New Old Truck

I've done the sway bars all different ways on lowered GM trucks, and I think the 19 dollar raised brackets are the best for me. I got these from Summit Racing (CPP brand) but other places sell them too.

This is under the front of my  C10 with 6 inch drop. That's 3 inch drop spindles and stock coils cut 3 inches.

Also, I understand now why the front sway bar wasn't doing much about the sway.... the bushings on the arms were oblong, and on the frame side completely worn through. The body mounts are just as bad and touching either turned the edges to dust... literally. every bushing was done. dust and junk. 

I see another Bobzilla ride in my future if you ever decide to let this one go.

In reply to Cotton :

Nope. Not happening. This one is a forever-ride. I may add something later but this one.... it's staying. I've got 40 years of work for this one! I should have the control arms back Sunday. A friend took to a friend of his's shop to sand blast them. So sunday evening I'll put a couple coats of paint on them and then sometime this week I'll start putting in bushings and ball joints. 

Shocks and bumpstops should be here on Monday or Tuesday. Still got to get a crew over to pull the bed. 

did sone stuff yesterday. Left front corner is in. Btw, a complete LCA weighs 32lbs according to our scales. Knuckle is 26. I'd already put in the upper or I would have weighed it too. 

So, installed there is now tension on the spring at full droop. Something new there. There's a real bumpstop meaning the lca won't just slam into the k-member and under compression it looks like I have about 5" of suspension travel before the bump stop comes into play, which is about 2" more than it had before. All in all a good thing. 

Coolest thing of the weekend: factory paint still intact in places on the frame. 

Front suspension is in and tightened down. Still have to get the steering arms in and the seat bar off. Then I can roll it outside and power wash the rear half for a coat of paint. 

So both notches are in. Shocks on. Left rear spring with new bushings back in with the flip kit in place. Ran out of physical energy at this point to fight the last two bushing sleeves out of the right leaf spring so this was my stopping point. Was hoping to get it to roller status yesterday but too much work, not enough energy kept that from happening. Damn I'm getting too old for this crap.

So at full droop in the rear it's about the same height as it was sitting on the ground previously. It also has 7.5" of travel to the bump stop and stock wsas 8.5" and never made contact as far as I could see. So we should have plenty of travel to still do truck things as needed . 

Transmission ships out today from Phoenix. SHould have it later this week.  

ALSO, transmission shipped! woot!

Ooh! That's exciting! What did you tell the wife? 

In reply to Crackers :

She told me. Who am I to refuse?

So where are you at, front to rear(drop)....3/5.... 4/6.....5/7?

It should be ~ 4.5/6. 2.5" spindle, 2" coil up front flip kit (5) and a 1" hanger in the back.  whats nice with this set up I will have close to stock travel left which means it can actually do things like drive on crappy roads. I'm currently running 275/55/17 tires because of the 4.10's and SM465 trans (60mph = 2800rpms). I should now be able to drop down to a stickier tire in the 275/40 range and still turn a reasonable rpm (2100).

Long term is 18x10's on all 4 corners with 295/40/18's. That should be a sweet spot for cruising rpm's (1900 at 60, 2200 @ 70) and put a lot of tire on the pavement for a 3500lb truck

I'm runnin' 3/5  with dropped LCA's  and dearched rear leaves....not the best with a load out back it, slams on occasion ......ok a lot. I have the notches too but Mr procrastinator is calling me elsewhere.....gotta go. 

I had drop leaf's on my 89 full size. It bottomed out all the time with any load at all. I didn't want to do that this time around. If this doesn't work out the way I want it, I'll likely switch to a 4-link and coilover setup. So the notch will still be handy.

Just curious, had you considered welding the notches?

Yes, but my welding skills suck so no. 

I've never done leaf spring bushings before.  What's that like?  I think I need to do some on my Suburban.

Did you replace them with something like urethane bushings?

In reply to ClemSparks :

The older they are, the more they suck. The bushing kit I bought had both spring bushings and hte shackle bushing (as well as all the front end bushings and cab mounts). Getting the rubber out sucks, getting the sleeve out sucks worse. The press took out the rubber and inner sleeve fairly quickly. The outer sleeve is rust-welded to the spring and I'm chiseling it out with the air hammer. Took 45 minutes for the one that is done. 

If you're going to 4-link it, go straight to bag it.  You ~know~ you'll get there eventually.  We all do.

I have "Heavy Half" leafs in mine; it really doesn't bottom noticeably. I have heard that "drop leafs" are very soft for these and other trucks.

same spring pack in mine.[Edit: this truck also has the "heavy Half" springs] IIRC, on my 89 there were only 2 leafs for hte drop leaf. I ended up putting on a helper leaf with the cap just to keep it off the bumpstops.

Also just realized the truck will officially be in the 3500lb range now. SM465 is ~195lbs empty. TKO is ~98lbs empty. 

EDIT 1: Also, I'm beginning to wish I'd bought the damn composite leaf.... 

Sorry for the potato camera photo. Suspension is in and it's all on the ground. Sadly, I just ordered 2 stock shackles because the 2" shackles + flip kit was waaaaaaay too much. I'll need to cut the big exhaust tips off to raise the exhaust a few inches. I think I'll end up putting a 45* angle on them and exit right behind the rear tires. 

Lots of progress.... lots to go. Trans showed up. Unbroken. YAY!

Can certainly tell that trucks from the south, that frames cleaner then my 99!