71 suspension or use what I got?

[lolife99]

Originally Posted by gcburdic

Hey guys,

This is probably a stupid question, but

I've been talking to a guy local about picking up a 71 5 lug suspension that he will not be using in his project....included are the a-arms, spindles, rotors, calipers plus all steering stuff and the rear end which is I believe a 3.08...and just rebuild everything
OR should I reuse the a-arms I have from a 68 and just pick up some new spindles, rotors, calipers, ball joints, inner/outer tie rods from a 72???

Also will the center link work from the 68 w/ the 71/72 tie rods?

Plans for use with this is to change out the 6 lug drum setup from the 68 frame I have that I intend to build up for a 72 truck...probably lowered statically with coil springs??....

Thanks for any help....

OK,... here's what I would do.

Buy the all parts for $150.
The rearend is worth that to get the 5 lugs.

If you are going to lower it,... you need to know which spindles to get, to match whichever balljoints you choose.
I would sell the 72 front stuff and buy new parts for your brakes.
How much of the old stuff would you actually WANT to reuse?
To me,... none.
You need to keep the 72 centerlink. (this part can't be purchased new).
That way you can buy 71-72 tie rods.

If you really want to save money, ...
keep the 72 rearend,...
sell all the front stuff,...
and use 73-87 parts from your local parts store.
They are much cheaper than the 71-72 parts.
Just my opinion.

[gcburdic]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Ok, so as far as the rear goes, you don't have a 68 axle to start with. Cool! The 4L60E has a low enough first gear and the 5.3 has decent low end torque, so you might be just fine with a 3.08. I would consider trying it before changing to a 3.73.

That's a great gear if you like smoking tires and grinning a lot. If your after MPG, not so much. The 3.42 is a good compromise and works well with an OD transmission.

Trux....Thanks again for your input....I gotta LONG ways to go before I worry about the rear gear, but I have this thread to reference when I need this info....Thanks Much!

Originally Posted by lolife99

OK,... here's what I would do.

Buy the all parts for $150.
The rearend is worth that to get the 5 lugs.

If you are going to lower it,... you need to know which spindles to get, to match whichever balljoints you choose.
I would sell the 72 front stuff and buy new parts for your brakes.
How much of the old stuff would you actually WANT to reuse?
To me,... none.
You need to keep the 72 centerlink. (this part can't be purchased new).
That way you can buy 71-72 tie rods.

If you really want to save money, ...
keep the 72 rearend,...
sell all the front stuff,...
and use 73-87 parts from your local parts store.
They are much cheaper than the 71-72 parts.
Just my opinion.

Lolife....I am definitely going to replace all the front stuff so I like the thought of cheaper setup.....so will the 68 or 71 upper and lower a-arms (already have these) work w/ the 73+ ball joints, spindles, calipers, tie rods, rotors?? Will I also need the 73+ center link too??

[lolife99]

Originally Posted by gcburdic

Trux....Thanks again for your input....I gotta LONG ways to go before I worry about the rear gear, but I have this thread to reference when I need this info....Thanks Much!



Lolife....I am definitely going to replace all the front stuff so I like the thought of cheaper setup.....so will the 68 or 71 upper and lower a-arms (already have these) work w/ the 73+ ball joints, spindles, calipers, tie rods, rotors?? Will I also need the 73+ center link too??

Yes,... the 73-87 balljoints will bolt and press into your 68 a-arms.
You need the 73-87 steering centerlink,... and then buy new inner and outer tie rods, idler arm, spindles and calipers.

Just go to your local parts store and price the stuff for a 72 compared to a 73 truck. It all adds up to big savings.
Rubber brake hoses alone, are a big savings in the 73-87 version.
Good luck.