suspension upgrades 1969 Panel truck

[chris mc bride]

Ok I hav e a 1969 Panel Coming from tricked out 96 z/28 that would take about about any curve 100 mph plus. Realistic don't expect truck to out handle it. While old guys typically like cushy ride I am no typical. Handling beats comfort for me.

Ok what best bang for buck handling wise. New shocks ar just a must.Suggestions there welcome.

Lowering truck 3 to 4 inches is also a must. Spindles in front of coarse wlong wiht disc brakes frt.

My thoughts right now. Srtiffen fram where can,add sway bars front a rear,drop spindles front 3 inheches,drop rear 3 or 4(like some rake),add 17x8 ralleys front and 17 x 10' rear.. Move some weight rear like battery(s).

Any suggestions to need or need to change thought on ,I am open for suggestions.

[68 P.O.S.]

If you're looking for handling, look at the Hotchkis kits. Good stuff there

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

There's a make it handle thread somewhere, but the basic recipe is.

Move the lower A-arm forward 3/4-1 inch
Lower the upper a-arm 1/4-1/2 inch depending on whom you believe. I have done a 1/4 personally.
Get a matched steering setup with a weighted feel to taste.
Longest leaf springs, and shackles possible for most linear feel. Also the wider the better too.
Truck arms I have no experience with.
1 1/4 front, and 7/8 rear bar were my faves. I had C20's rclb's.
Add PST polygraphite bushings if you keep the stock arm's.
High quality shocks or quad shocks. I prefer gas charged cheap shocks in a quad shock arrangement personally.

One day I will put C30 spindles on a C10 a-arms in order to use Polygraphite bushings. Which to me would be the ultimate.

I like to weld in a internal brace from the shock mount to the a-arm cup in order to true up shock movement for loss of a better term.

One day I will try to put a Caprice a-arm shock into a truck since it looks to fit with a space to keep shock at mid travel.

Most standard style shocks should be set to mid travel height for best results.

I prefer C20 or C30 front with a 14 bolt semi floater or light duty for the factory big brake option.

With out modifying the crossmember any bolt on solution is not taking full advantage of what's possible. It will still understeer by comparison, and will block the rear end from rotating around in a sense. Allowing tighter fast turns, but be careful. It can now come around pretty good when your not intending it too.

The mods I described will be like a truck version of the Gulstrand or Shelby mods, but for trucks.

[SCOTI]

First off.... Devils Advocate position vs. challenging the recommendations.

Originally Posted by Ziegelsteinfaust

There's a make it handle thread somewhere, but the basic recipe is.

Move the lower A-arm forward 3/4-1 inch
Lower the upper a-arm 1/4-1/2 inch depending on whom you believe. I have done a 1/4 personally.
Get a matched steering setup with a weighted feel to taste.
Longest leaf springs, and shackles possible for most linear feel. Also the wider the better too.
Truck arms I have no experience with.
1 1/4 front, and 7/8 rear bar were my faves. I had C20's rclb's.
Add PST polygraphite bushings if you keep the stock arm's.
High quality shocks or quad shocks. I prefer gas charged cheap shocks in a quad shock arrangement personally.

This info I get. Good solid recommendations that are easy enough to do & relatively proven to perform w/o breaking the bank.

A rear sway bar in an application such as a panel truck or one that tows regularly to help w/sway is a good idea.

Poly bushings aren't a huge difference vs. the early 6x-72 style a-arms w/the rubber-lined steel sleeves. Not much flex there. Versus the 73-87 press-in bushings w/the car style thick rubber? I get that.

Originally Posted by Ziegelsteinfaust

One day I will put C30 spindles on a C10 a-arms in order to use Polygraphite bushings. Which to me would be the ultimate.

I like to weld in a internal brace from the shock mount to the a-arm cup in order to true up shock movement for loss of a better term.

One day I will try to put a Caprice a-arm shock into a truck since it looks to fit with a space to keep shock at mid travel.

Most standard style shocks should be set to mid travel height for best results.

I prefer C20 or C30 front with a 14 bolt semi floater or light duty for the factory big brake option.

With out modifying the crossmember any bolt on solution is not taking full advantage of what's possible. It will still understeer by comparison, and will block the rear end from rotating around in a sense. Allowing tighter fast turns, but be careful. It can now come around pretty good when your not intending it too.

The mods I described will be like a truck version of the Gulstrand or Shelby mods, but for trucks.

These suggestions not so much.... I get dreaming/scheming. But it needs to be put into that perspective.

C30 spindles on C10 arms to use Polygraphite bushings?

C20/30 front + 14SF rear just for the OE brakes? Aftermarket big brake set-ups are readily available now. How much braking capability is added by the heavier duty components? How much weight is also added vs. return on performance?

'Shock within the coil' arrangement as an improvement vs. the OE location? I sure would want some data that supported there would be a fairly decent gain in shock performance before I started down that road of modification.

The 'Gulstrand/Shelby' mod works/worked but.... True Gulstrand/Shelby mods on the respective brand cars not only had the holes lower (for the camber curve improvement) but also @ a different F/R pitch (to improve Caster) on cars. Without a template or guide, I'd worry about precision of relocating the holes. It would be easier to install a taller upper BJ that simply bolts on to the OE truck (or aftermarket) upper a-arms (improves Camber curve) & the caster mod on the truck based lower a-arm shaft (which the cars didn't have/couldn't do).

The Caster mod is a good idea for the relative ease & amount of investment but only if the alignment is done to take advantage of the mod.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

I do not know what he has, and having had both. I prefer polygraphite over C20/30 bushings. Not that I haven't used both, but I feel they wobble less when pushed.

