How involved is a body drop?

[HIM]

I was wondering how involved a body drop is. Every feature truck in the mags Ive seen has a body drop and they look really good but I was wondering how hard they are to do. One of my friends does suspension work and said its a ***** and he doesnt **** with body drops. Idk just wondering how involved they are.

[T Man]

A body drop is very involved and is one of those things that you can never go back once you have started. I dont mean to scare you off, but you should know. I will try and find some pics. What it involves is ripping all of the interior out, then removing several inches from the firewall, and the back wall, then cutting the floor out, so basically, your floor is still attached to the frame, but the entire top of the truck is not. Then you put the truck down on what you have cut out of the firewall and back wall. This is done so that when a bagged truck is aired out, you cannot see the frame. It looks like the rockers are sitting on the ground. If you ask me, it isn't worth the effort. No one notices until you are pancaked, and then it doesnt really stand out, you also loose that much headroom.

[blazen]

good thing someone asked this question cause i wanna do it to. i dont even want bags i just wanna do it and i wanna add a chop top to it just so my truck looks lower. i know theres alot involved but i'm just wasnt sure what. i think its gonna be alot harder with a blazer too.
i wanna do both because i really like chop tops but if you go to much it just dont look right so with a body drop the truck will look lower and i wont be cutting out 5 inches out of the roof.

[Physh1]

Def. the most involved truck mod out there. There are multiple ways to achieve it...one would be the traditional method mentioned above, another would be a "hot rod" hobby called channeling and another way to do it would be called a stock floor bodydrop where a totally new frame is used. All are very $$$ and once started that are all irrevesible. You can tell when any truck has one if you look for it but most times they are done and hidden so to speak. It's to look/get lower and tuck more wheel/tire. I like them, but it's not something I'd do....just not the look I'm going for on my current truck. I won't even mentione what an insurance company will do to your coverage when and if they find out what you did.

Cameron

[blazen]

why would it be alot of money. i could see if you were gonna use a whole new frame but if you were gonna do what t man said your basically just cutting the floor off and lowering everything around it. i know its more involved than that but if you were gonna do all the work your self how much would it really cost. i could see maybe a cowl hood for more clearance maybe some sheet metal and i'm sure theres other things but i cant really think of anything else that would be expensive that you would need.

[Physh1]

Well, if you're going to do it yourself than your saving all the costs you'd be paying someone in labor. The tools you'd need to do it would be $$ if you didn't have it. Most people pay to have it done....for good reason too....it's very labor intensive and you can totally destroy your truck if done wrong.

Cameron

[blazen]

oh ok i wasnt sure if you meant that there was alot of other stuff i would have to buy. if i did it i would have another vehical and it would be a winter project so i would have time to do it and get it right. alot of the stuff i do to my truck is a learning experince for me and thats why i do it. plus my farther has been a body man all his life and anything i cant figure out he can so it wouldnt be like i'm going into this with no knowlage. and he is also opening up his own body shop this summer so he has all the tools i need and if not i'll just go out and buy it(you can never have to many tools). but thanks for your help physh1. i'm sure when/if i get ready to do it i'll have alot more questions

[HIM]

I knew it was really involved cuz my neighbor owns his own suspension shop and he says he doesnt **** with body drops because they are so hard to do. I think it looks cooler cuz you dont see the frame but it is so labor intensive to do that. Ive seen a fram for a s10 that was bodydropped (well a new frame for a body drop) and the rear end was almost straight up at the axle. I think it looks so good but definately not worth the one i my eyes.

[blazen]

i just need a way to cover up my frame i really hate seeing it and a body drop is the only way i can think to do it. i've seen people extend the rocker pannels to cover it up but than it dont line up with the bumpers in the front and back. and i'm not really a fan of body kits (fiberglass breaks to easy). i've been thinkin and a body drop is alot of work so i'm not sure i'm gonna do it still 50/50 but i really need an idea.

[T Man]

I wouldnt recommend it to someone who hasnt even seen one done. Make sure you research the hell out of it, and watch a couple of them done if you can. I believe you also lose your air conditioning unless you do some hood mods. I dunno, I would be scared to death to do it, especially doing it in a blazer, but thats up to you, i didnt pay for your truck

[bvr775]

an 80s model camero floor pan and fire wall works works great for a body drop if your actually going to channel it.
if your going to z the frame with the s-10 frame clip(stock floor, bodiless drop whatever you youngster call it now) be prepared for some suspension and engine alignment issues. You really need to fabup new crossmebers are find a frame clip out an f-body or a mustang II suspension setup.

like you've heard these other guys say. It's very time consuming and will ruin a vehicle if you don't do the research before cutting

[HIM]

I did see in amagazine I guy actually cut the frame flush with the body and welded the bottom back shut on a tahoe. It looked good but I would think that would make the frame so weak. I would think if a person did that with a s10 that it probably wouldnt even have a frame then. IDK I think they look sweet laid out but to expensive for my tastes. Were planning on picking a street rod up to do so I can only imagine that this will see a body drop and airbags.

[THA_BAD_ONE-0]

I would not do it. You will be the only who notices it. But what ever a s-dima is up for i stand behind him. But make sure you get another s-dime on stand-by incase of a screw up. Go For It. (You Do You)