rather than try to beat their price.

[Eazy]

999 is what i paid and to know that it works and is safe i think it is well worth it

[DHPmike]

are you trying to say mines not safe? the implications of your posts so far are leaning toward starting something..

you also cant judge safe by how much you spent.

there are people who bought a high dollar Toyota over a less costly Hyndai are now in a grave somewhere dead as a doornail. hopefully they didnt think that spending that extra money bought them something safer.

its a crossmember, its easy to see how safe it is by looking at it.

[Rojo]

Hears Michael Jackson in the background.......wanna be starting something

[Rojo]

Actually they are a one man operation working out of his garage lol

[Slammy]

Actually they are a one man operation working out of his garage lol

Porter is? I swear i saw a pic on one of the old truck forums and they have a pretty good sized shop with several projects going at once. Def wasnt a one man operation. Maybe i was wrong, i dunno.

[Rojo]

Ehh he may be now but I hi k it's Nathan porter if I remember correctly cause when Eric bought his he had his cell number and ha problems but porter was doing so much a once it was kinda backlogging him. But that's notbto say he wasn't renting a warehouse but who cares lol

[Slammy]

Ill just delete what i said before i get drawn into any BS that may or not happen in this discussion as i really dont care. lol

[Rojo]

lol that's why I put the who cares behind mine. I don't own one of these trucks so screw it haha.

[Slammy]

lol that's why I put the who cares behind mine. I don't own one of these trucks so screw it haha.

Well ive got a fine 67 ill sell ya for cheap! Check the classifieds! lol

[DHPmike]

not sure if you mean me but...

Im now a 2 man operation. I have a helper turning parts on my lathe part time. Helps me by having pieces ready for me.

Im also not in a Garage, never have been. I used to have a small shop about the size of a garage. Now I have my shop set up at my job. in a 54,000 sq ft building. The fab area is about 2,000 sq ft but the big machines like the CNC plasma, 2 Brake presses, Iron worker, shear, etc are all in other areas.

[bydrodandcustom]

Mike, you're a badass so shutup and build the damn thing already. A part is only as safe as its welds. So you better be doin some good weldin as always.

[DHPmike]

OK I have started this project by buying a front clip to start on. I also have located a 79-93 Mustang steering rack. The next step is to mock up the clip on a stand here in the shop.

I'll update as soon as I have something

[DHPmike]

I confirmed the front clip purchase today and Im scheduled to go get it sometime this week. I should be able to go get the rack also.

anyone know whats the most popular rack? by that I mean manual or power.

thanks

[Chevyguy]

Personally, Im a fan of most racks, I'm not too picky, but if I had to choose, I would go with a c cup.

http://cm1.theinsider.com/thumbnail/400/603/cm1.theinsider.com/media/0/10/95/danielle-lloyd.jpg

[DHPmike]

Im a fan of the D or larger. usually that comes with a wide ass, a trade off that i usually have to tell myself is ok

[johnboyislow]

c-dd would be my choice :)

the power rack is the most common, but i bought a 79 mustang manual rack for mine, it was a higher price then the power but its what i wanted.

[DHPmike]

Well Imma get a rack at the pick n pull and it wont matter to me which it is but Id rather get the power one so I can check into hoses for the pump.

[DHPmike]

OK I have the rack and the stock C-10 aquired and Im now starting on the actual fabrication of the drop crossmember. Im studying the suspension books I have and working on placement of the rack. I should start on jigs in a few days.

[DOORED69]

cool, I know a few people interested in these Mike.

[karichey22]

Any progress??

[DHPmike]

I have a design sketched out, been going thru suspension design books and have an overall idea. I have a front clip from a truck and have room at the shop. just havent gotten enough time to dig into it fully yet.

[shawnepps]

Hey Sammy, I mean Slammy... and everyone else. Im new to the forum. I figured this would be a great place to show off my truck and get some tips and info on what my next project could be.

[shawnepps]

Does any know where I can find a (I dont know the technical term for it) but shifter shaft or shifter for my 67 c10? I need a custom one or a OEM one.

[Slammy]

hey buddy, how did ya find yourself here? thought you were selling that truck? lol There is a noobie section to do an intro

[lowslung85]

Any progress on theese

[DHPmike]

Yes, I just cut out a full set of the plates for the one Im building and Im going to get someone to build and install it. then we shall go from there.

[rob98dimevc!]

hmmmmmmm... we could try her out on the banana truck! was plannin on just static droppin it but hell... haha! we workin tomorrow or what?

[DHPmike]

Im looking for one of my shop buddies to try one out

[DHPmike]

What Im needing here is someone who has an extra 73-87 frame that I can trade for one of these. I need to do an install and test before selling this. I do have a set of parts cut out.

[DHPmike]

Im also open to sending one of these to a local shop for assembly and installation by someone who has time to do it. Im already going to send one to Gavin at BYD rod and custom.

Im willing to send one to a shop that has one of these trucks and can install it right now. preferrably someone who has a bare frame ready to work on.

all I ask for is to be in on the discussion of what needs to be done to improve it, install pics etc.

hit me up..

[MILLER TIME]

I have a '79 one ton frame bare bones, havent had $ to start it yet but sure il be needing one of these... It can be a guinea pig lol

[DHPmike]

sounds good. would you be doing the install or someone else? This is a kit thats in pieces that need to be put together. send me an email and ill send you a pdf of the pieces layed out, and assembled.

[MILLER TIME]

Naw man I dont have the funds right now, (bout to buy my first house). But if you need a frame to scratch and screw on then ive got one :) Sorry you got the wrong impression, Im sure Il be getting one as soon as the project gets going again... But do send me a list whenever you get a chance of parts you do for the 73-87's, It should get underway pretty soon.

