layin frame?

[64shortc10]

Ok how low can you go? Can someone show me how low on stock trailing arms, Kp notch, and a lowering block, and bags(stock location or not)Will it lay frame on 20's? Someone show me their truck on this combo! What would it take to lay on trailing arms? Thanks Later

Tony from Norcal

[PrerunnerRob]

Originally Posted by 64shortc10

Ok how low can you go? Can someone show me how low on stock trailing arms, Kp notch, and a lowering block, and bags(stock location or not)Will it lay frame on 20's? Someone show me their truck on this combo! What would it take to lay on trailing arms? Thanks Later

Tony from Norcal

You are talking about the stock rear trailing arms right?

[64shortc10]

Yes Prerunnerrob the rear trailing arms! I guess I should have made that part clear, sorry. I wanted to see pics of trucks bagged, blocked, Kp notched, modified or purchased trailing arm crossmember, on 20's to see if the are layin frame or how close to layin frame they are. Thanks for the help! Later

Tony from Norcal

[PrerunnerRob]

Originally Posted by 64shortc10

Yes Prerunnerrob the rear trailing arms! I guess I should have made that part clear, sorry. I wanted to see pics of trucks bagged, blocked, Kp notched, modified or purchased trailing arm crossmember, on 20's to see if the are layin frame or how close to layin frame they are. Thanks for the help! Later

Tony from Norcal

I hate to break the news to you, but a KP notch is only half of the problem you are dealing with. I bought my truck thinking I could just weld in a notch make some bag mounts and call it done. The problem is the rear trailing arms come into contact with the frame before the rest of the truck can lay out. I'm running a 235/75/15 tire, which is 28.9" tall, 9.25 inches wide, so that puts overall tire height and width within a comparable 20" tire range. To get my truck to lay out, I had to start a notch right behind the front bed mounts. I built a frame clip on a bench out of 3x4 3/16 wall, positioned it, and welded it in place. After the rear clip was in, the rear trailing arm crossmember would hit the ground before the rest of the truck could lay out. I pulled the rear crossmember out, flipped it over to raise the trailing arm pivot point, and cut off the top and bottom surfaces. I replaced them with plate, transfered all of the mounting holes, and my truck finally laid out.
Here are some pictures.








So, since i"m going to do this all again, I would weld in a notch, and 2 or 4 link it. Trying to save the stock trailing arms is more work then it is worth, and by the time I had finished placing the bags, I would have to box the lower arms anyway. Where are you located by the way?

[SCOTI]

Z-ing the rear frame 'clip' (from about the back of the cab) raises the frame rails to allow further drop w/o interference. You'll still need the c-notch/step-notch clearance. But if the rear clip is raised, you won't need as much of one.

It would prob be easier to just 4-link it. But. if you want the proven performance of the trailing arms & the rails to hit the dirt, it's going to take some work.

[gringoloco]

You will not even come close to laying with the bags in the stock location. I did this on my Blazer and with a step notch I am still about 3" from laying.

You can move the trailing arm perches towards the center at the axle. This will allow them to clear the frame. Keep in mind, this will also push the rear axle back a few inches so you will need to move the crossmember forward to re-center it in the wheelwells.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by gringoloco

....You will not even come close to laying with the bags in the stock location. I did this on my Blazer and with a step notch I am still about 3" from laying.

3" was the number I remember when I played around w/my 67 in the garage. This is why I figure a 3" or greater 'Z' behind the cab could theoretically allow the rails to sit on the ground & still utilize the GM supplied trailing arm configuration. Some aftermarket round=tube style arms might help w/additional clearance but the cost would off-set the benefit (aftermarket arms prob cost as much as a weld-in, basic style 4-bar kit).

[gringoloco]

Originally Posted by Spray-Bomb

Couldn't he just add some blocks at that point ???

Isn't that what you did Gringo ???

I am using a 3" block just to get it that low. That is pushing the ragged edge of what is safe with a lowering block IMO. My trailing arms are within 3/8" of hitting the framerail at full dump.

