Leaf to Coil swap veterans...I need your experience
 

I am swapping a '72 SWB C10's front and rear suspension, steering, crossmembers, and brakes on my '68 SWB GMC frame. The frame are definitely different, as the leaf frame has small reliefs in the frame to reinforce it on each side of the leaf spring hangers. I left the rivets in the holes and ground it smooth before painting, so from the outside it looks like nothing was there.
I've also noticed that the coil spring frame has some reinforcing plates at the crossmember the shocks mount to. I plan on cutting these out to use on the GMC frame. I also plan to box the frame in front of and behind the trailing arm crossmember.

I have noticed several differences in the leaf frame vs coil frame. The leaf frame is also an early one being a '68 and the coil frame is a late model being a '72. Does anyone thats done one or more of these swaps...have any special information to help me have a successful swap? I worry about everything being strong enough for my 500+hp motor.

Re: Leaf to Coil swap veterans...I need your experience
 

wow....its like this post fell off into a black hole or something. :lol:

Re: Leaf to Coil swap veterans...I need your experience
 

Sorry, I read your subject line backwards. Major brain spazz here. Please disregard my previous post.

Ray

Re: Leaf to Coil swap veterans...I need your experience
 

Unless there is something heinously wrong with the '72 frame- why not just swap sheet metal? Leave the '72 frame as is and make it all purty if you like and box it where you want/need. Once that is done pull the bed, cab and front clip off your '68 and mount it to the newly freshened up frame. Slap in your motor and trans and head on out to the track for some serious radial destruction!
I haven't done this yet (it's on my "to-do" list) but it seems the coil frames have a little kick-out where the springs mount that the leaf trucks don't have. I've seen guys get some fabbed bag/coil mounts and weld them in, which is what I'll probably do. You'll also need to come up with a way to mount a panhard bar, being as the leafers didn't have one. There are kits out there, but like most things...they ain't free!

Re: Leaf to Coil swap veterans...I need your experience
 

the springs mount at the top to the bottom of the crossmember...the kickout is a plate is a piece of the crossmember that flattens out. I didn't get the panhard mount off the old frame in time (its gone) but understand guys sell them here and there. There are also race products.

the '72 had a cross weld about 12" back from the front left frame end. Like a replacement piece was welded on. my '68 was accicent free.