would it be better to drop a 65 c-10 in the rear with 2" blocks or with lowering springs? they are both about the same price?
I think a 65 1/2 ton C10 has coil springs in the rear (my 66 does.) There is a jeep wrangler spring that fits perfectly and lowers it 2 or 3 inches. Do a search for that it'll pop up.
A 65 has coils and trailing arms. (see above) They work so well NASCAR uses a version of them called "truck arms". A lowering block only works on leaf springs as far as I know.
the axle sits on top of the "truck arms" and is held on with one big u bolt, i think it would work the same way it does with a leaf spring set up, I may be wrong but i think i have see lowering blocks for this kinda set up? but springs might be just as easy, either way it looks like it will over be 4 bolts whick ever way i go.
With blocks you will need new longer u bolts. Factor that cost into the equation. Just cut 1 coil off your current spring. If you don't like the result, order new lowered springs.
The rear coils on these trucks have a 'beehive' shape. You can't just cutoff a coil like with front springs. That being said, I've heard good and bad with using Jeep coils. I've always used aftermarket drop coils with good luck. CPP springs work great.
Another cheap option is any later A or G body rear coil with pigtail ends. The springs are a little shorter and have a great ride, but you will very limited on your payload.
Thanks guys. It's lowered about 6" front & 5" in the rear. 3" springs in the front with a coil cut off, and lowered G body springs in the rear. It's a little harsh on big bumps but drives good otherwise. My angles are a little steep on the shocks, so a relocator kit would help I'm sure. One bid downfall is the front crossmember is only 3-4" off the ground, so you better be on your toes. Thanks again.
Do you want a front rake? A 3/2 kit will give you that. You can add a sway bar from a later model Chev to really bring up the ride and handling.
Grab a torch and heat them babies up I've lowered two of these trucks and they still ride great. I dropped mine about 4 inches from stock with a "hot wrench"
no rake i want it to be level, i want the front maybe 1 or 2 lower than it is now, and the rear maybe 4 lower, the only thing i am worried about is i don't know if the current springs now are lower than stock or just sagging some? so i need to account for that when i figure out what size to get, like if there are stock springs that are sagging 3 inches and i want to go 4 inches lower than i am now i will need like a 6 inch lower springs.
Shorter coils demand shorter shocks. Sure there are some spring setting with these originals. Cutting stockers will stiffen the ride up some, more with each wrap cut. Is thw truck level now? If so a 3/4 seems like the one likely to fit your needs. You notice the drop, but still have plenty of ground clearance (lower A-Arm) and ride is still good. www.earlyclassics.com
A block works real well in the GM trailing arm, the rear end housing sets on the arm with the springs on front of the rrar end housing. While one can make about any lowering block, a block built specically for the C-10 is desirable, I just happen to have a par of steel 2" blocks under my bench. They were eventually going under this truck but I was so busly driveing it and hauling in it that I never got around to using them. Here is anotheer thing that works well on these trucks if you lower them using blocks you can get helper bags from the original Air/Ride to go in the original springs or do as I did and use air shocks. You can drop it and still use it to haul stuff or as I did use them to fine tune your suspension at the strip when you stop for a day of fun in the sun. One other thing while I am at it, these trucks look real good painted. My example here was an old farm truck and I never got around to painting it in the 80,000 miles I put on it but I certainly should have repaired the body and painted it. Please donot take this picture as an example of what one should be.
The guy i purchased my '63 C10 from had cut both front and rear coils, it looks like he cut 2 rings out of each. Front shock lower brackets needed to be sloghtly modified, front rubber bump stomps were removed for travel. Rear frame needed a notch due axle sitting a inch or so from the frame. Rear shock still need to be relocated, rides fine otherwise. Just got to watch out for dips, and deep entrance or exits from parking lots. Theres roughly the width of my hand on top of the front tire to inner fender clearance, and tires dont rub. I installed a set of 2 inch lowering blocks on the rear of the '62, it put a sloght bend on the e-brake cables that runs down the trailing arms. I know you can now purchase a lowering block kit now, i did mine man years ago & had longer u bolts made by a local blacksmith.
I like using springs, but as long as you don't go too long on the block height, a block will work. Yep, CPP makes a good, inexpensive spring. The Jeep coils are just too soft and will not work at all if you decide to haul anything. Heating the spring is the worst way to lower anything. The coil loses it's temper, and it'll continue to sag until the coil bind becomes so severe that the coil snaps when you're going down the road at 60mph. I have fixed so many butchered lowering jobs done by guys who think heating the coils are the way to go. Here's a basic, simple formula to get your '65 down and still have it ride nice: Front: Drop spindles, 1 coil cut. Drops the front 4.5" to 5", depending on what spindle you buy (some are 2.5" drop, others are 3" drop) Rear: 5" drop coils, Early Classic shock relocators and Super Track Bar kit.
ok just ordered 4" drop springs for the rear, and going cut the front ones how many rings do you think it wil take to level it with the 4 inch drop in the rear?
1 coil. Mine has 6" drop springs in the back and -1 coil up front. You don't need new shocks. Mine has normal ones and I have no issues. Watch your clearance so yout tires don't hit the sides. I moves my panhard bracket to center my rearend.
By lowered G body springs do you mean stock G body. Are all the A and G body springs the same height? Thanks
I swapped the fronts for short springs and put the heat to the rear.I put a spring compressor on them and heated the top coils till they came together Well it worked and pretty dam well
1 coil will get you approximately 2" of drop. Are you still running the stock drum brakes up front? If you've already upgraded to the '73-'87 disc front, and can get a pair of drop spindles, you can get the front down to around 4" or 5" (depending on the brand of spindles you use). It'll ride nice, too. In the rear, if you go more than a 5" spring, it can get pretty close on the snubbers. You can easily trim them with a hacksaw. I would highly suggest a track bar relocator kit, or move your bracket like Jason65 did. When you go lower than 4" in the back, the panhard bar isn't parallel at ride height and it kicks the rear over to the driver's side every time it hits a big bump because the bar is also too short. ECE (Early Classic) makes a nice trackbar relocator kit and also a very nice shock relocator kit. The shock angle gets weird when you go lower than 4", and you need to get the shocks back to a good workable angle. These two upgrades make a HUGE difference in ride quality.
I am going to start with the 4 inch drops in the rear and see how I like that, I still like to haul stuff some times so I I'll see what 4 inches does then can add some blocks if I want it lower, all stock up front so will prob start by cutn about a coil and a half and see where that gets me. Wish me luck!
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