62 C10 Porterbuilt questions

[rpone605]

I'm looking to setup my c10 with the porterbuilt setup on my 62.

I see that they list the front drop member for the 62 but not the rear drop member.

What's the big difference in the rear from 62-63?

[lolife99]

Originally Posted by rpone605

I'm looking to setup my c10 with the porterbuilt setup on my 62.

I see that they list the front drop member for the 62 but not the rear drop member.

What's the big difference in the rear from 62-63?

The 60-62 torsion bar frames are a totally different frame configuration, that the coil spring 63-66 frames.
Lots of good "frame difference" pics in this thread:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...IVBZyACh2dcgDK

Have you contacted Porterbuilt via their website?
www.pbfab.com

[rpone605]

The front is a torsion bar setup but the rear has coils on my truck.

I already had planned to ditch the torsion bar setup on the truck.

I haven't yet. I'm still a bit far out from purchasing anything.

[Wizit247]

I have a 1960 GMC that was torsion bar and x-frame. We cut out the x and welded in a 63-66 trailing arm crossmember. We also bolted up a 63-66 front crossmember and suspension and it fit perfectly.

Heres a couple pics.

[rpone605]

Originally Posted by Wizit247

I have a 1960 GMC that was torsion bar and x-frame. We cut out the x and welded in a 63-66 trailing arm crossmember. We also bolted up a 63-66 front crossmember and suspension and it fit perfectly.

This is exactly what I was after.

Thanks!

[Free Candy Inside]

Originally Posted by rpone605

The front is a torsion bar setup but the rear has coils on my truck.

I already had planned to ditch the torsion bar setup on the truck.

I haven't yet. I'm still a bit far out from purchasing anything.

So always been a fan of how the quality of PB stuff looked but another member on here bought their front end to bag his 61 which was torsion bar. The PB front end didn't fit well at all on his. Bag mounts were off. He didn't know he had to get CPP drop spindles so that was an unexpected cost. Some of the hardware and things they sent weren't right. The lower control arms had to be reemed out so the bag would bolt up right. Even the top bag plate had to be modified so a fitting could clear it and thread into the bag. Another thing we decided we didn't like about their front end was the amount you had to notch the front frame rail for the rack to clear. In the event of a slight front end collision that frame would fold up instantly. Once again it wasn't my truck but from what I heard it seemed like they were more interested in knowing how to fix the next one they make than to correct the one they sent him. His truck was super clean and all the problems were not his truck related, their parts not lining up right.

With that being said I am still shocked to this day. Had I spent that much $ I would have been furious. The stuff looks killer and I think it'll ride great but in my opinion it should have been able to been put together by 10yr old at that cost. Not trying to bash them cause it looks like they really but time and effort into their parts and a lot of people run their stuff so they obviously are doing something correct.

I'm personally running a factory crossmember out of an 84 that's been pancaked 1.5" and Michigan Metal Work upper and lower arms. Control arms were $900. Couple hundred for some steering stuff and it lays door after being channeled 4". I'm also running factory spindles. My panel rides and handles great and gets over 11" of travel in the front for about 1/4 of the cost.

If you are looking for a production front end you might also look into gsimfab.com at their new c10 front end. Looks pretty killer and no frame notching for a steering rack from the pics I've seen.

Btw I'm not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned. Just thought I would share my thoughts.

[PBFAB.COM]

Originally Posted by Free Candy Inside

So always been a fan of how the quality of PB stuff looked but another member on here bought their front end to bag his 61 which was torsion bar. The PB front end didn't fit well at all on his. Bag mounts were off. He didn't know he had to get CPP drop spindles so that was an unexpected cost. Some of the hardware and things they sent weren't right. The lower control arms had to be reemed out so the bag would bolt up right. Even the top bag plate had to be modified so a fitting could clear it and thread into the bag. Another thing we decided we didn't like about their front end was the amount you had to notch the front frame rail for the rack to clear. In the event of a slight front end collision that frame would fold up instantly. Once again it wasn't my truck but from what I heard it seemed like they were more interested in knowing how to fix the next one they make than to correct the one they sent him. His truck was super clean and all the problems were not his truck related, their parts not lining up right.

With that being said I am still shocked to this day. Had I spent that much $ I would have been furious. The stuff looks killer and I think it'll ride great but in my opinion it should have been able to been put together by 10yr old at that cost. Not trying to bash them cause it looks like they really but time and effort into their parts and a lot of people run their stuff so they obviously are doing something correct.

