Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

I've been a faithful hotchkiss customer for many years...but I recently sent them an email requesting info on upgrading the suspension on my 85 C10 LWB...the response I recieved was less than curtious and basically stated that hotchkiss doesnt like these trucks and has no plans to develop any products for them...well now!

Because of this, my new goal is to build a supension for my beloved square using anything but Hotchkiss products and run it in the goodguys autocross against all hotchkiss vehicles...

sooo...give it to me brethern...I need your knowledge and advice...time to build an unlikely canyon carver....

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

a longbed pro touring truck. i like it.

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

That is weird.
Their 67-72 front a-arms and suspension kit utilizes a set of 73-87 spindles and ball joints.
Your current front suspension is identical to what is on any 67-72 truck.
I know they don't have a 73-87 rear kit,... but I wouldn't see why the front kit won't work on your truck.

Give Nate Porter a call at www.porterbuiltfabrication.com.
Their new coil over suspension would be killer on your truck.
http://www.porterbuiltfabrication.co...il-Over-Option

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

Their 73-87 trailing arm kit is pretty cool also.
http://www.porterbuiltfabrication.co...-for-73-87-C10

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

good... means you'll be getting much better peices for the same money lol... never really been a fan of em, their products are meh... not junk but not outstanding.. there's lots of companies that build just as good or way better than them.

at least when i was looking at them for stuff for my gbodies.

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

Been considerin a DJM kit, some Bilstein shocks and ride tech sway bars...

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

Should post the email for all to see
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Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

here's her engine...here is she...

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

I would suggest the new Porterbuilt coil-over system as well, and they can do the coil-over setup with the trailing arms in the rear. Their quality is second to none and they use Ridetech coil-overs.

I bet you can compete in the X-cross no problem! I dig the big block...... nice! :metal:

Travis

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

DJM arms are drop pocket designed a-arms that are old technology.
You can't run a drop spindle with these arms without scrubline issues.
Porterbuilt would be my first choice.
RideTech next.

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

I was jus about to ask about that..:metal:

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

it's a 396 out of a 70 caprice...

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

That's a pretty sweet truck man. And if that company doesn't want our square body business then it is their loss. Pretty dumb if you ask me to not want to make parts for a body style that production ran almost 20 years.

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

I am a lover of longbeds and have installed a suspension package from Ridetech on my 65 C-10 (can be seen in the 60-66 section) i would be happy to answer any questions about the kit. There are videos on my suspention install on youtube as well.

http://youtu.be/CfuxOhUGhqA

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

Hotchkiss isn't a very friendly or innovative company. How they got so popular is anyone's guess. I tried calling them and asking them for the part number for the shocks that they have "tuned" by bilstein in thier 400+dollar shock and relocation brackets. They basicly told me its a secret and just get the kit.

The front schock replicators can be had for 30$ anywhere else and bilsteins for way cheaper. I think they know this
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Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

I agree with others... Go check out what Nate at Porterbuilt offers!! DJM isn't going to compete with Hotchkis, you're going to have to spend a little cashe, Porterbuilt's stuff is well worth the $$$.

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

Just in case you guys may have forgotten, the huge front sway bars from motor home chassis can be adapted to the front of the pickups. They had rear sway bars on square body dually camper specials that can be adapted to the rear axle that bolt to the spring plates. Any square body with these bars on it make them handle like a roller skate. All factory Chevy parts. The motor home A arms are wider I believe because the mounting points on the sway bar are wider than on a 3/4 ton truck lower arms. But you can redrill the holes in the lower arms for the lower brackets.

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

I'm well on my way to a pro toured lwb. pics can be seen in the thread how bout some pics of dropped lwbs and one about brown trucks everything I have done is covered in that dropped lwb thread, well with the exception of my latest mods. have fun with it because there are a couple of c-5s running around that can't sleep at night due to the burned in image of a lwb chevrolet that they can't get away from!!!

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

If your goal is to have a truck that handles, I think your going to be fighting yourself with being nose heavy. Reguardless of what suspension you use, a big block like yours is too heavy to really have a truck that handles great. If you replace the cast iron intake, heads, and exhaust manifolds with aluminum and lighter hedders you will be alot faster and lighter. I would also suggest a rear fuel tank and moving the battery to the rear also. Otherwise you will still have a nice truck but I doubt it will handle to your expectations. My 2 cents...

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

74 stepside is right on target, make sure that is what you want to do because making a truck handle isn't as simple as bolt on suspension in a box. It takes patience and a meticulously methodical approach. There is no corner of my truck that is stock and untouched. Beware that it is not an easy road to go down, that 396 while it is a torque monster is going to end up hurting performance in corners. I had to move my smallblock down 2" and back 2" and it's mostly aluminum. battery is relocated center behind the seat and fuel tank was removed in favor of a fuel cell located between the rails where the spare would normally be. Also check out the "Make it handle" thread in the tech section lots of useful info there. And also be aware of your proportions, i.e. the more suspension mods you do and the better it starts to handle horsepower will need to increase in order to take full advantage of your mods. It really comes down to cause and effect figure out what it is that you really want and go from there any deviations will cost money and time.

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

The factory rear sway bars are a really nice design.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v9...cksAug2012.jpg

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

sorry folks...this is whats been keepin me from the lwb project...before and after....

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

OOH Wee!! on the Chevelle!!!Same colors as my 72

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

Is that a 68 or 69? Love em. We recently sold our 67 Chevelle. Always wanted a fastback looking 68-70 though. Love the dual headlights.

Re: Hotchkiss can kiss off!
 

Thats a 68, 112" wheelbase. 4" shorter than a 64-67 unless you have a 4 door, wagon or El-Camino. All the 2 doors post or hardtop were built on the 112" wb.