How to: Ruin a perfectly good C10

[gringoloco]

Originally Posted by XxCHEVYMANxX

Maybe a dumb question, but I read an earlier post that had to do with centering the front wheel in the fender opening. Is this done with the A arms your installing? and is just the lower needed to accomplish this? I'm still learning.

Yes, the Porterbuilt control arms I'm installing will move the lower ball joint forward 1", helping to center the front wheels in the wheel arch as well as adding some much needed caster. They offer uppers as well, but they will work as lowers only. The front wheels should move forward 1/2" or more...

[68GMCCustom]

I need to get around to this....bought tubular uppers but need to add the lowers. Part of me has been holding off tho...for a complete IFS from Scott's, Jim Meyer Racing, P.B., or others. Want coil over with rack and pinion front setup...IFS best way to get there I think.
Course its like my appetite....eyes always bigger then my.....................wallet!

[gringoloco]

Originally Posted by 68GMCCustom

I need to get around to this....bought tubular uppers but need to add the lowers. Part of me has been holding off tho...for a complete IFS from Scott's, Jim Meyer Racing, P.B., or others. Want coil over with rack and pinion front setup...IFS best way to get there I think.
Course its like my appetite....eyes always bigger then my.....................wallet!

I am with ya on that one--had my heart set on another Dropmember, just couldn't put together the scratch right now. Maybe an assembled pic of the lowers will help you decide

[tantrumpipeline]

I love the current look wouldn't change a thing, drive and enjoy it

[gringoloco]

Originally Posted by tantrumpipeline

I love the current look wouldn't change a thing, drive and enjoy it

Thanks! The look shouldn't change much with the coming mods, just make it more fun to drive
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[big_al_71]

this truck looks terrific!!!!!

[gringoloco]

Originally Posted by big_al_71

this truck looks terrific!!!!!

Hey thanks a lot man! Likewise--love your truck, just don't have that kind of budget
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[Bennett68C10]

Hurry up and get these control arms installed, we want some more pics

[gringoloco]

Originally Posted by Bennett--G4L

Hurry up and get these control arms installed, we want some more pics

Slight pause while I replenish the truck fund for the next upgrade
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[68GMCCustom]

Originally Posted by gringoloco

I am with ya on that one--had my heart set on another Dropmember, just couldn't put together the scratch right now. Maybe an assembled pic of the lowers will help you decide

and I was in recovery...then you just had to go and do that....didn't you!
Now I got the "project parts blues" twitch again.

[gringoloco]

Originally Posted by 68GMCCustom

and I was in recovery...then you just had to go and do that....didn't you!
Now I got the "project parts blues" twitch again.

Just remember, you can quit anytime you want
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[suspect]

Cool truck. Another good build thread I can use for reference.

[gringoloco]

Thanks, man. Looks like you've got it under control- nice build
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[gringoloco]

I'm back in town and have a short break in the action before work picks back up again, so I've been working on getting the Bilsteins mounted up. Since I'm mounting them in other than the stock suspension setup, they're requiring a little bit of custom work.

First, I decided I needed to raise the upper mounting points, both front and rear, to keep the shock from bottoming out and to position them closer to their center-stroke 'sweet spot' at ride height. Out back, I decided I would modify my existing mounts by re-drilling the ECE relocator. This gives me just over an inch of extra travel and only adds around 2* of lean, based on my limited geometric/trigonometric calculations--luckily my wife's an engineer They ended up at just over 15" extended at ride height, which is just about in the middle of their travel. Perfect.

After mounting them up, I took it for a drive, and WOW! I've heard good things about Bilsteins, but never experienced them first-hand. The truck feels completely different now; much softer, but more controlled feeling ride. I honestly was not expecting this much of a difference just from swapping shocks, much less the rears only. It is quieter, smoother, and and more composed. Money WELL spent. I'm anxious to see what the fronts do for the overall feel of the truck.

[gringoloco]

As for the fronts, I will be using the CPP/POL style upper relocators, which require loop style mounting instead of the frame-mounted stud. The problem with using the Bilsteins with these is that the shocks come with the upper stud permanently attached. No biggie there, as I just cut the end off and pressed them out, but had to special order bushings to fit the width of the mount.

The lower end had to be modified as well, due to the PB arms using a 5/8" stud instead of the stock arms 1/2" bolt. I originally thought I would just press the metal sleeve out of the bushing, but they were permanently bonded, so I picked up a set of Energy Suspension hourglass bushings and pressed them in their place. Worked perfectly--now I'm just waiting for the upper bushings to come in...

[CC69Rat]

Bilstiens kick major a55.. one of the best out there IMO
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[gringoloco]

No doubt! I'm a believer, now. This answers your question on if they'll work with a 6" drop, too

[XxCHEVYMANxX]

Nice fab work, and install. the shocks, just goes to show sometimes it pays to spring for the good stuff ! looks like it's time to throw out my abacus and brush up on my trigonometrics. lol

[mcbassin]

Keep up the good work. Still taking notes watching and learning as you go.
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[gringoloco]

Originally Posted by XxCHEVYMANxX

Nice fab work, and install. the shocks, just goes to show sometimes it pays to spring for the good stuff ! looks like it's time to throw out my abacus and brush up on my trigonometrics. lol

Thanks! This is definitely one of those times. Man, if not for my wife, I'd still be scratching my head

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Keep up the good work. Still taking notes watching and learning as you go.
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Hah! I'm still learning, too Who knew shocks could be such a pain? This is what I get for trying to be different, but so far, the extra money and effort is paying off.

I'm still chipping away at it, but don't want to incapacitate the truck for too long, so the upgrades are getting broken down into manageable chunks. I'm thinking probably front C5 brakes next, since I can swap them out without affecting too much else (master cylinder, prop valve, lines, etc). The rear sway bar needs to wait 'til after I finalize rear ride height, which has to wait and see where the front ends up after the LCA install. I'll also prolly do the front shocks at that time to make sure my upper mounts line up well with the PB units. Rear discs will come somewhere in there after the fronts, which will be a pretty big job since I have to remove axles and swap out the master cylinder and prop valve in the process...
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[lolife99]

Don't remove the rear axles unless you need to replace seals and bearings.
I have seen alot of people just cut the backing plates in half and remove them,... without taking the axles out.
(what are you going to do with the old backing plates anyway?)

[Painter D]

Good job keep at it.

[big_al_71]

That's great thinking out of the box I learn from guys like you every day
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[54Caddy]

WOW!! I just went threw your whole 38 pages. Nice truck man. Been wondering what you were building when i bought those parts off of you. Nice truck for sure.

[gringoloco]

Originally Posted by lolife99

Don't remove the rear axles unless you need to replace seals and bearings.
I have seen alot of people just cut the backing plates in half and remove them,... without taking the axles out.
(what are you going to do with the old backing plates anyway?)

Good point, thanks. The bearings/seals are good in this axle and the backing plates will just get tossed in the green monster--just gotta figure a way to do it cleanly without damaging anything else in the process...

Originally Posted by Painter D

Good job keep at it.

Thanks! Plugging away...

Originally Posted by big_al_71

That's great thinking out of the box I learn from guys like you every day
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Thanks! Just doing what I can to make these out-of-the-ordinary and not intended to be done together mods work in harmony--all while doing it 'right' and saving some coin in the process. The planning/figuring is half of the fun

Originally Posted by 54Caddy

WOW!! I just went threw your whole 38 pages. Nice truck man. Been wondering what you were building when i bought those parts off of you. Nice truck for sure.

Hey, thanks, man Glad you were able to use the tie-rods