Mixing PB and No Limit Parts

[SierraMtns]

Looking at doing the rear this winter. Here is what I was thinking. My goal is a static 7-7.5" drop.

Here is the list of parts I am thinking about running.

1. Hotchkis rear 6" springs (currently installed)

2. No Limit shock relocator

3. No Limit panhard bar or PB panhard bar. I think No Limits is a full length bar.

4. PB trailing arms (Waiting to hear back from PB if they will sell just the arms)

5. PB cross member with trailing arms

6. C-notch bolt in (either PB or NL)

Things I still need to figure out.

1. Shims? I think the PB trailing arms have the pinion angle already worked out so shims aren't needed.

2. Drive shafts - can a 1-piece be used without cutting the cab floor?


What do you guys think? Will I run into any issues?

Pictures

[Bowtiguy]

Nick,


I'm no expert but here is what I've learned remember: you asked.

Rear suspension

I wouldn't be too concerned with spending the $$$ on trailing arms unless you plan on racing the truck and putty sticky tires on it. For the street, I had my stockers blasted/coated then put new bushings in. Everything stays well planted w/ 20X295's in the rear.

shims should not be a concern with most trailing arm crossmembers as they have the mounts flipped to adjust for "most" drops. I used an E.C.E. piece and enlarged the exhaust opening in case I decide to go dual 3" in the future. you "may" need shims to establish a correct pinion angle under the rear axle.

I only went 3" front and 5" rear on mine.
I couldn't stomach notching the frame. If I want it that low I would buy a complete chassis in the future, but that's reserved for my 57' Nomad.

I'd stick with one MFG on rear end pieces. especially if you are running the NLE shock relo and panhard bar. Robs design makes the rear sway bar a no brainer.

one last thing; get more of your drop out of utilizing drop spindles in the front and blocks in the rear. That's +/-2" of more travel. why sacrifice travel for ride height when you don't have to.

Driveshaft

My rear sits 5" lower , I'm sure I could go 6" and my 1 piece AL shaft from the driveshaft shop would still clear me E.C.E. trailing arm cross member. 7" maybe not so much.

Good Luck!

[BossHogg69]

My rear suspension is a straight up mutt since I acquired it all over a period of a few years and changed my mind a few times along the way. My front suspension is a mix of stuff as well. I'm running the following and everything went together pretty well and handles great. I haven't had anything hit, rub or break after about 500 'break in' miles. If I had it to do over again and I was starting my build today, I'd probably get it all at once from one place, but 3 years ago, that wasn't really in the budget.

PB Fab adjustable trailing arm crossmember (I used this the center the rear wheels in the wheelwell, you can adjust back/forward position on the framerails, as well as the anti-dive on the trailing arms.)
Hotchkis swivel bushings in the trailing arms
Stock trailing arms, stitch welded down the seam
6* pinion shim to get the pinion angle right
ECE shock relocators (got a deal on them on the parts board)
CPP 'bent' panhard bar - had to use it to clear the Moser differential cover
CPP C-notch
Hotchkis 6" drop springs (got a deal on them on the parts board)
1.5" drop blocks
15/16" Camaro Iroc Z rear bar out of a salvage yard, w/homemade endlinks
Chris Alston Chassisworks DA billet rear shocks

I'm running a 1 pc steel shaft and it clears the PB trailing arm crossmember with no issues. I also have 3" exhaust going through it, but it is SUPER tight and I had to flattened the pipes a little bit to get some room.

As for running stock trailing arms, there are many drag racers dead hooking on slicks with 700+ hp and not bending those stock arms. I realize you're probably more after handling, but the stock arms are stout enough, especially if you stitch weld them along the seam where they are pressed together.

[SierraMtns]

Originally Posted by BossHogg69

My rear suspension is a straight up mutt since I acquired it all over a period of a few years and changed my mind a few times along the way. My front suspension is a mix of stuff as well. I'm running the following and everything went together pretty well and handles great. I haven't had anything hit, rub or break after about 500 'break in' miles. If I had it to do over again and I was starting my build today, I'd probably get it all at once from one place, but 3 years ago, that wasn't really in the budget.

