Check out my new rear suspension

[Mitch6667]

A pretty good upgrade for the old 66 if I say so myself.

[63 & 64 Bowties]

Nice work. Just curious though, what was wrong with the stock trailing arms?

[Mitch6667]

They looked like swiss cheese. And this system here was waaaaaaay cheaper then replacing with stock parts or buying that crap from CPP.

[Slow Build]

Are you planning to run a trac bar with that setup?

[Nick's81]

more info PLEASE

[Mitch6667]

This was all built in my garage on Friday night and Saturday morning. Just me and a buddy and alot of beer.

[64GMCHorsepower]

Did you build this or buy it from someone?

[Mitch6667]

I installed a panhard bar after i took the picture. I thought I was done so I snapped the pic, then decided to just finish it. I worked on it for 24 hours straight. I am also gonna add some gusset plates to the lower coil over mounts. Probably not necessary but it will look cool and more support is always better. I will take a pic with the panhard bar in it tomorrow. I think for everything I have about $600-$700 into it. Along with about a tank of 75/25 and a spool of.025 wire. So thats another $60. But I dare you to find one like it.

[jyaughn]

i wish i new how to do stuff like this.

[Nick's81]

welder / chop saw / and beer nice plans 6 to 700 sounds high coil overs & hiems = $ but not that mutch and give you for no BAGS

[Mitch6667]

It's alot of chromoly and here on the eastern shore everything has to be shipped. Plus the transmission crossmember is tubular has well. I think it was a pretty sweet setup for that price. Plus I guarantee you it is stronger then the original or any bolt in replacement you find on the market.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Mitch6667

It's alot of chromoly and here on the eastern shore everything has to be shipped. Plus the transmission crossmember is tubular has well. I think it was a pretty sweet setup for that price. Plus I guarantee you it is stronger then the original or any bolt in replacement you find on the market.

Nice work & kudo's for DIY.... but that's big talk. I'll put my Porterbuilt arms against that set-up.

[Rannos]

Originally Posted by Mitch6667

Plus I guarantee you it is stronger then the original or any bolt in replacement you find on the market.

The work and suspenion looks great but I feel the factory suspension is given a bad rap... Unless you want to set the truck on the ground that is. The video I am linking is with factory suspension. Just added a 1" weld every 3" or so to keep the stamped steel C channel from seperating. Anyway enough of my rambling.

YouTube- CDL TRUCK.wmv

[lakeroadster]

Originally Posted by Rannos

.... I feel the factory suspension is given a bad rap...

Ditto. The factory set-up is simple and works very well.

[nxtruck]

Originally Posted by Rannos

The work and suspenion looks great but I feel the factory suspension is given a bad rap... Unless you want to set the truck on the ground that is. The video I am linking is with factory suspension. Just added a 1" weld every 3" or so to keep the stamped steel C channel from seperating. Anyway enough of my rambling.


YouTube- CDL TRUCK.wmv

Rannos, would you mind sharing more info on this truck? Leaves real well!! And BTW, I agree that there's nothing wrong with the factory arm and spring arrangement.

[Rannos]

Only modifications to the rear suspension are an air bag helper inside the passenger side spring to keep it loading both tires equally (getting the air pressure right was alot of testing on test and tune day at the track) and the mounts for the front of the trailing arms were lowered by 3" and the pinion angle was adjusted to make up for that. Saying that there were other things changed. The motor was set back 11" and lowered by 3" and a custom removable dog house was made. You would sit in the driver seat to tune the carb or change plugs. The truck belonged to a brother and he sold it about 2 years ago to build a tube chassis chevy luv with the same motor. Will see if I still have videos of it if your interested.

[nxtruck]

Originally Posted by Rannos

Only modifications to the rear suspension are an air bag helper inside the passenger side spring to keep it loading both tires equally (getting the air pressure right was alot of testing on test and tune day at the track) and the mounts for the front of the trailing arms were lowered by 3" and the pinion angle was adjusted to make up for that. Saying that there were other things changed. The motor was set back 11" and lowered by 3" and a custom removable dog house was made. You would sit in the driver seat to tune the carb or change plugs. The truck belonged to a brother and he sold it about 2 years ago to build a tube chassis chevy luv with the same motor. Will see if I still have videos of it if your interested.

