68 Stepper

[Big Al 77]

My Dad and I just bought this 68 Stepside. It’s got a 355, a four speed out of a 71 Camaro, Lunati cam, Weiend intake, headers, Edelbrock 650, heavy duty clutch, Hurst shifter, and various other performance parts. It has been lowered roughly 3 inches with blocks in the back and the springs have been cut down in the front.

The plan so far is to install some 2.5” drop spindles with 1.5” drop springs in the front and 6” drop springs in the back. We have been looking high and low for good pictures of stance and rake, but it is hard to tell what a truck will look like without the specific wheels and tires that you are going to buy. We were thinking about some 17 or 18 inch wheels with some 50 or 60 series tires. I don’t know if a 4/6 will be too low with 17’s or too high, and if the 50 series tires would be too little rubber… Some of the bagged trucks look pretty good. I am always looking for good info on stance and rake if anybody has any.

We will also swap out six lugs for five, and go disc brakes all the way around. I have heard that it is hard to keep the rear brakes from locking up with discs on the back, but maybe there is an adjustable proportioning valve that could solve that problem. We will also put a nice wood bed in the back, hopefully with a relocated gas tank under it.

One thing that I would think about changing is the 373 posi rear end. Paired with the 4 speed tranny it’s turning 3000 RPM at 60 MPH. I wouldn’t mind being able to cruise down the highway at 70 turning 1500 or so. I don’t know whether a 5 speed tranny would solve this, or if the differential is the problem. I know that the 373 posi is the gold standard, but I guess I am looking for something different. Again, any info on the tranny vs. differential would be appreciated.

I was also wondering about what seats I should put in it. Bench, 60/40, buckets? As the build progresses I will be putting more photos up along with questions, questions, questions.