rear suspension travel

[35DODGE]

I need to lower my bed on my truck by about 6" to get the bed and bottom of the cab to line up. I know that I will need to make my cut longer than that to allow for travel of rear suspension. I am planning on doing a triangulated 4 bar setup just not sure how much I should plan on the rear end moving up and down

 

[zzrodder]

Plan for the most extreme travel scenario - raise the axle right up till it contacts the frame and make your cutouts in the box sides to match.

 

[MercuryMac]

I haven't had much to do with four bar stuff yet, but with parallel springs your rearend will only travel up and down the height of your shock rods [around 9"]. So when you're at ride height the suspension will sit about in the middle of your shocks so it will have maybe 4 1/2" to travel up or down. That's my theory, anyhow.

 

[IAM-LDS-2]

Have you used a builders best friend yet ? What's that you say , it's cardboard . Attach a piece of cardboard to the bottom of your bed -I even paint / prime the cardboard-to make sure it actually looks like and does what you think it will . I did a 47 AD and did not want to chop it ,with the bed in the stock position it made the cab look too tall , so I raised the bed 4" and put a 4"strip on the bottom . I have seen lots of rats with a 4-6" skirt on the bottom of the bed .

 

[35DODGE]

Thanks for the suggestions. I went to our local sears to see if they would save me one or two of their large appliance boxes. Today has been kind of a bust went out to pickup in the garage, only to find that my monitor heater has died . I had it serviced last year and I was told that it is on its last leg. Never fails life happens at the most inconvenient times