1960 Suburban Static Drop?

[MASTERBrian]

I'm needing to order my disc brake conversion kit and drop spindles. The spindles will drop me about 2-1/2" up front and I figure I'll crank down on the torsion bars to go any further.

The question is how much of a drop coil should I go in the rear? I don't want to notch anything and wouldn't mind some comfort to the ride. I've been searching and searching and most of what I find are trucks and I'm concerned that what works on a lighter truck bed might really sink a suburban down. I'm also not sure how much I can turn the torsions on these to take them down before loosing all suspension.

Any pics would be great and I'll likely be running 15" wheels.

As for tires, I'm totally undecided and trying to rummage through pics online and so forth, but I do have a pic of a 70's C10 running 255/70 15's up front and 285/70 15 in the rear and i like the stance and the tire size, so I'm leaning that way, but I also believe I've seen some 235/60's I've liked so just have to look more on that.

Last but not least, I like the somewhat raked look of having the rear up a bit higher than the front, which I'd probably accomplish with a larger tire in the rear.

Any pics of 60-62 (up to 66) static dropped suburbans would be great!

I'm kind of thinking the 2-1/2 spindle, 5" coil and then lower the torsion to adjust the front, but I worry that's not enough.

[PGSigns]

Problem is the only spring they sell for the heavier burbs is a 4" spring. You can put a lesser drop spring in it and get where you want to be but then you have a spring with a rate to soft to control the weight.
Jimmy

[MASTERBrian]

Originally Posted by PGSigns

Problem is the only spring they sell for the heavier burbs is a 4" spring. You can put a lesser drop spring in it and get where you want to be but then you have a spring with a rate to soft to control the weight.
Jimmy

Glad I asked, didn't even think that the C10 Truck and Suburban rear springs would be different. Who carries the Suburban springs?

I was looking at Western Chasis, but not sure how they compare to others. Their Disc Brake with Drop Spindle Kit is $550 (excludes master/booster/valve), but that's a fair price.

I've looked at others as well. I thought with CPP it was only a 2" spindle.....guess I'll go look more.

[blown240]

Here is my 61 Panel...

It has 3" lowering truck springs from Classic Industries, which lowered the rear of the panel about 5". the ride is great, but I had to add air shocks to be able to carry any sort of load. In the front I just adjusted to torsion bars to make the truck sit level....

Tires are 235-75-15

Here is a before and after shot:

[blown240]

Here are a couple more pics if it help:

Next to my wives Toyota Sequoia:

[Lalo831]

CPP has HD drop spings that are made for suburbans but only come in 4" drop. but u might need a c-notch

[MASTERBrian]

Originally Posted by blown240

Here is my 61 Panel...

It has 3" lowering truck springs from Classic Industries, which lowered the rear of the panel about 5". the ride is great, but I had to add air shocks to be able to carry any sort of load. In the front I just adjusted to torsion bars to make the truck sit level....

Tires are 235-75-15

Here is a before and after shot:

That's about a perfect stance. How did the 3" springs lower it 5"?

How much do you think the front is down?

[UKNOWME]

Originally Posted by MASTERBrian

That's about a perfect stance. How did the 3" springs lower it 5"?

How much do you think the front is down?

I think it's because he said they were 3" truck springs instead of suburban springs.

[PGSigns]

The Suburbans are heavier. Here is an example for a 66. The short fleet truck was about 3360 pounds with a rear weight of 1490. The same year Burb is 3875 pounds with a rear weight of 2155. So its about 600 pounds heavier in the back and that is why it went down another couple of inches. The spring rate on most the truck lowering springs is about 250 pounds per inch.
Jimmy

[MASTERBrian]

Originally Posted by PGSigns

The Suburbans are heavier. Here is an example for a 66. The short fleet truck was about 3360 pounds with a rear weight of 1490. The same year Burb is 3875 pounds with a rear weight of 2155. So its about 600 pounds heavier in the back and that is why it went down another couple of inches. The spring rate on most the truck lowering springs is about 250 pounds per inch.
Jimmy

I guess that makes sense. I wonder how much it'll drop my 60. According to a vin search on my truck through Haggerties, it weighs 3535. Still more than a 66 truck I guess, but not as much as a 66 burb I guess. Wonder what changed or if I had bad info. Of course I'm sure some of the weight has rusted away by now!!!

One place said if not happy with what I've does they'd replace it with another. Not sure if shipping would be worth that though.

[PGSigns]

To get a real weight take it the local scrap yard and ask to run it across the scales. roll the front on and take a weight, the entire truck on and get the weight and then roll the front off and get the weight. This will tell you what you really have. Here is a link to the GM heritage center archive. A great place to get information on your truck and just a good place to do some reading. https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-...ive/index.html
Jimmy

[MASTERBrian]

Originally Posted by PGSigns

To get a real weight take it the local scrap yard and ask to run it across the scales. roll the front on and take a weight, the entire truck on and get the weight and then roll the front off and get the weight. This will tell you what you really have. Here is a link to the GM heritage center archive. A great place to get information on your truck and just a good place to do some reading. https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-...ive/index.html
Jimmy

I plan to try that, but first I have to get a motor in her, get her tagged and driving! The drop will likely come before I can do that as I'll be doing the brakes while the motor is out and thus changing the spindles up front.

[blown240]

Just catching up on this thread:

On my 61 Panel, the front is lowered about 3-1/2". For reference, I have a 350/700r4, I believe the 6cyl engine is heavier.

And as has already been stated, I bought pickup springs and installed in the Panel. The Panel is heavier, so the spring sags more.

[MASTERBrian]

I called cpp earlier and am starting to heavily lean towards their disc conversion kit and possibly even there brake line kit, so it would make sense to order the springs from them as well. They acted as though a 5" spring would be pushing c notch, but I should be fine with a 4" HD coil.

I sure hope that's enough and I do not want to have to notch it.

[blown240]

I did not notch mine, and I left the original bump stops in place. I do bottom out on train tracks and such. I will get you a pic and post it this afternoon...

[blown240]

Here are a couple pics. As you can see, I only have about 1-1/2 inches of travel before I touch the bump stop, but the streets around here are pretty smooth, and if I put air in my shocks, I get a couple more inches....