lowering a dodge

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i have a 68 dodge van how can i lower it,? help

Welcome to the site!
Lowering has been covered many times here. Check older posts.
However, for an overview, here are the basics. They are listed from cheapest/easiest and often smaller drops to the expensive, major drops.

Smaller wheels/tires. This will lower, but at the expense of gaps around the tires at the sides and top of the wheelwell.
Loosing a leaf or 2 from the springs. This will lower more, but often results in worse handling and ride quality. You should expect having to get new shocks and living with the results.
EDIT Dearching the springs.
The only right way to do that is send them to a good spring shop. http://www.eatonsprings.com/rearching.htm
Dropping the front axle. An old rodder trick, they increase the drop of the ends of the axle. This lowers without changing the suspension stiffness, so is a better solution but it takes time and money and decreases the axle clearance. It's also only for the front axle.
"Flipping" the axles. The axles on these are under the springs. By moving the axle over the springs, you drop them the full thickness of the axle plus the thickness of the spring. This is often more than desired and again you will need shorter shocks and many have reported bump steer. In all cases I have heard about, you also must notch the frame sections over the axles for clearance.

The next step is different suspension. This can be a Mustang II install to a full custom setup. It is often accompanied by air bags so the ride height can be adjusted from 'on the ground' to stock height.
A great example
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=684598

Of course, once you get to this point, you could just slam the body over any chassis and have a sillouette van.
http://www.topspeed.com/cars/renault/1994-renault-espace-f1-ar34982.html


In all cases, you need to verify clearances of the tires, suspension, steering and brake components.

thanks so much, i'll just have to find a larger garage to store it, my garage at home is just not tall enough, i realy dont want to start tearing up the suspension, its in such good shape, if it was a beater i would flip the axles, thanks again for helping me out,

welcome to vintage vans dodge man . were at in ohio do you live.. and how long have you owned the van,

i live in toronto just north of steubenville, i just bought the van ,

Your van wasn't on ebay for sale was it? Saw a yellow one on there awhile back that looked similar.

yeah it was.i had to have it, have to install carpet and a bed

Yu can also De-Arch your leaf springs. Its cheaper than other mods, about 200 down here, and you get up to maybe 2-3 inches.

how do you de-arch use a torch? i think what i'll do is remove all 4 tires and sit it on 4 dollies and then it will clear my garage door, all i need is to store it for winter, but lowering it would make it look cool

Oops, forgot about dearching!
The only right way to do that is send them to a good spring shop. Heating is a big no-no.

http://www.eatonsprings.com/rearching.htm

If it's just for winter storage, go to the local yard and grab 4 space saver spares with the correct bolt pattern (5 lug, 4.5 inch circle)

nice article thanks for the ideas guys, i think i'll leave it stock,and just remove the wheels and push into the garage when the time comes, 4 dollies are are about the best way i need to drop 4 inches,i'm always bitching that my garage is to low, lol

WELCOME TO VV!!!

Don't put the dollies under the drums, only the axle. It will ruin the drums.

yeah it would the brakes would palsate so bad it would shake you off the road,lol
ps thanks G MAN

there is a van run in butler pa. on labor day week-end if you are interested . http://www.threerivervans.com/Butler_2012/butler_2012.html

thanks i'll try and make it, sounds like a good time,

they allways get near 200 vans from pa. ohio. new york a few from maryland and canada. fri thru mon for $50. cheaper than camping. usally there is to guys there that know a ton about the a100 and helped me thru my build.

thanks alot it must be fun, i marked it on the calander

Congrats on the new ride! You can always have somebody do a drop on the front axle and then flip the rear.

i'll have to figure out something, its to high now, if i could drop it 2'' that would fine, an axle flip i think would be to much for the front, i dont want to loose handling, i was thinking about removing 2 springs that would still leave me 4 leafs, and fliping the rear,next thing is to do a disc brake conversion,the older posts on here have helped alot, a great forum!!

Mine is an A108 and it has a slant 6. I measured mine to the top of the front wheel opening, it was 29 1/2 inches.

I first removed the lower 3 leaves out, it lowered it 3 1/4 inches. It drove okay but a little rough. The bump stops would have to be trimmed but the stock shocks still had room to work. The springs were almost flat and looked funny. I went around the block and my tires rubbed on sharp bumps or pot holes. My tires are 215/55r18's with a better spaced wheel, they would be fine. They might be fine now, with a hammer. The measurement was 26 1/4 inches.

I ended up putting back in one leaf, now it's 27 3/4 inches. I like the look now, it makes the tire fit the opening. It drives great, the only thing different is the steering wheel is off center.

I would like to try a shorter leaf, for the bottom one. I'd love like to see it at 27 inches.

I'm unsure on what to do with the back, i might try to remove some leaves but i still use my van as a van. I also have spring perches on the way to flip the rear, if i go that way.

I'll post pictures of it in my build soon.

tomorrow i'm removeing 2 leafs from every spring. i dont think it will mess with the handeling, need to get it into the garage without tearing the roof off lol

I drove mine to work today, i think it rides better now than it did. Can you measure the rear of yours before and after Dodge Man?

getting ready to start on it now i'll measure all 4 before and after at the top of each wheel opening, let you know later today,

john, i removed 3 leaves and like you said the springs were looking funny, so i also am replaceing 1 leave, i think i'll use the next to the smallest leave, and see what happins man those 44 year old u bolts were tight i took measurements before and i'll take them again when i'm done,