What is the best way to lower the front end of a First Gen 2WD Dakota? Shorter coils? Drop spindles? Custom A-arms? What are the pros and cons of these?

Industrial Chassis has a lot of good information for the 1st-2nd Gen Dakota front suspension,

I used dropped spindles and the QA1 Coil Overs for a 1st gen Camaro

I think that depends on how low you want to go. Drop spindles are the least invasive way to lower the front but cost a lot more than springs and only get you 2".

I am doing a drop on a 91 in the next week or so and just to save money I bought a 3"front 4" rear kit which consists of front springs for the front and blocks for the back, I'll let you know how that goes. The kit was only 199 on ebay, it may be [censored] but I'll let you know. If it's not low enough for me I'll add 2" drop spindles and block the back further.

I think pro's and cons' simply boil down to if you can get the car into alignment and bump steer ect... Generally the cheaper the method is, the more negative consequences it has.

i would do the drop spindles first and if you need more the coils second.....

I'm going to lower the 94 that I just bought back. It was my son's first vehicle so I bought it back. It looks like a 4x4 but it's a 2wd. Going with blocks in the rear and going to cut a coil off the front springs. I'll do before and after pictures. I have always done these this way with zero problems.

I only ask WHY????? as an alignment guy for 20 years at a past job we always cringed when lowered vehicles came in, if we could get them on the rack, we had a very tough time getting them aligned any where close to "right"... if you must, I'd go with dropped spindles if they are available. IMHO these square body Dakotas sit too low as is.

I only ask WHY????? as an alignment guy for 20 years at a past job, we always cringed when lowered vehicles came in, if we could get them on the rack, we had a very tough time getting them aligned any where close to "right"... if you must, I'd go with dropped spindles if they are available. IMHO, these square body Dakotas sit too low stock, as is. you want something low that you have to crawl out of, get an Intrepid.

I don't want an Intrepid but I thank you for the bit of real world info you've posted. My thoughts are these:

1. If I use shortened coils, will I have alignment problems?

2. If I use stock springs with a dropped spindle, will I be able to use the stock front sway bar? (El Polako's website shows it fouling the a-arm when lowered) Or any sway bar?

3. Will there be "bump steer" problems with the dropped spindle? (El Polako sells a kit to correct this).

I am about to lower my 91, with drop spindles and blocks for the rear. I'll let you know how it goes.

To volerdon: because lowered trucks look cool.

I did take the helpers springs off of my Dakota tonight. Now I can do some lowering blocks. I can't wait. I'll start my own thread and take before and after pictures. I work in a shop as well as some and I have zero issues with the alignments.

No, lowered trucks look stupid. The only time my trucks sit low is when they have a load in the bed. SOME trucks look cool when LIFTED

but if you must, leave the coils alone and do the lowered spindles. the rest of the front end geometry stays stock so less headaches that way.