Help with rear suspension...

[ScottG]

I need some help figuring out what a PO did to the rear suspension. Looks dicey to me. Hoping someone can help me out. Here's what I've got going on...

[ScottG]

More pics. I did NOT run those brake lines!

[SevenOne]

wowzerz..., to the panhard bar..

[ScottG]

Yeah, a turnbuckle. Some strange stuff on this truck.

[SCOTI]

Looks like....
Spacers under the coils (for lift).
Spacers under the lower shock brackets (for increased travel).
Panhard bar changed (converted to a homemade adjustable set-up).

What year/size of truck? What plans do you have?

[ScottG]

It's a '67 C20. I just want to put it back to stock, but I'm not sure where to start. It came with a tote full of parts that I'm not sure of what they are, or where they go.

[droppedgmc]

looks like the rear is shifted to the right also because of the panhard bar not being adjusted correctly

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by ScottG

It's a '67 C20. I just want to put it back to stock, but I'm not sure where to start. It came with a tote full of parts that I'm not sure of what they are, or where they go.

Originally Posted by droppedgmc

looks like the rear is shifted to the right also because of the panhard bar not being adjusted correctly

Since it has spacers under the springs, it's either lifted vs stock or the stock springs were swapped for something that had it squatting & the spacers were added to regain the stock height. Once the height changes, the rear will no longer be centered & requires adjustment which is prob why they did the home-made adj Panhard set-up.

As for spacing the shocks.... The shocks might be longer than stock?? Spacing the shocks is common when lowering & trying to use standard, off-the-shelf, replacement shocks. For lifting, you would need to leave them as is or replace them w/longer shocks. Check the p/n's & see what they cross reference too....

[ScottG]

So I guess next, I need to find the stock spring height fro the rear, as well as the front? The front doesn't appear to be lifted or modified, as far as I can tell.

[noonzor]

after seeing the rear i'd be interested to see pics of the front.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by noonzor

after seeing the rear i'd be interested to see pics of the front.

....and a good side profile shot of the whole truck on level ground .

[ScottG]

I just got it running so I will get those up tomorrow. Thanks everyone for the help!

[ScottG]

Ok, this is what I've got up front...

















Sorry about the pics. It was hard to focus on some stuff. I just drove it around the block, and it has a NASTY ride. Almost chucked my lunch it was so bad. Really bumpy. Right front spring is NOT seated right on the lower arm.

[JNJchev77]

I just drove it around the block, and it has a NASTY ride. Almost chucked my lunch it was so bad. Really bumpy. Right front spring is NOT seated right on the lower arm.

Looks like that spring could pop outta there any second... keep staring at the pic waiting for it to fly out!!!

[ScottG]

I just showed this to our alignment tech( I work at a dealership), and he thinks I might have a "raised" spindle or spindle from a much later truck. Does anyone know if this looks like the case?

[pcorriveau951]

the front does look like it has lift spindles on it, part of your harsh ride is the fact that (from pictures looks as if truck is still sitting on all tires) that ur upper control arm is max out on downward travel, so any time u hit a bump and compress the spring at all, the upper a arm is going to hit the coil spring pocket on the front crossmember.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-q...1157.JPG?gl=US

what u could do for the front is flip the ball joint to the lower side of UCA and will give u some extra room or change to a tubular upper arm ( possible a little longer like 1"longer) to get the clearance around the crossmember.

It looks like this truck has a body lift as well!!!

As For the Rear of the truck like said earlier by droppedgmc, changed or properly adjusted the panhard bar and the spring should sit straight up not bent.

[pcorriveau951]

Awesome truck!! i love the look of mild lifted 2wd.

Please Keep it LWB and Lifted

[ScottG]

How can you tell it's a lift spindle? I'm just baffles right now.

[ScottG]

Looked at it at lunchtime, and it appears the right coil spring is broken. Does anyone have a pic of the stock spindle for 73-87 3/4 ton for comparison? I'd really appreciate it.

[ScottG]

Thanks. I like the way it looks as well, but i I an't get the ride quality sorted out, it's going back to 100% stock. It's absolutely staying long bed!

[tubbedII]

Originally Posted by droppedgmc

looks like the rear is shifted to the right also because of the panhard bar not being adjusted correctly

I don't know but that's not a stock rear, is it? My guess is that if the rear is centered as it sits right now, then the TA perches were welded in off center and the panhard bar is being used to center it and then causing the bad angle on the springs.

[Southcity]

Originally Posted by ScottG

It's absolutely staying long bed!

Thank goodness!! it's a cool truck and will be a blast once you get the suspension sorted out. Would have hated to see another thread about cutting a longbed down to a shortbed and laying frame.

[Portmod7]

Just my opinion, I would do some serious work before I took that truck out on the road again. Like you said, those front springs aren't even seated in the LCA, no telling what they are from. Same in the rear. Luckily, it doesn't look like the previous owner hacked anything up to do what he/she did, just somehow bolted up some stuff that really doesn't work.

Stock front springs, pull the spacers in the rear, and a panhard bar for the rear would probably do wonders for it. The panhard might be tricky since the rear end isn't for that truck and does not have the "correct" mount. You might try to locate the correct rear end for these trucks.

Just for reference, turnbuckles were never designed to work in compression, only tension. So every time you turn to the left, you're asking that thing to do something it was never meant to do. The angle it's at makes it that much worse.

[ScottG]

I don't know if the rear end is stock. i know that "panhard" is not, and neither are those things under the springs. I want to know what this is for?...

[ScottG]

So....how can I identify the rear end, that is, what it might have come out of? I've got new front springs, already rebuilt the driver side front suspension. I'm really concerned about the rear now. I bought this as my daily driver for the next year, and don't really have much more money to buy a rear end.