PB Fab adjustable trailing arm crossmember (I used this the center the rear wheels in the wheelwell, you can adjust back/forward position on the framerails, as well as the anti-dive on the trailing arms.)
Hotchkis swivel bushings in the trailing arms
Stock trailing arms, stitch welded down the seam
6* pinion shim to get the pinion angle right
ECE shock relocators (got a deal on them on the parts board)
CPP 'bent' panhard bar - had to use it to clear the Moser differential cover
CPP C-notch
Hotchkis 6" drop springs (got a deal on them on the parts board)
1.5" drop blocks
15/16" Camaro Iroc Z rear bar out of a salvage yard, w/homemade endlinks
Chris Alston Chassisworks DA billet rear shocks

I'm running a 1 pc steel shaft and it clears the PB trailing arm crossmember with issues. I also have 3" exhaust going through it, but it is SUPER tight and I had to flattened the pipes a little bit to get some room.

As for running stock trailing arms, there are many drag racers dead hooking on slicks with 700+ hp and not bending those stock arms. I realize you're probably more after handling, but the stock arms are stout enough, especially if you stitch weld them along the seam where they are pressed together.

Bosshogg69 thank you too for the help. So no issues running a 1-peice drive shaft? Looks like everything clears from the picture.

Also what size tries are you running and which C-notch?

[BossHogg69]

Originally Posted by SierraMtns

Bosshogg69 thank you too for the help. So no issues running a 1-peice drive shaft? Looks like everything clears from the picture.

Also what size tries are you running and which C-notch?

My apologies - that was a typo on my part. NO issues on the 1 pc driveshaft at all.

CPP C-notch.

345/30/19 for the rear tires in the pic of the complete truck, the pics of just the frame where 335/30/18's.

[SierraMtns]

Originally Posted by Bowtiguy

Nick,


I'm no expert but here is what I've learned remember: you asked.

Rear suspension

I wouldn't be too concerned with spending the $$$ on trailing arms unless you plan on racing the truck and putty sticky tires on it. For the street, I had my stockers blasted/coated then put new bushings in. Everything stays well planted w/ 20X295's in the rear.

shims should not be a concern with most trailing arm crossmembers as they have the mounts flipped to adjust for "most" drops. I used an E.C.E. piece and enlarged the exhaust opening in case I decide to go dual 3" in the future. you "may" need shims to establish a correct pinion angle under the rear axle.

I only went 3" front and 5" rear on mine.
I couldn't stomach notching the frame. If I want it that low I would buy a complete chassis in the future, but that's reserved for my 57' Nomad.

I'd stick with one MFG on rear end pieces. especially if you are running the NLE shock relo and panhard bar. Robs design makes the rear sway bar a no brainer.

one last thing; get more of your drop out of utilizing drop spindles in the front and blocks in the rear. That's +/-2" of more travel. why sacrifice travel for ride height when you don't have to.

Driveshaft

My rear sits 5" lower , I'm sure I could go 6" and my 1 piece AL shaft from the driveshaft shop would still clear me E.C.E. trailing arm cross member. 7" maybe not so much.

Good Luck!

Hey Bowtiguy,

Thanks for the help. Do you have any side pictures of the truck? Also are you able to run your exhaust all the way out the back over the axle?

Thanks

[Bowtiguy]

Originally Posted by SierraMtns

Hey Bowtiguy,

Thanks for the help. Do you have any side pictures of the truck? Also are you able to run your exhaust all the way out the back over the axle?

Thanks

I've only got one decent pic from the side. The front sits too low for me, so I'm swapping the -2" front springs for -1" front springs over thanksgiving which will give me a 3"/ 5" total drop. I was shooting for 4"/ 6" drop until I figured out I had -3"R springs and a Notch would be required.

The main purpose of the ruck is to daily drive it and haul mountain bikes up the canyons north of Boulder, Co....quickly. thus the project name "trailhead". Once I get there, I will need some offroad clearance every now and again.

Over the axle exhaust WAS possible until I installed Robs NLE gas tank and a PB rear frame stiffener so I dumped it right in front of the axle. ( you can kinda see it in the pics, my first exhaust system fabrication). The NLE shock relocation brackets kept me from running the tips outside of the frame. I fab'd/installed everything so that NOTHING extends down below the stock frame rails. still working out the parking brake dilemma.

I plan to do a build thread over the winter, but am too busy trying to get the tweaking done on it before we have too much slow/mag chloride on the roads to drive it anymore this year.

[Andy4639]

PB trailing arms will not work with the No limit shock relocator kit. I called about it. I would stick to one manufacture also.
My LWB is lowered 4" out back and I have a 1 piece shaft with no problems.