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Some aftermarket round-tube style arms might help w/additional clearance but the cost would off-set the benefit (aftermarket arms prob cost as much as a weld-in, basic style 4-bar kit).

True, plus the fact you will need a custom length panhard or watts...

[PrerunnerRob]

All in all, in my opinion its just not worth doing all the extra effort to save the stock trailing arms. A conventional or triangulated 4 link will work better, allow alot more adjustment of pinion angle, axle centering, and operate smoother. You also dont have to deal with the pinion angle radicly changing throughout the travel arc. If you go with a triangulated, you don't even have to deal with a panhard bar. Just my 2 cents.

PS-my frame clip is getting cut off soon, if the person I told could have it falls through, it's up for grabs if anyone wants it.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by PrerunnerRob

All in all, in my opinion its just not worth doing all the extra effort to save the stock trailing arms. A conventional or triangulated 4 link will work better, allow alot more adjustment of pinion angle, axle centering, and operate smoother. You also dont have to deal with the pinion angle radicly changing throughout the travel arc. If you go with a triangulated, you don't even have to deal with a panhard bar. Just my 2 cents.

PS-my frame clip is getting cut off soon, if the person I told could have it falls through, it's up for grabs if anyone wants it.

Pinion angle on a trailing-arm suspension (as described) is not going to change any more than what a stock set-up does. My modified stock set-up works well & is very stable based on my experiences in the truck. I've driven triangulated 4-bar set-ups that were much less stable simply because of the positioning of the bars based on pkging restraints.

Triangulated 4-bar, parrallel 4-bar, or trailing arm suspensions can all be made to work better than each other. Each has it's benefits; each can have negatives.

[Spray-Bomb]

Couldn't he just add some blocks at that point ???

Isn't that what you did Gringo ???

[gringoloco]

There's pics in my "How to:" thread of the rear all the way down. The framerails are about 3" off the ground aired-out, but I am running a very tall tire(295/45-20). You could be as close as 2" with a 28" tire. You could easily put it on the ground by notching the rails for the arms or moving them in a little at the axle. I still have to trim the front fenders to put the front all the way down...

[Kontrol Phreaks]

Here are some pictures of the C10 that I did on 22's, with factory trailing arms, bags off the front of the axle, KP notch. You could go lower with a set of blocks between the axle tubes and trailing arms. This truck didn't have them because the truck was level when aired out and that's what the customer asked for. Plus the 22's were bottomed out up front on the hood hinge and the crossmember was on the pavement.

Good luck with your project.

[Kontrol Phreaks]

If you were looking to go lower, then you could set the notch in a little higher and install the lowering blocks. DJM offers an adjustable lowering block kit which consists of (8) 1/2" thick plates and new U bolts. So you can lower each side anywhere from 1/2" - 2" inches.
You're going to need to relocate the shocks as well now the upper mount will be gone, and the angle off the trailing arms would be radical. The truck shown above uses our rear shock relocation kit and a new shortened pan hard bar with a 3 degree cope on the frame side, and a 3/4 heim joint on the axle side.

Later.

[XXL]

[QUOTE=Kontrol Phreaks;2509453]Plus the 22's were bottomed out up front on the hood hinge and the crossmember was on the pavement.

The math doesn't work for me... if you've got a 27" tire (ASSuming, based on the 22" wheel), and you're on the stock hinge up front, the xmember isn't on the ground. Am I missing something from your explanation of what was done??

[c10addict]

Up front I am running drop spindles with front airbag cup cut down to 1 inch. Out back a kp notch with a 2 inch block... I relocated my rear bags to the rear axle... With this set up the trailing arms touch the frame when dumped and the frame sits level.... with a 29" tire the bottom of the middle of the frame is 3 inches off the ground... It will drag the sh*t out of the rear license plate box but thats about it...

[1963chevyshort]

Well Tony hey when are you going to show us some pics?