Squarebody Trailing Arm Conversion

[bluex]

Some progress on the install of my PB Fab converison kit.









I did have to pull the gas tank so I could add clearance holes in the trailing arm crossmemeber mount and I will also have to add one in the front gas tank hanger. This could be due to the way I mounted the tank when I shortened the frame though. I thought I used a factory location but I honestly cant remember. All the suspension stuff is going out for powder today but I'll try and get a picture of what I had to do on that bracket.

[andrewmp6]

Looks good so far.Let me know how it handles after you get it all good to do.

[bluex]

Progress is being made just not much that is picture worthy. Axle is cleaned up and painted, everything is back from powder coat and ready to install. At the front of the notch the bolts are to short so I'll be picking up some longer ones today at lunch to fix that. I'm not sure if they sent longer ones and I lost them or what. I had some issues early on with this kit that lead to me packing it back up for a bit because I got frustrated so I could have misplaced them then.

[bluex]

Got all this stuff back on an tightened down. Whole lotta bolts in there...

[thompson1122]

Looks good Paul!

[andrewmp6]

Looking good so far,What are you going to do to the front ?

[bluex]

Originally Posted by andrewmp6

Looking good so far,What are you going to do to the front ?

I have the stage 1 kit for the front. Cups, plates and shock relocators

[bluex]

Work has been crazy with our winter shutdown but I've managed to get a little bit accomplished on my swap the past few days.

New wheels seals, locker an the larger drums installed on the axle. Then put the trailing arms an axle on the truck.




Today I got the bump/steering stop removed from the front a arms. Put on the lower shock bar an the shock studs. Next week I still need to order a nice aluminum cover for the axle an new brake hardlines to go to the wheel cylinders....

[bluex]

Passenger side front stuff is done, just need to do the bag plate and shock mount on the dr side now.

[bluex]

Well I'm making some progress but its frustratingly slow. I spent quite a bit of time clearancing the rear bag mounts for my air line fittings, after they were powdercoated

I got my air tank mount made and then went to install the front bag assemblies and the bolts are to short, so I had to order more.

Ordered new prebent brake lines to go across the rear axle to the wheel cylinders and they had to be tweaked to fit. I also got a nice LPW low profile support cover but it is really close to the panhard bar and it might not work either. Then bolts that came with it are to long and it didnt even come with a gasket!


I had hoped to have it sitting back on its suspension after my two days off this week but nothing worked out like I wanted it to. At about 3 pm yesterday I threw in the towel for now because I was just getting too aggrivated with it all.

I'll try and grab a few pictures at some point, it doesnt look to much different right now though

[Tom]

This is cool, I didn't even know they made something like this.

[bluex]

Originally Posted by Tom

This is cool, I didn't even know they made something like this.

Porterbuilt, CPP and Hot Rods to Hell make coversion kits. HTH might not be around anymore though, I havent checked in on them lately.

[bluex]

Here's a few updated pics.

Clearance added for fittings



Rear mostly together, tank mounted, swapped to 84+ parking brake cables.



Front mounted up, I still have to swap out the bolts for the upper bag plate.



Air line ran



Hopefully it's all smooth sailing from here....

[bluex]

Well that last sentence above came back to bite me. I've been off the past few days an been cranking on this thing. Yesterday I got to the point where I was just about ready to throw the tires back on it an let it off the stands. Jacked the rear axle all the way up into the notch to check travel an the driveshaft hits the trailing arm crossmember with around 2" of up travel left. I ran it all the way up first then checked when it hit so I hope I didn't bend it with that first test.

So I fired off an email, then went to bleed the brakes. (All new rear axle lines an new braided stainless lines front an rear). Stripped a front bleeder screw, threw a wrench or two then quit for the day.

I swapped out the caliper an finished up the brakes this morning an then took most everything on the rear back apart. I have a few plans of my own but I'm waiting to see what direction PB wants to go. My show deadline is in serious jeopardy now.....

Looks like I never mentioned the show in here, I'm trying to have it ready for Run to the Sun in Myrtle Beach this March.

[Sik66]

Hi.....new to the squares.....I'm in Australia... they'res not many around that people work on.....soooo..I'm trying to work it out......why are you swapping to This style rear setup and not a 4 link( which seems the common way to go if have leaf Spring rear truck)...is it easier way to bag?...different?