[MILLER TIME]

DHPMIKE im at Amillertime78@aol.com

[sideshow]

Mike, my friend Carlos will be giving you a call about this.

[dv8customs]

Im also open to sending one of these to a local shop for assembly and installation by someone who has time to do it. Im already going to send one to Gavin at BYD rod and custom.

Im willing to send one to a shop that has one of these trucks and can install it right now. preferrably someone who has a bare frame ready to work on.

all I ask for is to be in on the discussion of what needs to be done to improve it, install pics etc.

hit me up..

I've got me entire front end pulled apart in order to start working on getting my motor back in but I could install one. I'm an engineer by day so I should be able to give some helpful feedback as well. Shoot me the details if you like.

http://www.socalcustoms.com/Shows/2010/TurkeyDrag/images/DSC_2890.jpg

[DHPmike]

another question, Id like someone close so I can go see it installed or being installed. so where are you guys at?

[dv8customs]

Im in East Texas, 75631 zip code in Beckville

[DHPmike]

you guys post the name of your town..

[ybnrml]

Im in East Texas, 75601 zip code in Beckville, Tx

It's 75631 podnuh ;) Not far at all from DFW area either.

[DHPmike]

OK this is good. Ill see what I can get ready and make some plans.

[DHPmike]

Ok MFrs heres a pic of the PDF. This is all of the pieces layed out.

http://www.dallashotrodparts.com/images/crossmember01.JPG

Id like to give a couple of these to shops that can install one now, on a truck with the front sheet metal removed or a bare frame. The shop needs to be local so I can see the progress.

[MILLER TIME]

How much did you figure out they would cost?

[DHPmike]

still not sure yet. As you can tell by all the stuff on my site they will be low priced. It all depends on what all I have to include. If I need to sell it with a rack, motor mounts etc then its more.

Id like to make it work with factory arms or tube arms. Im sure it will need a 79-93 Mustang rack which can be had from any auto parts store for less than 100 bucks.

[lowslung85]

Any progress?

[DHPmike]

I have cleaned up a set of the flat pieces. Im stuck on the lower tubes for the lower arms. Im going to have to mock one up on a frame to get the proper placement. updates to come soon.

[06types]

front clip is still off my truck from getting Zed at the Cadistrophic SledFactory. You are welcome to donate one. I will even use the nikon to get lots of great shots of it all getting done. located in fort worth

[DHPmike]

OK email me and Ill get all the plates cleaned up and ready.

[DHPmike]

ok, heres an update. I have the lower mount figured out as well as the rack mount. It takes a T-bird rack and uses 2002-2006 Lincoln Aviator tie rod ends. they fit the rack as well as the stock GM square body spindles.

Heres a couple more pdf drawings turned into pics so I can show you guys how it works.

http://www.dallashotrodparts.com/images/lowermount02.jpg

http://www.dallashotrodparts.com/images/rackmount01.jpg

I have one of these at a shop being test built. Since I have not assembled one yet I decided not to cut several and ship them to shops all over until at least one was built.

[shrek]

im eager to see this come out

[RELLIMNEB]

I'm about 8 months from needing this. I hope you have them in production when I am ready.

[DHPmike]

Well Im finally in the testing stage so we shall see what happens..

[LS1WAGON]

Any updates I want one.

[DHPmike]

Yes, I sent one to a guy here in Texas thats installing it now.

Ive also located a frame to do one myself..updates soon.

I know the T-bird rack works with this and the lincoln aviator tie rod ends fit both the rack and the C-10 spindle.

[MILLER TIME]

Will this not work for a '69 c10, I thought alot of these suspension parts were interchangeable...?

[DHPmike]

yes it will

[MILLER TIME]

updates?

[DHPmike]

still waiting on the guy in Houston. He is installing it on a truck now.

an update to this though...

the waterjet should make these parts fit together nicely...

[MILLER TIME]

Is this thing gonna be a direct replacement to the stock one, like is it gonna bolt on right where the old one comes off?

[DHPmike]

Yes it will use existing holes and you have to drill a few more but existing holes are used to line it up.

The update here is that now that the waterjet is up I can start making the production version.

I also now know what rack and tie rod ends to run. I will be getting some new steel to start cutting these asap.

I should have at least one when I go to Relaxed all star event next month.

[MILLER TIME]

Alright. Hope there will be a package deal with one of these and some control arms!!!?

[DHPmike]

Alright. Hope there will be a package deal with one of these and some control arms!!!?

Yes thats the plan. arms are expensive and so is the crossmember so Im going to get the price as good as I can make it for the combo set.

The target price for the base crossmember without the steering rack or tie rods is about $500. That will include the crossmember, upper and lower arm mounts, upper and lower bag mounts.

The steering rack is less than $100 rebuilt from most auto parts stores and the tie rod ends should be pretty cheap as well.

The upper and lower arm set is $699

The target price for the arm set with the crossmember set is $999 to $1099

Im looking at making a package deal for the set with the rack and tie rod ends also. I am also looking at what is needed to adapt the steering to the rack.

more to come

[06types]

finish this up so i can start my new project lol. still waiting on pics

[MILLER TIME]

He'll yeah sounding pretty good and alot cheaper than the one I was looking at, at pb... Take your time on this one mike and ill definitely be wanting one of those package deals.

[DHPmike]

well the latest is that I have some 3/16" and Im about to start cutting the production version.

[lowslung85]

Any updates on these.

[KenGlo]

I'm ready for one of these, since i wrecked the front end of my truck its stripped down and waiting.

[jesse13]

any pics of it installed yet??

[RELLIMNEB]

I'm about a month away from purchasing a vehicle that needs this. When are they going into production?

[kpc01]

I think the crossmembers are the same, but will this work on a '64 C10 as well?