I'm personally running a factory crossmember out of an 84 that's been pancaked 1.5" and Michigan Metal Work upper and lower arms. Control arms were $900. Couple hundred for some steering stuff and it lays door after being channeled 4". I'm also running factory spindles. My panel rides and handles great and gets over 11" of travel in the front for about 1/4 of the cost.

If you are looking for a production front end you might also look into gsimfab.com at their new c10 front end. Looks pretty killer and no frame notching for a steering rack from the pics I've seen.

Btw I'm not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned. Just thought I would share my thoughts.

Free Candy Inside-

We always appreciate feedback, and never shy away from comments... even when they are not positive.

I would like to provide some info in response to your comments:

"The PB front end didn't fit well at all on his"

Anybody that has a 60-62 chassis knows it's different than the rest. The frame dimensions are similar enough that a factory x-member will bolt up with a few holes to be drilled and reamed. Our Dropmember is no different. There are components that are specific to it in order to make it work and be adapted to a 60-62 chassis. However, just like installing a later model factory x-member there are some holes that need to be drilled and in a couple areas elongated.

"Bag mounts were off"

Not sure what this would be referring to, as we have yet to receive similar feedback from any of the 60-62 kits that have been sold. If in fact any of our parts do not fit as intended we ALWAYS go the extra mile to correct the concern quickly.

"He didn't know he had to get CPP drop spindles so that was an unexpected cost"

Unexpected costs are never a fun thing... however, we plaster the information everywhere that drop spindles are recommended with all our Dropmember kits.

"Some of the hardware and things they sent weren't right"

This should never have been the case, however, we have had some struggles in the past in our shipping/packaging department and we have had to work through our fair share if incorrect parts/hardware. We have always made sure to correct any missing or incorrect hardware/parts issues promptly. The good news is that we have really worked hard at correcting this issue by implementing new procedures and finding the right guys to do the job. I believe that our current percentage of packaging/shipping errors is well below industry standard.

"The lower control arms had to be reemed out so the bag would bolt up right"

This is another one that we never this type of feedback on. Never once have I heard of anybody needing to modify the bag mounting position on the lower control arm UNLESS they are running a bag other than the Dominator 2600 that we recommend.

"Another thing we decided we didn't like about their front end was the amount you had to notch the front frame rail for the rack to clear. In the event of a slight front end collision that frame would fold up instantly"

I am not a crash test specialist and have no expertise in this area, so I cannot give any scientific data on this. What I can tell you is that the notch will diminish the strength of the frame. To say that it will "fold up instantly" would be a stretch. We have thousands of these kits sold and on the road... all of which have a c-notch for the rack and pinion. No issues or concerns. Some could argue the c-notch to be a benefit in regards to absorbing impact. My own personal opinion is indifferent.

"The stuff looks killer and I think it'll ride great but in my opinion it should have been able to been put together by 10yr old at that cost. Not trying to bash them cause it looks like they really but time and effort into their parts and a lot of people run their stuff so they obviously are doing something correct"

Thanks for the compliments. We work really hard to put out a quality product and back it up on the customer service side. There's a lot that goes into it and it's a lot of work. We take pride in what we do, and always do our best. We aren't perfect all the time... but make sure we go the extra mile to correct it when something isn't right. We constantly receive positive feedback regarding the ride quality and function of our kits. We have been building them for over ten years and have a ton of experience specializing in the C10 suspension.

Price point is determined by a cost analysis on what the parts cost to produce (it's a pretty complex formula). We don't want to build parts to break even.... we actually need to make a little money to keep things rolling.

The 60-62 is a little more of an involved install, so I don't think I would feel comfortable recommending that a 10 year old install it.... not even a 12 year old. Maybe a 14 year old with adult supervision of course!

The good news for the 60-62 guys is that we are working on a more specific and complete system for both front and rear (up to this point we only have a handful of rear parts and not a complete kit). We are constantly innovating and evolving our product line.

Free Candy inside, as mentioned we appreciate and encourage all feedback good and bad. It is what helps us continue to make improvements. I feel bad if your buddy wasn't 100% satisfied. We are always a key stroke away if there are ever any questions or concerns.

Nate

[Free Candy Inside]

Originally Posted by PBFAB.COM

Free Candy Inside-

We always appreciate feedback, and never shy away from comments... even when they are not positive.

I would like to provide some info in response to your comments:

"The PB front end didn't fit well at all on his"

Anybody that has a 60-62 chassis knows it's different than the rest. The frame dimensions are similar enough that a factory x-member will bolt up with a few holes to be drilled and reamed. Our Dropmember is no different. There are components that are specific to it in order to make it work and be adapted to a 60-62 chassis. However, just like installing a later model factory x-member there are some holes that need to be drilled and in a couple areas elongated.

