c10 vs c20 supension ???

[mike63078]

hey there guys i have a oppertunity to get a really clean 75 c20 suburban however i want a burban to drop and have stuff to drop a c10. what will i need to do to use my c10 parts on the c20??

[1FaastC10]

unbolt the front a-arms, and put the C10 ones on. not sure about the rear suspension, but you have have to get 1/2 ton hangers.

[mike63078]

so i if I have stock c10 upper and lower a arms, drop spindles and drop springs for a c10 it will all bolt up?

[mike63078]

???

[Grim Reaper]

Originally posted by mike63078
so i if I have stock c10 upper and lower a arms, drop spindles and drop springs for a c10 it will all bolt up?

I don't have a difinative answer here but I have a 3/4 ton burb and the engine cradle that the suspension bolts to is a lot beefier then the 1/2 ton. That would lead me to think it's not the same and you not going to get away with that approach.

I know on a 1/2 ton truck and a 3/4 there are frame differences. I hear two things. The firs being the frame is thicker and the second the frame is taller. Make sense because the weights between the two trucks is different and seem to be more then the weight of a 14 over a 10 or 12.
Npow what does and doesn't apply to a burb I don't know. I haven't had a half ton and a 1 ton side by side but that may change in a couple weeks.

The rear is not really a big problem. The front is where your going to have issues. You might be able to swap the cradle and complet suspension without much problem and I bet you could pick up those parts for cheap from a junk yard.

[1FaastC10]

C/K 10 and 20 frames are identical. its the C/K 30 trucks that have the taller frame.

[chevymad]

Bringing back an old post.. I have a 73 GMC C10 longbed. It's originally a 454/th400 truck. Bought the truck for the motor. Got to looking at the body though and it was decent. Since I had 2 more 70s trucks I decided to put it back together with a 350. I'm also changing it to a 3/4 ton.

One of the parts rigs i'm using is a 74 3/4 ton chevy. I took the front suspension out of it, and bolted crossmember and all into the 73. This is when I discovered something odd.. Seems the 1/2 ton has a 3/4" taller frame then the 3/4 ton??? Is this a 454 only thing? Noticing other small differences as well. The gmc has a power steering cooler for instance....

Anyway, do 454 trucks get a taller frame? Both the 74 3/4 ton and a 78 3/4 crewcab I have, have shorter frames then the 1/2 ton.

[lolife99]

Mike63078,... Early Classic Industries sells a C-20 drop spindle that accepts 1/2 ton rotors. Use them along with some drop 3/4 ton springs (Belltech) and you will be fine. Actually 1/2 ton springs will probably work. You will need a 1/2 ton rear, to swap in for the back. You might want to look at lowered leaf springs for the rear,... cause a flip kit on a 'burb gets the center section of the rearend REAL close to the floor. Different that a pickup. I used a 4" drop leaf from Chisholm Industries on a '91 Burb I had. Worked great.