C20 to C10 drop spindles or entire C10 frontend?

[crakarjax]

I have a real dilemma here.

I have a C10 front suspension with all new (uninstalled) ball joints, rod ends, A-Arm shafts, etc.. I also have the stock frontend on my C20.

So here's the problem: I crawled under the two trucks and the C20 looks just amazing. The frame still has the original paint on it, the crossmember is not caked with grime AT ALL, the A-Arms look really clean. The only real concern that I have is the steering stabilizer with lines going into it from the PS pump, but I'm thinking I can probably just nix the whole stabilizer setup.
The C10 frontend is caked with crap but I'm sure the crossmember and control arms are structurally alright.

So what would you do? I feel like it would be a waste to junk such a nicely aged setup, but at the same time the drop spindles cost more. Do C-20 suspension/steering parts cost more in general?

[N2TRUX]

Lets assume that your 68 has never been rebuilt. Those parts are 42 years old right now. Unless they have been sitting on a shelf out of the weather, I'm not much on 42 year old parts.

Since you have the parts to rebuild the C-10 suspension, why not clean it up and slide it in all fresh and NEW...

[LONGHAIR]

Originally Posted by crakarjax

The only real concern that I have is the steering stabilizer with lines going into it from the PS pump, but I'm thinking I can probably just nix the whole stabilizer setup.

That is not a "stabilizer", it is the "power assist"cylinder. That was an early form of power steering. The hydraulic ram helped to push the linkage in the direction of your in-put.
A true "stabilizer" is just a "shock absorber" that has an equally balanced push/pull rate.

You cannot "just nix" the cylinder w/o changing the steering box too. A power steering system is much harder to steer when the power is gone. The "power assist" is not as bad, but it would still be difficult to drive that way.

[crakarjax]

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

That is not a "stabilizer", it is the "power assist"cylinder. That was an early form of power steering. The hydraulic ram helped to push the linkage in the direction of your in-put.
A true "stabilizer" is just a "shock absorber" that has an equally balanced push/pull rate.

You cannot "just nix" the cylinder w/o changing the steering box too. A power steering system is much harder to steer when the power is gone. The "power assist" is not as bad, but it would still be difficult to drive that way.

Awesome, I was hoping that someone would chime in on this. Was that power-assist system standard on '68s, and is it something that I should save/sell instead of junking? I have never seen such a setup nor come across parts for one. I'll probably just use the power steering setup from my '72, although the gearbox looks larger on the '72. Hopefully it will bolt right up.

[Tony@AirRideTech]

This is easy....... are building a 3/4 ton truck or a 1/2 truck? You will get a much better selection of wheels with a 5 lug circle than you will with a 6 or 8 lug circle. If it were me and I were building a driver that was not going to be 3/4 ton tow pig... I would build it with the 1/2 ton components because they are there and they are new and you get a better selection of wheels with a 5x5

[crakarjax]

Originally Posted by Tony@AirRideTech

This is easy....... are building a 3/4 ton truck or a 1/2 truck? You will get a much better selection of wheels with a 5 lug circle than you will with a 6 or 8 lug circle. If it were me and I were building a driver that was not going to be 3/4 ton tow pig... I would build it with the 1/2 ton components because they are there and they are new and you get a better selection of wheels with a 5x5

I'll switch to 5x5 via spindles either way, and I would just buy new components for the C20 suspension anyway, and re-sell my C10 parts or return them. I'm not particularly looking for 3/4 capacity.