Ridetech 4-Link Coil-Over Install

[JohnJ@RideTech]

After being campaigned for a little while to showcase our StreetGrip products, our Squarebody is going back under the knife and will be receiving our brand new Coil-Over 4-Link kit!
Stay tuned for more installation photos and videos and be sure to check out www.ridetech.com for more details!

[cruizin01]

Love that seat. Any info you can share on it?

Excited to see the 4-link coilover.

I'm saving right now for your standard street grip kit for my project.

[Rickysnickers]

Looks like the one LMC sells, http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cc/full.aspx?Page=77

[cruizin01]

Originally Posted by Rickysnickers

Looks like the one LMC sells, http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cc/full.aspx?Page=77

awesome. thanks.

[JohnJ@RideTech]

Originally Posted by cruizin01

Love that seat. Any info you can share on it?

Excited to see the 4-link coilover.

I'm saving right now for your standard street grip kit for my project.

Its a full TMI interior kit. I think its a really nice setup and the biggest benefit is that it all comes in boxes ready to install. We have it in our Squarebody and in our 72 C10.
I drove the 72 to Texas and back and never had one complaint about the way the seat felt.

[JohnJ@RideTech]

Got the truck to the shop and got everything set up and read to disassemble. Going to get it all torn down and give you guys a step by step run down of how the kit goes together. Feel free to ask questions as we go along, I will do my best to answer them as best as possible.



We always use the wheels and tires as an added safety measure.



Given that the truck was previously our StreetGrip R&D truck, the components we are removing may look different than stock components but the installation process will remain the same as OE parts.

[JohnJ@RideTech]

Once we had the bed removed and out of the way, we began to remove most of the factory rear suspension. To help keep the rear end aligned (and to keep you from chasing it all over the place) it helps to keep one of the rear leafs in place as you install the opposite side.



Using the template provided, locate the alignment hole. I marked it with a paint marker so you could see which of the holes we use.



Once the alignment hole has been located, trim the c-notch template as instructed. You can use magnets or tape to keep the template in place. Use a center punch to mark your holes before drilling.

[Low Elco]

Question: how will this translate to those who have a 67-72 leafer? Obviously not a straight bolt-in, but would this be available later?

[JohnJ@RideTech]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Question: how will this translate to those who have a 67-72 leafer? Obviously not a straight bolt-in, but would this be available later?

We actually have a bolt on coilover kit for the 63-72 platform as well. That particular kit has trailing arms instead of the 4-link pictured above. Check out the link below to the components we manufacture for those years.
http://www.ridetech.com/products/sus.../product-3297/

[JohnJ@RideTech]

After using the template to mark where the notch would go, we used an angle grinder to remove material from the frame.



To prevent rust on the freshly cut frame, we hit it with a little spray paint and then test fitted the notch.

[JohnJ@RideTech]

Once we verified fitment on the notch, we marked the multiple holes that need to be drilled to bolt in the notch. We first marked the hole location with a center punch, drilled a pilot hole then finished it off with a 7/16 bit.
Once the holes were drilled, we applied a thin coat of paint to the bare metal and installed the notch with the supplied hardware.

[JohnJ@RideTech]

Here is a picture we took of all the rear components before we started the install. I figured you guys may want to see what all of they look like all laid out.


After the C-notch was bolted in on both sides, we installed the rear sway bar mount.

[northern 85]

Very nice set up!!

[JohnJ@RideTech]

The next step in the installation process was to remove the factory leaf spring brackets from the frame. Because the factory mount is riveted to the frame, we found the best way to remove it was to cut an "+" pattern in the head of the rivet with an angle grinder then use an air chisel to finish it off.




Once the head of the rivet is removed, we used a pry bar to pop the bracket off of the frame. We then drilled the holes out to accept the hardware, dressed up the frame with an angle grinder and applied some paint for rust protection.




After the paint dried, we used the hardware included in the kit to attach the front bar bracket.