[terrylgreenjr]

I saw in your earlier pics that the cross member was hanging below the frame rails. Is there anyway you can just raise it up? The factory style cross member just goes right in the middle of the rails is the porterbuilt unit a direct replacement? I don't know if you remember but I contacted you a while back on this conversion for my Suburban. I still haven't started but Im hoping to have it completed by Powertout this year. The difference is I'm using a factory cross member and have a 2 piece drive shaft

I'm watching this for sure

[bluex]

Originally Posted by Sik66

Hi.....new to the squares.....I'm in Australia... they'res not many around that people work on.....soooo..I'm trying to work it out......why are you swapping to This style rear setup and not a 4 link( which seems the common way to go if have leaf Spring rear truck)...is it easier way to bag?...different?

The trailing arms are suppsoed to be a better riding and handling setup. Some of the reason was to be different from the "norm" as well.

Originally Posted by terrylgreenjr

I saw in your earlier pics that the cross member was hanging below the frame rails. Is there anyway you can just raise it up? The factory style cross member just goes right in the middle of the rails is the porterbuilt unit a direct replacement? I don't know if you remember but I contacted you a while back on this conversion for my Suburban. I still haven't started but Im hoping to have it completed by Powertout this year. The difference is I'm using a factory cross member and have a 2 piece drive shaft

I'm watching this for sure

The original crossmember I got with the kit did fit inside the rails and didnt hang below them, but it hit the floor of the cab really bad. This was the redesigned crossmember to fix that issue but now it hits the driveshaft. It can go up to towards the floor another 7/8" till it touches but thats about it. Due to the frame differences and cab differences you cant just stick a 67-72 factory crossmember in a truck. It will also hit the floor of the cab among other issues.

A suburban will be a different process all together I'm sure, so all I can say there is good luck on your swap. Hopefully it goes alot smoother than mine has.

[tinydb84]

Any reason you don't just notch the cab and raise the crossmember?

[bluex]

Originally Posted by tinydb84

Any reason you don't just notch the cab and raise the crossmember?

I could sure, but would you want to cut the floor of your truck out for what is supposed to be a mostly bolt on suspension? If I had been willing to cut the floor I could have kept this crossmember here...



The CPP kit gets the conversion done with no mods to the floor of the cab so there is no reason for this kit to requrie a large hole to be cut in the floor in my opinion...

[terrylgreenjr]

That cross member hit the floor too? It looks like you put the top bar on top of the top frame rail and the lower rail on the inside of the c channel

[bluex]

Originally Posted by terrylgreenjr

That cross member hit the floor too? It looks like you put the top bar on top of the top frame rail and the lower rail on the inside of the c channel

Yes it did. It mounted like this...

[bluex]

So I havent let the driveshaft issue hold me back. I've been emailing with porterbuilt about it and they want to build another crossmember that is basically another 3/4" higher. I have a show I want to make so I took it all back apart and made a little modification of my own for the time being....

[moregrip]

Originally Posted by bluex

So I havent let the driveshaft issue hold me back. I've been emailing with porterbuilt about it and they want to build another crossmember that is basically another 3/4" higher. I have a show I want to make so I took it all back apart and made a little modification of my own for the time being....

very nice work and great solution!

[MalibuSSwagon]

Wow. Lotta work here! looks pretty good. I actually talked to Porterbuilt about their conversion, told me it would be bags or coilovers only for their setup. Didn't want to bagged my truck or drop $2k+ on rear suspension so I went with the CPP kit. Just wanted a simple coil spring suspension.

[bluex]

Originally Posted by MalibuSSwagon

Wow. Lotta work here! looks pretty good. I actually talked to Porterbuilt about their conversion, told me it would be bags or coilovers only for their setup. Didn't want to bagged my truck or drop $2k+ on rear suspension so I went with the CPP kit. Just wanted a simple coil spring suspension.

Ive had this kit for about 2 yrs now an the price has gone up a good bit in that time. The issues I've had with it aside, the price today would probably keep me out of it. From what I remember when I was researching each kit you could use bags on the CPP kit if you wanted so it is at a better price point in todays market for sure.