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06-17-2010, 12:19 AM | #1 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Ferndale, WA
Posts: 18
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Going from leafs to coils, should I?
I have a 71' 3/4 ton that has leaf springs. I found on Craigslist a deal for trailing arms, crossmember, coils and misc parts for $150. This came out of a 71' 3/4 ton. First, is this a good deal for the parts to convert to trailing arms/coils? Second, is the conversion difficult to do, kind of put the crossmember in right and you're good to go or is there more modification than that. Any advice will be helpful.
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"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin "Stupid is as Stupid does" - Forrest Gump |
06-17-2010, 12:41 AM | #2 |
Big Red - Now its a SWB!
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Oroville, Ca
Posts: 1,624
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Re: Going from leafs to coils, should I?
To do the swap you will have to either weld the trailing arm perches on your rear or swap to a coil rear.
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68 3/4 ton (Project)-350 Small Block, .030 over, 10:1 comp, 3998993 heads, C3BX edelbrock intake, comp cams XE268, Holley 670 SA, long tube headers, dual flow 40's, E-fan, Alum rad, currently under the knife getting shortened and bagged build thread 41 3/4 ton (wife's)-flatbed, fully restored to original 01 Tahoe LT 4WD (my daily driver)-Magnaflow Muffler, Rollin on 22's 02 Ford Mustang Convertable (Wife's Car)-Flowmaster 50, Clear corners, Intake, sittin on 18's |
06-17-2010, 01:03 AM | #3 |
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Join Date: May 2000
Location: Alexandria, LA 71301
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Re: Going from leafs to coils, should I?
Jacfourteen is on the money with the spring perches needing to be moved. you will also need to remove the upper shock crossmember and use a trailing arm shock crossmember unless you go with a custom shock setup. if you use the stock setup you'll also need the lower shock mounts also which bolt to the bottom of the rearend u-bolts.
i'm not sure about 3/4 ton gmc's, but my 71 1/2 ton already had the trailing arm crossmember there from the factory. i just installed the end links to the crossmember and bolted the trailing arms up to them. here is a list of all the parts you will need for a "factory correct" conversion: 1. coil spring rearend 2. coils (2) 3. trailing arms (2) 4. u bolts (2) 5. t-arm crossmember if not already installed 6. upper shock crossmember 7. lower shock mounts (2) 8. trailing arm and trailing arm frame bracket hope i did'nt forget anything
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06-17-2010, 02:05 AM | #4 |
Big Red - Now its a SWB!
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Oroville, Ca
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Re: Going from leafs to coils, should I?
Oh, and if you want to keep your rear you will have to figure out how to mount the panhard bar as there is no mount on a leaf rear.
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68 3/4 ton (Project)-350 Small Block, .030 over, 10:1 comp, 3998993 heads, C3BX edelbrock intake, comp cams XE268, Holley 670 SA, long tube headers, dual flow 40's, E-fan, Alum rad, currently under the knife getting shortened and bagged build thread 41 3/4 ton (wife's)-flatbed, fully restored to original 01 Tahoe LT 4WD (my daily driver)-Magnaflow Muffler, Rollin on 22's 02 Ford Mustang Convertable (Wife's Car)-Flowmaster 50, Clear corners, Intake, sittin on 18's |
06-17-2010, 10:20 AM | #5 |
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Russellville, Arkansas
Posts: 1,699
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Re: Going from leafs to coils, should I?
My 68 3/4 has the crossmember with rivet holes for trailing arm mounts. I've thought about doing this also. Maybe in the future. Are 3/4 trailing arms different from 1/2 ton. How bout long bed vs short bed trailing arms? Goood luck.
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06-17-2010, 11:12 AM | #6 |
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Valley Center KS
Posts: 3,525
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Re: Going from leafs to coils, should I?
I believe the 3/4 ton arms have a little extra reinforcement, but are interchangeable. Same arms for LWB vs SWB
I'm converting my 3/4ton leaf to 1/2ton coil here shortly too. |
06-17-2010, 06:51 PM | #7 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Ferndale, WA
Posts: 18
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Re: Going from leafs to coils, should I?
I will be taking a good look at the rear suspension of my truck ASAP. I have some pictures of it that I'll look at tonight and maybe those will give me the information I need otherwise and I need to go look at it Monday. I'm just unlucky that I don't have the truck at my house right now. Not enough room.
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"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin "Stupid is as Stupid does" - Forrest Gump |
06-17-2010, 07:49 PM | #8 |
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Indiana
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Re: Going from leafs to coils, should I?
Use an ECE panhard bar. It does not mount to the diff, it mounts to the trailing arm.
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'70 GMC C1500 LWB Power disc brakes. WooHoo! Posi 6 Lug Dana 60 |
06-17-2010, 07:53 PM | #9 |
Truck and auto performance nut
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: McKinney,Texas
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Re: Going from leafs to coils, should I?
I'm swapping my GMC to coils...cutting all the rivets is probably the hardest part!
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Kurt - '68 GMC short step - NIB '09 LY6 6.0L crate motor w/mods, NIB '12 crate 4L85e w/billet 3k stall Circle D, 3.73 posi 12 bolt, DynaTech f-swap headers, 3/4 drop, handling mods, etc. - my toy '72 Chevy LWB C-10 Highlander - 350/350 ps/pb/tilt/ac - not original but close '06 Chevy TrailBlazerSS - LS2/4L70e - little black hot rod SUV - my DD '18 Kia Sorento - wife's econo-driver '95 Chevy S10 - reg cab shortbed, LS, 4.3, auto... my '68's powertrain and chassis build -links broken A surprise phase - carb to efi -links broken |
06-18-2010, 02:34 AM | #10 |
Big Red - Now its a SWB!
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Oroville, Ca
Posts: 1,624
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Re: Going from leafs to coils, should I?
Yeah I thought of that this morning, but you beat me to it. It also helps to correct geometry if/when you drop it.
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68 3/4 ton (Project)-350 Small Block, .030 over, 10:1 comp, 3998993 heads, C3BX edelbrock intake, comp cams XE268, Holley 670 SA, long tube headers, dual flow 40's, E-fan, Alum rad, currently under the knife getting shortened and bagged build thread 41 3/4 ton (wife's)-flatbed, fully restored to original 01 Tahoe LT 4WD (my daily driver)-Magnaflow Muffler, Rollin on 22's 02 Ford Mustang Convertable (Wife's Car)-Flowmaster 50, Clear corners, Intake, sittin on 18's |
06-18-2010, 12:30 PM | #11 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Ferndale, WA
Posts: 18
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Re: Going from leafs to coils, should I?
This is very useful information. Thanks for passing it along.
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"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin "Stupid is as Stupid does" - Forrest Gump |
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