Stainless Steel Rear Trailing Arms...?

[special-K]

Hey thanks,I`m glad you like it.Can you feel the love?

[metalmassfab]

All right fellas, expect some prototype pics by the end of the month! I rounded up the materials this weekend, and ordered a couple sets of bushings for these arms. I hope you guys realize that this project is going to open a can of worms, meaning I'll probly end up building a new X-member for these arms to be attached, along with the other 40 or 50 things I've been kicking around...like the pre-runner long travel front suspension...

[BigSky71]

Originally Posted by special-K

We should all own rotissries to roll`em over and check their tummy from time to time and give`em the love they deserve.They`re like dogs,man`s best friend.Even when neglected they`ll stick it out.These trucks are loved for their undying reliablity as much as their timeless handsome good looks.At least that`s true for those that have spent any time with these puppies.What`s not to love?Right?

I dig that, but I wonder if my dog will, or maybe has gotten jealous... you know come to think of it he has been acting strangely lately.

[special-K]

Does your dog pee on the tires?A sure sign of jealousy.

Can`t wait to see the arms...x-member....long arm suspension....

[metalmassfab]

Originally Posted by special-K

Can`t wait to see the arms...x-member....long arm suspension....

Grrrr...Guess that means I have to follow through on this now, or stick my foot in my mouth and get laughed and glared off the board...

[oldno7]

What do you think about this! If I shorten my trailing arms about 1-2 inches, and fab diff brackets for the crossmember & change the angle of the axle saddles. I should then be able to run the trailing arms straight back or close, then just buy coilovers this will allow me to get a huge tire without cutting the frame. To much work, yeah probably so. oldno7

[oldno7]

Oh yeah I love you're work. That engine stand rocks! I want one so how much! Farmtruck71 can you get diff. angles of those trailing arms oldno7

[metalmassfab]

Originally Posted by oldno7

What do you think about this! If I shorten my trailing arms about 1-2 inches, and fab diff brackets for the crossmember & change the angle of the axle saddles. I should then be able to run the trailing arms straight back or close, then just buy coilovers this will allow me to get a huge tire without cutting the frame. To much work, yeah probably so. oldno7

Well, lets see if I can make this simple or screw it up: There is a reason the stock trailing arms are 'center mounted' on the chassis, and angled outward towards each wheel as they go back. Simply put, its for cornering and drivability. The angled arms allow the rearend to 'twist', as in on tire stays on the ground while the other rolls over an annoying civic. It offers movement without binding up. Take a look at the trailing arms' angle in relation to the frame, and visualize your left rear tire moving upward a foot. You'll see how the angle of the arms allow this movement without binding.

If you change a few things, as you mentioned, and make the trailing arms go straight back, you will loose a ton of movment. The truck wont corner worth a darn, and because you dont have the 'roll' in the suspension, you'll find it quite easy to flip the truck onto its side. Same thing as ladder bars, and to a bit lesser extent 4-link, in a race car or prostreet car. No roll= slow corners with lower vehicles, and it spells disaster for a lifted, big wheel/tire truck. If you are running it at the drags, straight back arms is good as they allow the vehicles weight to transfer rearward and squats, planting the weight on the tires for max traction on launch.

Heres a good one...How many of you all know that the truck-arm system is based on the standard rear suspension used in NASCAR Nextel Cup cars, which is derived from the ’60-’72 GM 1⁄2-ton pickup suspension. This may bring in some 'liar, liar' hate mail from those who dislike the trailing-arm setup...NASCAR needed a new rear suspension for their cars, but it had to be on a production vehicle as per the rules. So, good 'ol GM stepped up and said, 'hey, we'll just put those arms under our new 1960 trucks'...lasted until 1972. Thats why the trucks with it handle pretty doggone good! Anyway, got a little carried away on this one.....

[bad_turbo]

I read about that Nascar suspension thing somewhere else on the board. So don't worry about any HATE mail.

[metalmassfab]

Great, I get to sleep tonight

[metalmassfab]

Hey oldno7, thanks for your kind words!

So, out of around 900 views, only a few of you guys are curious, eh? Cough up your 2 cents on this trailing arm deal, we all want to hear your opinion whether its good, bad or ugly!

[RACINJASON22]

good, bad or ugly!

That's what I was wondering myself I'm just waiting for pic's then I was going to post if I thought they were good, bad or ugly! J/K Get em done I'm interested on the outcome and by the looks of you engine run/stand they will be mighty nice indeed. BTW I posted about the nascare rear suspension subject not long ago in regards to someone stating that nascar sucked. There mama must have never taught them that if you can't say something nice don't say nothing at all.

[metalmassfab]

Originally Posted by RACINJASON22

That's what I was wondering myself I'm just waiting for pic's then I was going to post if I thought they were good, bad or ugly! J/K Get em done I'm interested on the outcome and by the looks of you engine run/stand they will be mighty nice indeed. BTW I posted about the nascare rear suspension subject not long ago in regards to someone stating that nascar sucked. There mama must have never taught them that if you can't say something nice don't say nothing at all.

Makes sense now that you mention it...I just joined the board a few days ago and make these wild, outlandish claims about this and that...so you guys dont trust everyone on the net? Glad to hear about the nascar suspension posting, I was a bit surprised it didn't come up with all the nascar fans. I've told a few people about it, and their reaction is usually pretty funny!!...then they never talk to you again Anyhow, thanks for the props, pics'll be here in a, ahhhh....coupla weeks or three?

[Spray-Bomb]

I wanna see some pics of the Stude

[special-K]

I`ve said my piece.Go for it!!!If you don`t,I`m storing up words for your flogging. I don`t doubt this will be done.Great explanation on the t-arm suspension.The arms are "splayed" to give a better triangulated effect to counter lateral inertia....Blah blah blah...

