Lowering 49 B-1-B

[Guest mark1949B-1-B]

Hi all,

I have a 49 Dodge B-1-B that is up pretty high and I would like to lower it down a little in the rear and front. It has 15 inch tires already. Anyone out there performed this task. Thanks in advance. Mark

[Reg Evans]

Hello Mark,

I can't help you with lowering the truck but wanted to welcome you to the group. Several of us here are from Northern Ca. I'm in Grass Valley. Your truck is a beauty. Looks like those Chevy's have you surrounded though.

Reg

[Rich Gengo]

You can take a leaf or more out of the springs if you just want to bring it down a little. Doesn't look like your hauling a lot of stuff and it will smooth out the ride also. You can also get shorter shackels to bring it down too.

[Bob_Koch]

Went to a nice car/truck show and Marks truck showed up there. Of course, I was quite excited to find another pilothouse truck in my own neighborhood. Haven't met Mark yet except by email. I told him to introduce himself to the group as you all are such a terrific bunch. So welcome to the group, Mark.

Here's a few more pics of his truck at the show.

[Reg Evans]

I like the stance of your truck with those reversed rims on the rear. Where'd you get them? I can't quite see the dog dish hub cap. Is it a stock one or ???

I'm bored with mine and never liked the color of them with my yellow truck.

[Reg Evans]

Another question. Would these adapters from Stockton Wheel be all that I would need to move my stock wheels out towards the curb more? I'm looking for a wider track and these are 1.25" thick.

[Jim Shepard]

When and where was this show? Maybe we can make a bigger presence next year...

[Bob_Koch]

Right here just north of Santa Rosa. Between Santa Rosa and Windsor at a place called Stokes Ranch. Just a nice show, no awards. Nothing pretentious about it.

[Jim Shepard]

When?

[Guest mark1949B-1-B]

It was last weekend and is an annual event put on by a local Sonoma County car club. The guy who owns the property has like 12 1930's Ford hot rods.

[Guest mark1949B-1-B]

Thanks for the welcome. My rear wheels are just turned backwards. I thought it was a custom deal and found that it was a way to soup it up back in those times. I like yours but you can turn the wheel and get the same effect I think.

Thanks for the pics Bob.. Now I know I have to be careful to clean everywhere at a show. It was a fun day and the Chevy's and Fords were overwelming but frankly allot of people stopped by to check out the Dodge and many positive comments about how nice it was to have something "different".

[Guest mark1949B-1-B]

http://www.reccc.org/Newsletters/2007/07May_Newsltr.pdf

link to the show flyer for last weekend. Page 7

[Ken_Hart]

Reg, those would work to move the rims out some. I ran similar spacers on a project for a few years without any issues, just make sure the adapters are machined billet and not the cheaper stuff. Another option is to just have a new set built by a copy.. many can take your originals and put wider hoops on them if they do not offer exact duplicates in different offsets.

Mark, what you have is a reversed rim. they remove the center section and flip it around so the wider portion is on the outside rather then the inside. It has been a favorite trick of hotrodders for years..

[greg g]

Is your truck a axle over or axle under spring set up??? If its axle over you can use some of the standard lowering blocks and longer u bolts like cars do.

you can also weld some new perches on the front and mount that axle above the spring also. Simplest wau is to remove 2 or three leaves out of each set. Especially if you don't do any hauling or towing.

[Reg Evans]

Reg, those would work to move the rims out some. I ran similar spacers on a project for a few years without any issues, just make sure the adapters are machined billet and not the cheaper stuff. Another option is to just have a new set built by a copy.. many can take your originals and put wider hoops on them if they do not offer exact duplicates in different offsets.

Mark, what you have is a reversed rim. they remove the center section and flip it around so the wider portion is on the outside rather then the inside. It has been a favorite trick of hotrodders for years..

Uh Oh....the spacers I bought have a sticker on them that says "Made in China" Are these what you're referring to as the cheaper stuff?

[Guest mark1949B-1-B]

Thanks Ken. I appreciate the information.

[Ken_Hart]

Reg, ya those are something I would be leary of depending on what they look like.. (they are usually a pressed/cast metal not a machined piece. Does yours look machined?

Note sure what you paid for yours but back in the 90's I paid about a $100 a piece for mine.. I know the price has come down alot since then as custom machine work is more common..

Check out www.wheeladapter.com...

[Reg Evans]

These are the ones I bought. Billet aluminum. I think they are OK. eBay #330122490132. I'm going to install them today.