New guys front end ?'s

[Danny Grizzelle]

Ok folks, new C10 owner here. Jeep guy getting into C10's.
I bought a fame a few weeks ago and started taking things off getting it prepped for media blaster. Noticed the front end had been swapped out. The numbers on the frame says it's a '67 but the front looks newer, disc brakes and not as rusty as the rest of the frame. I noticed that whoever did the front put about an inch of shims on the upper A arm shaft. My question is, I'd like to replace all that stuff on the front, are that many shims needed or common? Looks kinda jacked up. I'd like to clean the upper and lower arms,replace the ball joints and replace all the shafts, if needed.

[Danny Grizzelle]

More pics

[Danny Grizzelle]

Any ideas?

[PGSigns]

It only has about 3/8 of shims. Looks about right. The curved and thick flat washers are stock. The front end is 73 to 87 and you need to measure the rotors to see if they are the light duty 1" or the heavy duty 1 1/4" rotors.
Jimmy

[Danny Grizzelle]

Thanks Jimmy, the rotors are 1 1/2".
Does it matter what cross member is there?
If I buy new A arms and the other stuff for a '70, will it bolt up to the cross member that was with the frame, or do I need to figure out what year the cross member is and buy the stuff for that year?

[Danny Grizzelle]

I have a '70 C20 lwb that I got for the body, it's in pretty good shape.
I then went and got a swb frame that came with the front end you see in the pictures and a 12 bolt rear end. I want to build a swb 1/2 ton out of what I have.
If needed, I could pull the cross member out of he C20 and bolt up ' 70 half ton suspension?
Or am I over thinking this stuff?

[Danny Grizzelle]

Id like to add some drop spindles and lower rear springs but I've noticed that the spindles are different on a '67-'70 from a '71-'72.
Is it just the way the A arms are set up?

[Danny Grizzelle]

1 1/4" not 1 1/2"

[PGSigns]

The cross member is the same on the 73 and up as the earlier C10 so everything will bolt up. There are a couple of holes to drill when putting the later cross member in. All you need to do is get stuff for 73 and up for the drop spindles and other parts. The tapers on the tie rods and ball joints are bigger on the 73 and up so just order that stuff and it will all match. Both my trucks have this stuff under it.
Jimmy

[Danny Grizzelle]

Thanks again Jimmy.
Just been thinking about upgrading the brakes, gonna run bigger wheels than the standard 15" and i wanna be able to bring that extra weight to a safe stop. I'm a firefighter/paramedic and I've seen more than a few wrecks from guys throwing on huge tires and wheels without doing anything with the brakes and they end up plowing into someone.
I'm going to strip the front end down and go with replacing the ball joints, bushings and the other stuff. Start looking for drop spindles, springs, brake rotors and calipers.

[slotard]

I'm not sure how much bigger brakes you'll be able to run in 15s than what you have now. With the 1.25" rotors they should work pretty well.

[Danny Grizzelle]

Originally Posted by slotard

I'm not sure how much bigger brakes you'll be able to run in 15s than what you have now. With the 1.25" rotors they should work pretty well.

Planning on running bigger wheels.
Found a Wilwood kit that has brake calipers,rotors and drop spindles. When I get to that point I might get that kit and go that way. Planning on keeping the A arms that's on it already and just replace the ball joints.

[crimsontide1966]

as far as the amount of shims in there. When I see that many on the align rack, I look real close at c-arm bushings and, spring height. As your springs sag, the top of your tire tends to fall inward, same as upper bushing wear. Then you have to stack in shims to get the camber angle back to spec.

[Danny Grizzelle]

Thanks Crimson, I'm going to tear the front end down and looking at drop spindles and maybe a shorter spring, only wanna drop it maybe 3"-41/2" on the front and what ever it takes to level it out on the rear. Going to replace ball joints, rushing defense and other stuff.
Roll Tide !!

[crimsontide1966]

To save yourself some hassle and money, before you replace the upper ball joints or bushings, after you get your springs and spindles installed, get an alignment reading to see where your camber/caster angle is at. There's a few manufacturers out there that offer offset bushings or adjustable upper ball joints, even control arms, to get you back to spec or can get you to a custom alignment. Aggravating to spend hard earned cash on a front end, only to find you need aftermarket, adjustable parts that you already replaced, to keep your tires from shredding. We use Specialty Products company parts at the shop, mostly. There's a member here that could hook you up as well, for suspension. www.spcalignment.com is the website I use a lot. Roll Tide!