[SierraMtns]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

PB trailing arms will not work with the No limit shock relocator kit. I called about it. I would stick to one manufacture also.
My LWB is lowered 4" out back and I have a 1 piece shaft with no problems.

Thanks for the heads up. I am going to go with stock arms like BossHog.

[SierraMtns]

Update:

I am changing a couple things thanks to Bowtiguy & Bosshogg69 help.

1. Run stock arms. Blasted and stitch welded. Epoxy paint or Powder coat?

2. No Limit 1.5" blocks. Would like to run 2" but that might be pushing it with 6" springs.

3. No Limit panhard bar.

4. PB cross member.

5. No Limit shock re-location kit.

6. CPP or ECE C-notch. I thought I read somewhere that one was thicker then the other.

[Bowtiguy]

Originally Posted by SierraMtns

Update:

I am changing a couple things thanks to Bowtiguy & Bosshogg69 help.

1. Run stock arms. Blasted and stitch welded. Epoxy paint or Powder coat?

2. No Limit 1.5" blocks. Would like to run 2" but that might be pushing it with 6" springs.

3. No Limit panhard bar.

4. PB cross member.

5. No Limit shock re-location kit.

6. CPP or ECE C-notch. I thought I read somewhere that one was thicker then the other.

1. for what my powder coater charges to blast/coat, I had him do everything but the frame for me. Plus, its too cold here now for me to rattle can anything.

2.
3.

4. I ran PB front and rear cross members after cutting rivets and removing the old stuff. You could prob fab your own but for me time = $$$. They cleared up a TON of space both front and rear. I did have to modify a few things to get the NLE tank and PB rear in the same space but I think it came out well.

5.

6. I can't help you there. I looked Into them but decided that a c- notch was where I would draw the line in regards to overall drop. I thought PB had a pretty stout 2 piece design. ( this link is for 73+, but you get the idea)

http://www.azproperformance.com/Port...n-C-Notch.html

[BossHogg69]

Originally Posted by SierraMtns

Update:

I am changing a couple things thanks to Bowtiguy & Bosshogg69 help.

1. Run stock arms. Blasted and stitch welded. Epoxy paint or Powder coat?

2. No Limit 1.5" blocks. Would like to run 2" but that might be pushing it with 6" springs.

3. No Limit panhard bar.

4. PB cross member.

5. No Limit shock re-location kit.

6. CPP or ECE C-notch. I thought I read somewhere that one was thicker then the other.

1. Powdercoat fo' sho'! I'm a powdercoat junkie. my whole frame and suspension is powdercoated, along with a bunch of underhood bits. Drop off nasty, grungy or rusty stuff, wait a couple days and pick up nice shiny stuff.

2. You probably have room to run the 6" hotchkis springs & 2" blocks, but to get a nice stance to match the 8" rear drop, the front will be really low (5.5-6") and you won't have much clearance from the a-arms to the ground. Like 2.5" from the spring cup to the pavement. I actually started off with a 3" cpp spring and 2.5" drop spindle, but the a-arms where too close to the pavement for my comfort. Just a heads up.

3. no experience with this part, but NLE stuff is proven.

4. x2 on the PB x-member.

5. seems like a great alternative to the other shock relocators.

6. I believe CPP offers a 'heavy duty' c-notch, but I've c-notched a couple trucks, one that I towed heavy loads with (7000# at times) and put many miles on (100k+ after the c-notch), and don't see the need for a really thick c-notch like this. just my opinion/experience.

Now, quit jacking around on the forum and order some parts so you can post pics of the install!!!

[SierraMtns]

Any one use this c-notch before?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/McGaughys-Ch...-/261676242907

[tinydb84]

Originally Posted by SierraMtns

Any one use this c-notch before?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/McGaughys-Ch...-/261676242907

My brother's old truck had a similar notch. I personally would run this notch over that:

https://www.azproperformance.com/Por...0-C-Notch.html

[SierraMtns]

Originally Posted by tinydb84

My brother's old truck had a similar notch. I personally would run this notch over that:

https://www.azproperformance.com/Por...0-C-Notch.html

A little out of my price range for this build. Its almost 2 times the cost of the other ones I have been looking at. I am waiting for PM back from Rob at No Limit about their notch they are building right now.

[tinydb84]

I totally get the budget part but some areas I wouldn't skimp on. I don't know if you have seen this link yet but before you buy that other one take a moment to read this:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=457037

[SierraMtns]

Maybe I should just build one like Lakeroadster

The only issues I see is the bed. Not sure if it will work with a stock bed.