Just picked up an original paint 69 C30 with 57K miles and have questions

[StingRay]

I just brought home an original paint 69 C30 cab and chassis last night. It has 57 K original on the chassis. For its age the body is quite good with minimal rust. The engine has been swapped for a newer 350 as I understand the old one siezed from sitting for many years. The rear end was swapped out to a 14 bolt as the old Eaton had been bent and that was the reason it was parked. I just noticed that the truck has no rear shocks. The chassis has no provision for upper shock mounts anywhere from what I can see and the the ones on the 14 bolt are gone and 1 at least would not have been correct anyway. The truck rides beautifully and has been this way for at least 10 years. Did the duallies not have rear shocks? If they did has anybody got a pic of the rear cross member so I know what to look for. Would one from a 73-87 work?

[67_C-30]

My '67 and '69 C-30's don't have them, but I think my '69 C3500 GMC dump truck does.

[StingRay]

Thanks. That's so wierd. I had no idea that any modern era vehicle actually had no shocks. It rides really well so I'm not overly concerned and I know I can easily retrofit them If I think it needs them

The truck looks like it has GM tow hooks on the front which could be a bonus. I'll post some pics of it tomorrow.

[Longhorn Man]

all C/30 trucks of the time (including 9 foot stepsides and C/30 longhorns) had no shocks unless optioned.

[StingRay]

a pic

[69GMCLonghorn]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

all C/30 trucks of the time (including 9 foot stepsides and C/30 longhorns) had no shocks unless optioned.

Does the same apply to GMC Longhorns? Mine had shocks... so that was an option?? Wow! It rode bad enough WITH 'em. I couldn't imagine the recoil WITHOUT 'em!!

[dan76]

nice...What's the trans?

[StingRay]

sm465

[67_C-30]

Nice truck. I love those 1 tons!

[StingRay]

Does anybody have pictures of the upper rear shock mounts on one of these one tons? I am fabricating some brackets for thet dump hoist and would like to make sure I don't build something that will get in the way of adding shocks in the future.

[Longhorn Man]

I can't prove it, but I will assume yes on the GMCs being optional too.

[StingRay]

You know this thing is really nice to drive even without shocks. It's spent 40 years without them but I'm going to use it to haul water and I'm kind of paranoid thinking I'm going to need shocks. In working on the truck I've found that the overload pads are almost worn right out so this thing spent a big part of it's 57 thousand miles riding on them. It is 57 original too as I've seen enough of these trucks to know the difference between 57 and 157. Around here at 157 they don't have cab corners, rockers,cab supports and original paint. Clearly the truck would have to handle fairly well even heavily loaded for it to have gone that far and lasted this long. Still I want to leave the door open to adding them. A little research shows that the leaf spring trucks C10 to C30 157 WB all used the same shocks. I'm guessing from the very limited pics I can find that the upper shock mount is a plate riveted to two holes in the top frame flange with a pin sticking out of it and a brace triangulating it to a singel hole in the frame web. If nobody has any pics even a confirmation of this would be of help.

[StingRay]

Bump still looking for pics

[Armo67]

I know this is an older thread but I was searching for pictures of the shock mounts as well. My C30 also did not come with rear shocks, and was thinking about adding some down the road.

Not the best pics for this as they were more for trying to figure out which axle was in the truck, but here it is without rear shocks or mounts for them.

[StingRay]

Actually I picked up a chassis that had mounts and I managed to salvage them. They collect a lot of crap in the uppers and get very rusty but I was lucky and they are still servicable. I have the uppers cleaned up for future installation. I have a 14 bolt FF in my truck and the lowers from the HO 72 look like they will end up part way on the housing on one side. It's too close for me to feel comfortable welding them on without pulling the carrier so the bearings don't get arced out in the process. Has anybody with a dually ever done the brackets onto a 14 bolt that can offer their wisdom?

Armo67 if you want bracket pics I can get you some of the uppers off the frame and the lowers on the HO72 housing.

I can say that after using it for a few years that when you have 6K on the back and you are on a crappy road rear shocks would be nice. Not critical but would certainly be appreciated. It's really stupid they were not standard.

[Armo67]

I'd be very interested in pics please. sending you a pm now. thanks!

[Armo67]

Also, if rear shocks were optional, would that be reflected in the SPID with an option number?