86 chevy suspension help needed

[86ChevyC10]

i am restoring my 86 chevy from the frame up. just wondering how i can use modern technology to my advantage.


i am looking in changing the control arms from stock to tubular to eliminate weight.

curious if a rack n pinion is better then the old school gear box with all that steering junk like on stock.

i wanna keep the rear springs n not convert to 4 link i may toe with this rig in the future.

this will be used as a summer vehicle.

[scotts62]

from OKC!

You will be flogged here in a bit with the way to go, but it all depends on how much $ you want to spend

[86ChevyC10]

how?


the tubular control arms are part of the suspension due to sprink n shock mounting i figured?

i am aiming to spend about 10g on the chasis & suspension.

[scotts62]

Well if your looking to spend that much then just buy a dropmember from porterbuilt bolt on a rack and pinion buy some tubular control arms and call it good. Save all the time and customizing and fork it out, that would be your fastest and best bet. Porterbuilt is here on the forum too just do a search and send him a PM.

[86ChevyC10]

i don't want it dropped that much that it sits in the weeds. i want something i can still drive on the weekends/ summer long.

but max drop i'll go for is 2 inches

[scotts62]

Thats cool, just put 2.5 drop spindles on it. And as far as a rack and pinion there are a couple guys on here that have put them on stock crossmembers and im in the process of doing it now too.

[Tony@AirRideTech]

i have personally always thought that 2/4 drops without using a c-notch were pretty much worthless. and if you are going to C-notch it, might as well atleast go with a 4/6. If you use good equipment you will not loose any of your load carrying capacity at all... and in fact you will have more that you would then going with a 2/4 that is not notched. You will also be lowering the center of gravity further increasing the handling and the truck is going to look a heck of alot better... I would not dissmiss installing a fourlink in the back either in fact if it were me, the more I would drive it the more it dictates that I am going to want one. I had one under my last daily driver for 9 yrs and i have one under my one ton daily right now.

[D13]

I'm with you on the small drop, for some of us a big drop is not of interest. Personally it tells me the owner doesn't live on a dirt road, run over possums, etc. I guess it may be a result of growing up on a diet of 3/4 tons but if I can't drive over a speed bump at 25mph (or through the 8"+ deep potholes on my road) without thinking about it the truck is too low.
Having said that, most 2wd 1/2 tons have too much wheel well for a reasonable tire, so a 2/4 drop makes them look better without a lot of sacrifice in the ground clearance.

Don't be afraid of air ride and towing capacity, there are systems that will take more than the stock suspension ever would. In fact, even at a 2" drop, air ride technology can be used to help smooth out your towing. The real limit will be the weight of your truck and its braking capacity (ie can you stop the load).

I too am looking to go tubular on the front some day, just for the nice appearance etc.

As a suggestion, do a search on "drop" in the 73-87 forum and start looking at pictures. I found one that has the exact look I want on my 1/2 ton and that's the drop package I'm going to go with.

[PBFAB.COM]

To eliminate any "misconceptions" about the Dropmember....

It can be configured a few different ways to achieve different stances. I have built several units for guys who don't want to have a hammered stance, but looking more for the upgraded performance/technology.

Also, on the tube arms... they won't save you any weight, they're actually quite a bit heavier than stock arms.