"Bag mounts were off"

Not sure what this would be referring to, as we have yet to receive similar feedback from any of the 60-62 kits that have been sold. If in fact any of our parts do not fit as intended we ALWAYS go the extra mile to correct the concern quickly.

"He didn't know he had to get CPP drop spindles so that was an unexpected cost"

Unexpected costs are never a fun thing... however, we plaster the information everywhere that drop spindles are recommended with all our Dropmember kits.

"Some of the hardware and things they sent weren't right"

This should never have been the case, however, we have had some struggles in the past in our shipping/packaging department and we have had to work through our fair share if incorrect parts/hardware. We have always made sure to correct any missing or incorrect hardware/parts issues promptly. The good news is that we have really worked hard at correcting this issue by implementing new procedures and finding the right guys to do the job. I believe that our current percentage of packaging/shipping errors is well below industry standard.

"The lower control arms had to be reemed out so the bag would bolt up right"

This is another one that we never this type of feedback on. Never once have I heard of anybody needing to modify the bag mounting position on the lower control arm UNLESS they are running a bag other than the Dominator 2600 that we recommend.

"Another thing we decided we didn't like about their front end was the amount you had to notch the front frame rail for the rack to clear. In the event of a slight front end collision that frame would fold up instantly"

I am not a crash test specialist and have no expertise in this area, so I cannot give any scientific data on this. What I can tell you is that the notch will diminish the strength of the frame. To say that it will "fold up instantly" would be a stretch. We have thousands of these kits sold and on the road... all of which have a c-notch for the rack and pinion. No issues or concerns. Some could argue the c-notch to be a benefit in regards to absorbing impact. My own personal opinion is indifferent.

"The stuff looks killer and I think it'll ride great but in my opinion it should have been able to been put together by 10yr old at that cost. Not trying to bash them cause it looks like they really but time and effort into their parts and a lot of people run their stuff so they obviously are doing something correct"

Thanks for the compliments. We work really hard to put out a quality product and back it up on the customer service side. There's a lot that goes into it and it's a lot of work. We take pride in what we do, and always do our best. We aren't perfect all the time... but make sure we go the extra mile to correct it when something isn't right. We constantly receive positive feedback regarding the ride quality and function of our kits. We have been building them for over ten years and have a ton of experience specializing in the C10 suspension.

Price point is determined by a cost analysis on what the parts cost to produce (it's a pretty complex formula). We don't want to build parts to break even.... we actually need to make a little money to keep things rolling.

The 60-62 is a little more of an involved install, so I don't think I would feel comfortable recommending that a 10 year old install it.... not even a 12 year old. Maybe a 14 year old with adult supervision of course!

The good news for the 60-62 guys is that we are working on a more specific and complete system for both front and rear (up to this point we only have a handful of rear parts and not a complete kit). We are constantly innovating and evolving our product line.

Free Candy inside, as mentioned we appreciate and encourage all feedback good and bad. It is what helps us continue to make improvements. I feel bad if your buddy wasn't 100% satisfied. We are always a key stroke away if there are ever any questions or concerns.

Nate

Nate

I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I understand what you are saying yet the real issue wasn't the fitment of the crossmember into the frame but more of the other things not matching up like crooked bag mounts and bag rubbing issues, wrong bushing, incorrect hardware,etc. As far as I know I have never ran into a bag mount that is different so for a top bag plate to be cut incorrectly is not a 60-62 issue more of a production issue. Maybe it was just bad luck, I don't know because the hood hinge stuff went real smooth from what I know. All was installed by a professional with probably 20 years of experience building mini trucks, cars, and hot rods as a full time gig. A decent amount of work including cutting and welding had to be done to make the front end work (more than what a typical 14yr old even with adult supervision should do)which I would never have expected.

I was just trying to let the original poster to know some precious issues that was experienced before he spends that kind of $. It sounds like it might be a good idea from what you said to wait till the 60-62 front end is completely dialed in.

[PBFAB.COM]

Originally Posted by Free Candy Inside

Nate

I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I understand what you are saying yet the real issue wasn't the fitment of the crossmember into the frame but more of the other things not matching up like crooked bag mounts and bag rubbing issues, wrong bushing, incorrect hardware,etc. As far as I know I have never ran into a bag mount that is different so for a top bag plate to be cut incorrectly is not a 60-62 issue more of a production issue. Maybe it was just bad luck, I don't know because the hood hinge stuff went real smooth from what I know. All was installed by a professional with probably 20 years of experience building mini trucks, cars, and hot rods as a full time gig. A decent amount of work including cutting and welding had to be done to make the front end work (more than what a typical 14yr old even with adult supervision should do)which I would never have expected.

