Trailing arm conversion question

[jmsaunders]

I've been trying to get my rear end suspension done and have decided to go with a trailing arm suspension from a 67-72 C10. I'd really like to use coil springs but most of the builds I've seen have converted to air springs. Has anybody done this conversion and used coils? If so what weight rate coils did you use? Also if you have a part number and pics of the install and brackets that you had to fabricate that would be great. Thanks in advance for any advice and help.

[mknittle]

I was consiering trailing arms with coilovers.but ended up adapting a trangulated four link from a 76 Monty Carlo.

[mr48chev]

I don't see any reason you can't run coils with the trailing arms.

The main thing is that you need a coil with the end that is wound so that you can fasten it to the trailing arm. that might be the regular C-10 springs or it might be something off a passenger car like a Chevelle that has the right end on the spring and the right height and rating to give your truck the ride height and ride you want.

The best thing would be to lay under a stock C-10 with trailing arms for a while and make mental notes of what you need to do to make such a setup work under your truck. I keep looking at a trailer in my yard that I made out of the 70 Chev C-10 I wrecked 22 years ago and thinking that the trailing arms would work a lot better under my 48 then they work under that trailer. The good part is that I have a set of serious trailer springs that could go under that trailer real easy so that would be the best of both worlds.

[jmsaunders]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

I don't see any reason you can't run coils with the trailing arms.

The main thing is that you need a coil with the end that is wound so that you can fasten it to the trailing arm. that might be the regular C-10 springs or it might be something off a passenger car like a Chevelle that has the right end on the spring and the right height and rating to give your truck the ride height and ride you want.

The best thing would be to lay under a stock C-10 with trailing arms for a while and make mental notes of what you need to do to make such a setup work under your truck. I keep looking at a trailer in my yard that I made out of the 70 Chev C-10 I wrecked 22 years ago and thinking that the trailing arms would work a lot better under my 48 then they work under that trailer. The good part is that I have a set of serious trailer springs that could go under that trailer real easy so that would be the best of both worlds.

I agree I'm sure it can be done and I also have a 72 C10 that I've laid under looking at to figure out how to adapt the trailing arms to the 54. I'm just unsure of which springs to use. I know that I need ones with pigtails unless I want to do major fabrication on the mounts. I'm just not sure if I need 200/300/400/etc rated springs. I've found a site for moog springs that list their height, rate and what types of ends just didn't want to order some and find out they're to soft or stiff.

I don't have access to a scale to weigh the vehicle but from what I've found online the total weight stock is somewhere between 3000-3300 lbs. And the rear is somewhere between 1100-1400. Using online calculators I've come up with a spring rate between 200-250 lbs. Just wanted to see what others were using and which rate they went with and how comfortable the ride is.

[dwcsr]

If you have the stock springs from the 72 I'd start there. The weight is similar and you can adjust from there and to higher or lower. Just know that carrying or towing a payload with coils its going to sag without air springs in the coils.

[jmsaunders]

Originally Posted by dwcsr

If you have the stock springs from the 72 I'd start there. The weight is similar and you can adjust from there and to higher or lower. Just know that carrying or towing a payload with coils its going to sag without air springs in the coils.

Planning on putting in a wood bed so won't be hauling much in the bed. I'll keep that in mind though so that I can haul a trailer later.