I am trying to give him ideas, and he said he wanted to go fast. So to play it "safe" depending on his budget. He will have to get creative. I like to think of Smokey Yunick as my God, and I have spent 30 years trying to use his philosophy when I do something.

Sure the last things are over the top, but when your doing something over the top handling wise. You better sort out your suspension either with your wallet or skill. At the later stages of any game are the most expensive for the least amount of gains.

Under steer on a cornering vehicle is HELL, and i have seen people slide off the road due to a vehicle not being able to rotate through a tight turn. On the other hand failure to understand the drift, and oversteer is HELL. No mod i described will out do the driver mod.

The shock with in a coil was to have a better dual shock arrangement. This way you have double the shock to handle the situation to keep you oil from foaming up in your shock or over heating the seals. You would still need to leave the original shock in its position.

If you read what I wrote, and not highlight it. I said it was like. I never said do the respective mods. So I clearly used them as descriptors. So depending on his level of hot rodding knowledge. He should be able to pick up what I am laying down.

I have done every mod in the upper half of what I wrote, and have driven the wheels off C20's. But they were tuned for dirt road bombing, and still had needed further dialing in. It makes a world of difference, and I could still hit the edge of the modifications with my driving skill. The extra shock on the front should help the front from floating as much as you try to dive into another turn. Yes I could spend money on dual piston Fox or equivalent shocks, but child support says no. But often times I can find good quality gas charged Monroes in pick a part, and make use my mad scientist skills.

I took a 73 F250 around dirt roads fast enough to watch others wreck behind me. Whom I didn't realize were following me when the freeway had a 10 mile back up, and I bombed the desert to slide around. It had dual shocks at each corner, and aggressive AT tires. Plus would jump very well on dort roads for a polished turd. I regret selling her everyday.

I have had street C10's but they were for profiling, and not anything I would do now.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Ziegelsteinfaust

I do not know what he has, and having had both. I prefer polygraphite over C20/30 bushings. Not that I haven't used both, but I feel they wobble less when pushed.

I am trying to give him ideas, and he said he wanted to go fast. So to play it "safe" depending on his budget. He will have to get creative. I like to think of Smokey Yunick as my God, and I have spent 30 years trying to use his philosophy when I do something.

Sure the last things are over the top, but when your doing something over the top handling wise. You better sort out your suspension either with your wallet or skill. At the later stages of any game are the most expensive for the least amount of gains.

Under steer on a cornering vehicle is HELL, and i have seen people slide off the road due to a vehicle not being able to rotate through a tight turn. On the other hand failure to understand the drift, and oversteer is HELL. No mod i described will out do the driver mod.

The shock with in a coil was to have a better dual shock arrangement. This way you have double the shock to handle the situation to keep you oil from foaming up in your shock or over heating the seals. You would still need to leave the original shock in its position.

If you read what I wrote, and not highlight it. I said it was like. I never said do the respective mods. So I clearly used them as descriptors. So depending on his level of hot rodding knowledge. He should be able to pick up what I am laying down.

I have done every mod in the upper half of what I wrote, and have driven the wheels off C20's. But they were tuned for dirt road bombing, and still had needed further dialing in. It makes a world of difference, and I could still hit the edge of the modifications with my driving skill. The extra shock on the front should help the front from floating as much as you try to dive into another turn. Yes I could spend money on dual piston Fox or equivalent shocks, but child support says no. But often times I can find good quality gas charged Monroes in pick a part, and make use my mad scientist skills.

I took a 73 F250 around dirt roads fast enough to watch others wreck behind me. Whom I didn't realize were following me when the freeway had a 10 mile back up, and I bombed the desert to slide around. It had dual shocks at each corner, and aggressive AT tires. Plus would jump very well on dort roads for a polished turd. I regret selling her everyday.

I have had street C10's but they were for profiling, and not anything I would do now.

I read it all. I just didn't highlight everything I read.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

I read it all. I just didn't highlight everything I read.

You miss quoted what i said and intentions heavily.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Ziegelsteinfaust

You miss quoted what i said and intentions heavily.

No miss-quote from my perspective. I started my post w/the statement:

First off.... Devils Advocate position vs. challenging the recommendations.

I'm fine w/you not agreeing.

[theastronaut]

Up front- Drop spindles, KYB Gas-A-Just shocks, junkyard sway bar from a squarebody. Maybe cut 1/2 coil off the stock spring if you want another inch of drop over the spindle drop. You will need to trim the bump stop if you cut the coil spring or use drop springs. If you go more than 1/2 coil then I recommend removing the bump stop bracket completely. Re-dimpling the lower control arm for more caster adjustment is a good idea.

Rear- Drop springs, and relocated shocks, and junkyard sway bar from a mid 80's F150 (bolt-on fit). Moving the shocks outboard of the frame will make a big difference alone in handling and how it drives. I've done it on a '66 and a '69 and won't go back to the usual CPP style relocation brackets. Again, trimming or removing the bump stock may be required depending on how low you go.


Relocate the shocks as described in post 11 here-

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...postid=4730005

[Kudzupatch]

My 93 Suburban is pretty stock suspension wise. It has dropped spindles, flip kit on the rear. I put on better shocks. Front and rear sway bars with high density bushings.

Between lowering and sway bars it is a surprisingly good handling. Corners very flat and still rides pretty well. Overload bags on the back with 5 lbs pressure really help the ride but I am convinced that lower your CG and the sway bars are the best bang for you buck. If I ever build another one I am going to start there and then might move on other mods.