I was just trying to let the original poster to know some precious issues that was experienced before he spends that kind of $. It sounds like it might be a good idea from what you said to wait till the 60-62 front end is completely dialed in.

No worries at all. I appreciate your input and feedback. As mentioned, we are here to provide our end user with the highest quality parts and the highest quality customer service. We need to hear feedback from all our customers, good and bad so that we can continually improve and progress.

Also, in case you took my 14 year old comment as anything other than good humor.... it was just a lighthearted remark.

Thanks again for providing some feedback and allowing me the opportunity to respond.

Nate

[LVPhotos]

How low? I just went pipe notched. Still nose on ground. Did not want to cut bed, but still into it a few inches with pumpkin. All you need is trailing arms, track bar and PORTERBUILT notch for our trucks or pipe. The motor moves forward and up. So a high hump is mandatory and a two piece shaft. Check my build thread, I just finished with mine. Now to finish driveshaft and wire rerouting.
Note the measurement for rack and pinion is off. You need more of notch to clear. I used an extra 1/2" but needed 1" if you bring notch up to cover factory holes your good.

[ebaby35]

Originally Posted by LVPhotos

How low? I just went pipe notched. Still nose on ground. Did not want to cut bed, but still into it a few inches with pumpkin. All you need is trailing arms, track bar and PORTERBUILT notch for our trucks or pipe. The motor moves forward and up. So a high hump is mandatory and a two piece shaft. Check my build thread, I just finished with mine. Now to finish driveshaft and wire rerouting.
Note the measurement for rack and pinion is off. You need more of notch to clear. I used an extra 1/2" but needed 1" if you bring notch up to cover factory holes your good.

Did your porterbuilt trailing arms bolt onto your stock crossmember?

[LVPhotos]

Yes, the 60-62 X style frame does not have a removable trailing arm crossmember like the 63-66.

[rpone605]

I'm after more of a sport suspension setup with the adjust-ability of air ride. I'm not looking to have the frame on the ground but I would like to be able to get it pretty low.

[LVPhotos]

Removing the x takes away the rigidity of the frame. Did anyone notice that Porterbuilt makes a x for 63-66? The monkeys put one in their own truck.
If a lower stance is all a pipe notch is fine, but not necessarily needed.

[rpone605]

I was planning on using the PB X frame since it probably gives more rigidity than the stock X frame.

The truck will spend some time doing auto-x and track day duty.

[rpone605]

Oh LV. I'm going to be in your neck of the woods at the end of September. If you know of any shows going on that would be cool. Plus I would like to crawl all over your truck and steal ideas

[LVPhotos]

Super Run Henderson and Boulder City "Best Dam Show"
SEMA

[rpone605]

I'll be there from September 30th till October 6th SEMA is in November right?

[LVPhotos]

Yea, SEMA is Nov. You will be here for Super Run though.
http://superrun.com/
Hit me up! Crawling under truck requires jack.

[rpone605]

Ok cool I'll look you up. Not a big deal about under...I just want to see another 62 done up.

[rpone605]

Thanks for the input. I have seen the GSI one and it intrigues me.

I didn't really think about the impact issue by c-notching the frame like that. Even with adding metal there that still is a weak point.

[LVPhotos]

The Porterbuilt, at the intial time, was the only '62 crossmember out there. Not to say anyone copies someone else's work but there are more similarities now.
I have had this truck since '98. I wanted to save the torsion bars since Volare clips were swapped in some trucks I grew up with. Cost to rebuild and lack of brakes, swapping everything over and so on I opted for all new. I had planned drop spindles but the lack of support for this truck swayed me to this direction. It has been 3 years since original crossmember purchase and NOW this truck has become popular.
The frame is boxed in the notch location. If you weld right it is just as strong with the 3/16" insert. Same with rear.

Arrow to where I wish I brought notch up to for a bit more clearance.

[rpone605]

PBFAB thanks for the reply and the feedback.

I'll be keeping an eye on your site for the new 60-62.

If you are looking for a test subject I would definitely be interested.

[PBFAB.COM]

Originally Posted by rpone605

PBFAB thanks for the reply and the feedback.

I'll be keeping an eye on your site for the new 60-62.

If you are looking for a test subject I would definitely be interested.

rpone605-

We have a couple test subjects here, but I appreciate the generous offer!

We also produce kits that do not require the rack notch. Feel free to send an email with any questions you might have. nate@pbfab.com

Thanks!
Nate

[rpone605]

Thanks! I will be in touch.