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#1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Wakaw, Sask, Canada
Posts: 3,180
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73-87 C20 ride much different from newer 2500?
Seem to have read a lot about the overly stiff ride from older 3/4 tons, but when I last washed the company truck 2013 2500 HD I looked and it seemed to have a million leafs in the back..and it doesn't ride bad at all. It is a commuter with zero extra weight in the back too.
Considering my work truck is a 2wd, would a square body c20 2wd be that much worse for ride, and why? Am I missing something? See plenty of c20s being converted to c10s, but I assumed it was mostly for bolt pattern change??
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"You can take the man out of PA, but you can't take PA out of the man" |
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#2 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Ionia Michigan
Posts: 336
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Re: 73-87 C20 ride much different from newer 2500?
IDK, my 02 2500 HD rides like a truck, my older GMT400 rode the same, my earlier square, same. It's firm, you feel potholes, train tracks kinda suck. Maybe newer trucks are nicer, but I won't know for about ten more years until they are cheap like me lol.
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J.R. Link to Daryl's build, http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...10#post8443010 Link to my Youtube channel with build info, https://www.youtube.com/thedrivewayengineer |
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#3 |
Post Whore
![]() ![]() Join Date: May 2015
Location: Alabama
Posts: 14,630
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Re: 73-87 C20 ride much different from newer 2500?
Compared to my 81 my 13 truck rides smooth...but it won't carry a load like my older truck..doesn't take much load to make it squat..
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#4 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Ionia Michigan
Posts: 336
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Re: 73-87 C20 ride much different from newer 2500?
My 02 is rated for 3100 lbs payload lol, and it feels like it. It's also rated for 100 lbs more fifth wheel load than the diesel
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J.R. Link to Daryl's build, http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...10#post8443010 Link to my Youtube channel with build info, https://www.youtube.com/thedrivewayengineer |
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#5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Hamilton ohio
Posts: 12
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Re: 73-87 C20 ride much different from newer 2500?
New stuff has fresh rubber, bushings, body mounts, insulation, weatherstrip, better riding springs, you name it. Wasn't much to an old 70s-80s truck. All these newer trucks are built like Cadillacs.
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#6 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Posts: 2,540
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Re: 73-87 C20 ride much different from newer 2500?
I think a lot of the ride improvement in newer trucks is the seat. Most new ones have bucket seats, which will ride a lot better in most cases then the bench seat that was standard in most squares. I know my 75's ride felt better after I installed some aftermarket bucket seats.
You can also improve the ride by replacing those 30-40 year old spring bushings and do a front steering/suspension overhaul. If your springs have enough sag in them, you might be out of the shock's best operating area. Your cab mounts are probably fairly hard after 30+ years as compared to the fresh ones in the new truck. Keep in mind that the squares were the last of the "Pickups are primarily work trucks" thinking and the new ones are designed to be long trip with family friendly. |
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#7 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Swaledale, IA
Posts: 485
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Re: 73-87 C20 ride much different from newer 2500?
The newer trucks use the 64" leaf spring design. Our C20 would have a 56" spring in the rear, which gives more flex and better ride.
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#8 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Bloomington Indiana
Posts: 1,041
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Re: 73-87 C20 ride much different from newer 2500?
Not sure about the 3/4 ton, but I can say the 1/2 ton trucks ride much better.
My 1978 K10 has new aftermarket bucket seats, new cab mounts, and new Tuff Country EZ-Ride suspension, but it still rides hard empty, quite a bit better with a half-ton load, but still rides like a truck. My 2017 K1500 Sierra Denali rides like a Cadillac, empty or with a half-ton load. I can't even tell the difference between empty and loaded. I'm sure the electromagnetic shocks are a big part of that. Whoever did the programming on those deserves a medal.
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Rich Weyand 1978 K10 RCSB DD. |
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#9 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Memphis MI
Posts: 1,851
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Re: 73-87 C20 ride much different from newer 2500?
In order of ride comfort:
1987 R10, nice seat, tired suspension, rides awesome, handling not so much. 1999 C2500 extended cab short bed. 300# in front of the tailgate really helped. A 2200# Bridgeport mill in the bed gave a great ride. 2017 1500 regular cab long bed 4wd. WAAY over shocked. Bounces around a lot. Thankful I didn't get a short bed. 1981 3/4 ton 2wd. Rode like an unsprung hay wagon. Best with about 1000# in the bed.
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1987 2 ton ![]() 1982 ![]() Dad's 1981 ![]() Plus a mess o' tractors |
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#10 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Sherwood, Oregon
Posts: 974
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Re: 73-87 C20 ride much different from newer 2500?
My '74 C20 rides great. I installed new Bilsteins a couple years ago and it tightened up the ride some but didn't really change the ride from a comfort stand point.
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--Project BABA YAGA!... http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=655783 --Project BABA YAGA!... http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ghlight=Belair "Life is tough - wear a cup!" "Old Enough to Know Better - Too Young to Resist" "Junk is something you will need three weeks after you throw it away." |
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#11 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Hamilton County, Texas
Posts: 13
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Re: 73-87 C20 ride much different from newer 2500?
My 85 Silverado had a 6.2 diesel before I put a good crate motor in it and the front springs gave me a strong but rough ride. Put stock springs for a gas truck on it and it helped a lot. Put new KYB MonoMax shocks on it a couple of weeks ago after checking out the bushings and the ride is much better. The paved roads around here at the ranch are worse than the caliche roads. Now I've got a loud clunk in the driver's side door when I hit a big bump and need to check it out. Lined up the front end and it was real close to perfect. I think the ride that I've got is about the best that I can get and that is OK.
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RIDING.....a sure fire way to relieve cattle ranch burnout! '85 C10 Silverado LWB & 350/700R |
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#12 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 1,204
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Re: 73-87 C20 ride much different from newer 2500?
Quote:
Alex. |
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#13 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New Freedom Pa.
Posts: 1,335
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Re: 73-87 C20 ride much different from newer 2500?
I had an 1983 C20 2WD with 8600 GVW. I road like a "Dump Truck"
Now my 2004 Z71 you can fall asleep on long rides. Can't hall the same load but what a difference.
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