Yeah, I'd be interested in seeing more vids of it if you have them. Just out of curiousity, what engine and trans was in it?

[jyaughn]

wanna come help me do mine? lol just kiding i dont have that kind of money

[62gmc910]

It looks pretty but what about all the welds on the frame flanges????

[astrochimp]

I'm not seeing how it works.

Any photos of it with one wheel at full bump and one at full droop?

I'm missing something, but don't see how it can 'rotate'

David

[Mitch6667]

I was talking more along the lines of those original type replacements like CPP sells and stuff Scoti. I think it will definently serve my purpose. I'd be interested to see your set-up. I always love new ideas.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Mitch6667

I was talking more along the lines of those original type replacements like CPP sells and stuff Scoti. I think it will definently serve my purpose. I'd be interested to see your set-up. I always love new ideas.

My set-up is the PB T/A's w/the rear frame rails Z'd.

It's hard to tell from your pics.... is the frame notched or are you not planning a ride height low enough to warrant notching? Again.... nice work!

[phish72]

Originally Posted by astrochimp

I'm not seeing how it works.

Any photos of it with one wheel at full bump and one at full droop?

I'm missing something, but don't see how it can 'rotate'

David

Actually, I designed the trailing arm rear suspension which is subject of this thread and welded everything in place. And I did it all for FREE because we are friends. I also took these pictures with my work issued Blackberry phone. I told Mitch6667 what to purchase, where to purchase it, where to cut, where to grind and where to clean paint. Maybe the reason he didn't answer your question is because he doesn't know how it works. (If you cannot tell, I am a little sore about my "friend" posting all over this thread that he designed and installed all this stuff).

On the stock suspension, the only pivot point is at the front link where the trailing arms meet the driveshaft loop crossmember. The trailing arms are fixed at the axle with the u-bolts on each side. On this suspension shown herein, that fact has not changed. The front link of each trailing arm remain as the only pivot point. I elected to use rod ends here with misalignment bushings on each side due to the angle at which the trailing arms are set to approach the axle housings. The front brackets are actually ladder bar brackets I had left over from my Camaro years ago and they came with the crossmember you see installed. The additional supports which are added from the top of the axle tubes on each side extending forward to the new trailing arms do not change the fact that the front link is the pivot point of the suspension. I personally did not feel the 1-3/4 mild steel round tube was strong enough on its own so this "truss" system was implemented. And as you see from the photos, it is also fixed at the top of the axle tubes on each side. I believe it will rotate more than adequately for street driving. I also intended to suggest that a rear sway-bar or stablizer be added. Essentially a stablizer bar will limit the body roll or pivoting of which you were asking.

Originally Posted by Mitch6667

This was all built in my garage on Friday night and Saturday morning. Just me and a buddy and alot of beer.

There was NO beer consumed during this installation. 1. I gave up drinking for Lent because I am Catholic. 2. I would never drink and attempt work like this.

Originally Posted by Mitch6667

It is a 170#. The charts show a 200# spring for our trucks. I did not want the stiff ride to go with those springs.

There is no chart showing "our trucks". But I calculated that 170lbs/in rate springs would work based on the fact that my '72 C-10 weighed approximately 3800lbs. Typical vehicle weight distribution is approximately 55/45 front/rear respectively. Maybe a little closer to 60/40 on pickup trucks.

[Mitch6667]

What about the welds on the frame flanges? I would love to show pictures of it at work but the whole truck is torn down tight now. It works just like the original setup pretty much. My test was real scientific (jumping up and down on the rear frame)

[62gmc910]

Originally Posted by Mitch6667

What about the welds on the frame flanges? I would love to show pictures of it at work but the whole truck is torn down tight now. It works just like the original setup pretty much. My test was real scientific (jumping up and down on the rear frame)

Welds on the frame flange creat stress risers and cause cracks , you can help this by adding smooth tapered gussets on the inside of the frame. You may also get quite a bit of body roll from the coil over location, you may want to consider mounting them further out board .