[JohnJ@RideTech]

Originally Posted by northern 85

Very nice set up!!

Thanks man! We sure do appreciate it!

[aggie91]

Nice. Will watch this one for sure.

[daddyjeep]

Nice thorough job on writing up the installation.

[JohnJ@RideTech]

Thanks guys. I really do appreciate the feedback!

[JohnJ@RideTech]

The next component that needed to be installed was the coil over/ 4-bar bracket to the axle tube. This bracket was pretty straight forward as well. There are small upright tabs made onto the bracket and these tabs align it exactly where it needs to be on the factory spring perch. The bracket is held into place using some pretty heft Grade 8 hardware including washers and lock nuts.

[JohnJ@RideTech]

After the mounting bracket is installed and torqued down, the next step is to install the upper and lower bars. These bars will come preset to the correct length from Ridetech so they simply bolt on to the front and rear brackets.

[JohnJ@RideTech]

Other than the rear sway bar, there are only a few other components left to complete the rear. The next pieces we installed were the single adjustable coil overs included with the kit. RideTech coil-overs employ monotube shock technology that is used on high end road race cars. The benefits of monotube shock technology include more responsive damping and better oil control. With 24 different settings available on each coil over, Ridetech allows you to fine tune the ride quality to your liking using rebound management. (Plus, Ridetech has a true 1 million and 1 mile warranty on all of their shocks)

For initial setup we chose to set our coilovers up at 12 clicks on the adjustment knob. We did this by turning the knob all the way to the right (full stiff) then turning them back 12 clicks to the left. From this 12 click setting, we can adjust for a firmer or softer ride depending on how the truck feels. ( I will try and go into more detail of adjusting the shock settings once we get the truck on the road).

[cruizin01]

Looks great. Im curious how much different it rides than your leaf setup. And if there are any real cons to it.

[JohnJ@RideTech]

Originally Posted by cruizin01

Looks great. Im curious how much different it rides than your leaf setup. And if there are any real cons to it.

Thanks!
Right now we are waiting to get a good alignment on the truck then we plan on putting some miles on it. The first initial drive went really well, the truck had a smooth ride, the suspension is nice a quiet so overall I'm really happy with the way the truck rides. Unfortunately, between the wet roads and the truck not having a proper alignment it was difficult to put the truck through its paces and see what it is capable of. I hope to be able to post some photos and videos of the truck on the track here in the next week or so.
I will keep you guys posted for sure.

[JohnJ@RideTech]

To wrap up the back end of the truck, there were only a few small items that needed to be installed. The panhard bar is pretty straight forward as it's length is also preset right out of the box.
After the panhard bar was bolted up, we installed the rear MuscleBar, end-links and axle brackets. The end-link mounting brackets are the only components in the kit that need to be welded on.
Before welding the brackets in place, we installed the Delrin sleeve onto the bar, and then the bushing. The Delrin sleeve will minimize binding throughout the motion of the bar, it also virtually eliminates the noise associated with poly or rubber bushings.

After we have the MuscleBar in place we double check our spacing to ensure there is no interference throughout the range of motion. Once the lateral spacing it set, we mock up the bracket location using the end-links and mark the axle tube. With our location verified, we used an angle grinder to remove the paint from the axle tube, put the brackets back in place and tack welded them to the tube. DO NOT do your finish welding with the end-links still attached to the bracket as the heat from welding will melt them. Simply unbolt the end-link and rotate it out of the way.

Once the bracket had cooled, we put a little paint on it to prevent rust and bolted everything back up.






As a side note, we decided to flip the bracket over and install longer end-links on the production kits. The new design will allow for more articulation of the MuscleBar and less end-link binding. I will post a picture of the new components when I have the truck back on the lift.

[northern 85]

I would love to test drive this set up!!! I have a static 4-6 drop on my 66 trailing arm truck,,,,,any suggestions??