[slomotion]

I have a C20 and you really tripped my trigger with the disc brake set up! What is the wheel base of your truck?

I'm working on one now that I want to get on the road, but there's always next winter for mods. I'd be interested in a set of trailing arms because my rig is a flat bed and the arms do show.

Keep us up to date on your progress.

[metalmassfab]

Spray-Bomb...I'll post a few pics of the Stude...unless anyone has a prob with that, then I'll email 'em to ya...gimme a day or two.

Special-k...you liked that explanation, eh? It takes me a while to explain stuff, and I cant use those 'triangulated effect to counter lateral inertia' types of words...they get me all tongue twisted and hog-tied!

slomotion... my truck is just a plain 'ol C-20 longbed...I dont know the exact wheelbase, but I bet there is over 1000 members here that do! If you've got a C-20, keep it a C-20! I dont like to see them turned into the 10 series. The brake kit was like $900, plus the booster, plus this and that...bout $2000 +/- I guess. The kit does come with spindles, I opted for the stock height spindles, due to the plans I have for this truck. The stopping power is awsome with the brakes...even with the still worn out drums out back!

Speaking of rearends, anybody know a good place for the Eaton rearend parts? I might just swap in a corporate 14 bolt and be done with it...

[RACINJASON22]

metalmassfab BTW I'm pretty new here too. We probably don't trust everyone on the internet BUT, we will give you the exeption because ya do darn nice work and you support the site already.

As far as all that

The arms are "splayed" to give a better triangulated effect to counter lateral inertia....Blah blah blah...

I have a hard time explaining myself sometimes to. Thats why my postS are so long sometimes. Every thing I think I know I learned the hard way so I try to help so people don't have to go through the headach like I did on some things. That being said GET TO WORK WERE WAITING

[special-K]

Everyone loves a Studey.

[sleepyboy]

Awesome work.

[panhandler62]

I'm really interested in that 8 lud disk setup... I have a C-20 so I'm not convinced I want to go to 5 lugs but I sure would like a disk front end.

What, where, how much, install, etc.?

I've played with every idea about suspensions and I think that may be the way i want to go.

[metalmassfab]

Originally Posted by panhandler62

I'm really interested in that 8 lud disk setup... I have a C-20 so I'm not convinced I want to go to 5 lugs but I sure would like a disk front end.

What, where, how much, install, etc.?

I've played with every idea about suspensions and I think that may be the way i want to go.

Howdy panhandler62 I've been trying to scan a couple more pictures to post of the brake set up...but my printer/scanner/piece of s*** doesn't want to work! The kit is from Classic Performance Products, part #6370SWBK8S, $899. I also opted to have them crossdrill, and slot the rotors, which was an extra $98, but worth it. No pedal fade, over heating, warped rotor, glazed pads, etc. Also, the braided stainless brake lines, brake booster...etc. Dont get the booster from them though, I've found them elswhere for less $$. 900 bucks is a super deal when you consider that CPP also sells just the spindles and rod ends and ball joints for $620! Below is the CPP description

Add disc brakes to your truck and upgrade your stock suspension with one of our disc brake upgrade wheel kits. Our upgrade kits use the more readily available, better designed 1973-87 ball joints and tie rod ends. Kits include the choice of stock height or 2-1/2" drop spindles, rotors, calipers, bearings, seals, dust caps, spindle nuts, banjo bolts, upper and lower ball joints, inner and outer tie rod ends and tie rod adjustment sleeves. Kits are available in 5-lug (5 on 5), 6-lug 8-lug applications.May not work with factory drum brake wheels. Note: Specify hose size.

I did the whole thing myself; stripped the front end down to the bare frame, replaced every bushing, ball joint, bolt, nut, washer. I stripped all my babys front end parts down to clean, bare metal and painted them first with eastwoods Rust Encapsulator, and then with gloss chassis black and a Rustoleums killer Hammered grey and black. I'm pretty pissed about the Eastwood paint, its way over priced, and it chips really easy. Big bummer...I'll be stripping her down again and slathering on some POR-15, and top coating with their Hardnose paint. Its a 2 part epoxy-type finish, tougher than powder coating. Stuff is near bullet proof...

back to work on the trailing arms...

[metalmassfab]

Y'all are gonna love this one... the parking/e-brake cable was giving me some problems; I dont really want to zip tie the thing to the trailing arms or even do a stock type tab for it. So, I think we are gonna have the cables run inside the arms...yes/no? It'll be run through a round tube that is installed inside the actual arm, with an inlet near the X-member, and the outlet down towards the axle...SWEET! Sorry, couldn't help myself

[metalmassfab]

All right you Studey lovers...here she is

Dig the shifter, my kinda

Bear in mind that the only thing even kinda/sorta stock is the cab/rear trunk section. The original wooden frame has long since rotted away, as has most of the interior structural wood. New wood (oak) pieces are being slowly recreated one by one for the inside of the cab, and exposed oak mini beams across headliner area. Everything under this monstrosity is stainless steel including the entire chassis, suspension, rear end, headers and full exhaust...even the roll bar/semi cage is stainless. The engine is a little 331 hemi with 3 two barrel carbs and a 6-71 blower. Fabricated aluminum valve covers, oil pan, and radiator/front shroud assembly will round out the front end. Cant really see it, but the 'open headers' are actually capped at the visible collector flange, and diverted into 2.5" pipes and mufflers running all they way back. Ought to make for some
interesting cruising if nothing else...

[RACINJASON22]

Ought to make for some
interesting cruising if nothing else...

Too say the least! That thing is awesome. RJ22