87 c20 control arms on 70 c20

[jbird76]

I recently was given the front suspension and brake setup off of an 87 c20 454. I am using the disc brakes and sway bar. I was wondering, is there a difference in the control arms that is notable?

I have the control arms off of the 87, but the ball joints seem to sit back about inch behind the 70 ones. Is this me just eye balling bad, or is it a noticeable difference?

I notice the sway bar and the steering linkage all seems more heavy duty.

[rlm316]

You should usr the lower arms from the '87. There are different travel stops on the lower arms for the disc spindle as compared to the arms from the '70 and the drum spindle. The upper arms from the '87 have the hole drilled for the rubber brake line bracket bolt and the '70 do not. The shafts on both control arms are the same, top and bottom. If you are going to use new ball joints, you might as well use the newer arms. 17 years less wear and tear. You should rerout your brake lines to travel to the front of the control arms so they don't pinch while you are turning. Everything else should bolt up, the only parts not with the steering are the idler( or pitman, can't remember which) arm and the arm that bolts to the steering box.