I've done that with lumber. I have more labor than money, I am trying to do this as cheaply as possible like the OP says. Has nobody cut springs and posted it?

 

cutting a spring in a pickup truck is unsafe and will screw with the ride. if you can't afford to do it right you can't afford to do it at all.

 

I hope your joking, larger tires and lift kits are much more dangerous. removing springs without the right tools or even using the tools incorrectly is dangerous.

 

Lowering a truck is more than just short springs. It's short springs with the proper spring rate, stiffer dampers to compensate for reduced suspension travel, and different alignment settings to compensate for the fact that the suspension is further up in it's travel.

 

Almost no one on this forum lowers their truck. There's tons of thread on lifting, but not lowering

You might be on your own

 

Cut springs really are wrong, and dangerous. Look at every "HOW DO I LIFT MY TRUCK 26 FEET FOR THIRTY SEVEN DOLLARS???" thread and you will see the same kind of replies, how modifying suspension is completely unsafe to do if not done right.

 

Another option is to heat the springs.... but, that is an inexact science at best, and is easily screwed up...

If you cut the springs, make sure to install limiting straps, so your suspension can't droop far enough for the springs to fall out. That tends to have rather unfortunate results.

 

this is the cheapest and easiest way

 

Limiting straps aren't going to be needed unless alot it's been cut to much, apparently too much is a mystery since nobody here has cut the springs. I am not worried about the spring rate on such a big spring. I've cut springs on smaller cars and never had a problem.

So I'm going to give one coil a shot, break it in, alighn it and jack it up after I've put some miles on it. Just taking the uncut spring out will make it obvious wether or not it will work by the amount the spring has to be compressed.

 

Don't know about a Dodge 2WD, but I cut 1 coil on a '67 Fairlane 500 and it dropped it a lot. It was about 3/8" legal. Also had to shorten the lower control arms 5/8" in order to be able to set the camber.

You might want to experiment a little by cutting a little at a time until you get what you want. I know you don't want to do it more than once, but you can't go back and cut it longer.