Rear Leaf Spring Conversion Kit - Who Makes?

[cypress TX 72]

Who sales a conversion kit from rear coil and control arms to leaf springs - -
I know some has to --- maybe early classics ?
Cypress

[Orange]

You're going to get bashed.
These people hate leaf springs.

I don't know where to find the kits though.
All I know to tell you really is to buy the factory style perches and leafs and get to welding.

DLB

[cypress TX 72]

Thanks for the heads up DLB - to be honest I hate getting away from the setup as well - but in this current restore my guy wants a 4" lift - because he seen one done - and I need to come up with a solution.
Thanks
Cypress

[beermunk]

A question related to this: My '69 lwb looks like it had leafs originally and there was just recently new 'arms' and coil springs put on. Still nice and powder coated from the factory. My questions - what's the advantage to go coil over leaf like this? Air bag suspension... anything else?

[ChevLoRay]

I love the coil spring suspension in my truck. My '96 has leaf springs. The difference in ride quality makes me want a coil sprung suspension for it. In fact, I wonder what it would take to talk you into doing the work....you can have my leafsprings and rear end, and I'll take your coil springs, control arms and rear end. You do the work. I'll watch.


The design of the coil spring rear end has been adopted by NASCAR for their race car chassis.

Are you sure you want leaf springs?

You have been bashed.

[68gmsee]

Not sure why you would get bashed. GMC's came with leaf springs. I have a 68 GMC 250 ci with factory leaf springs and a 69 Chevy with coils. Personally I like the leafs. Easier to work with...

Can you look into finding a GMC truck that you can swap rear axles with? Not sure what's involved but I'm sure somebody here knows if there would be any problems with this swap...

[cypress TX 72]

There is no advantage to having leafs over coils (in my opinion) - as a matter of fact the coil/ control arm system is wonderful and makes for a great ride ... the problem is the weight capacity and the lift-ability. can you imagine lifting a coil system - the angles involved in extending the trailing arms - not to mention the travel in the spring from front to back - I mean i'm sure it could be done, but one, it wouldnt look good and two, it would be WAY too expensive....
Yes the 3/4 and 1 tons came with leafs - but their little brother (C-10) came with coils....
Again guys dont get me wrong --- I am a purest and if it came with coils - i left the coils - but this guy wants to lift his truck 4" and the only way to lift the rear that high is with a leaf system ---that i know of --- other than doing the above magic...
ChevLoRay - I'd go for that as well - if you could find a taker. Here's a better idea, find another 68, 69, 70, 71, or 72 - do a ground up restore and have it as a daily driver - i mean come on wouldnt you rather be driving one of these than your '96 to work........

Thanks for all the comments guys!!

One at a time
Cypress -

[Ackattack]

If I wasn't selling my 72 GMC I'd swap you.

One of the reason's I got the 68 is because I wanted the coil spring suspension. Otherwise I would have just cut down the 72 frame.

[68GMCCustom]

I'm preparing to do the opposite conversion... and will have a good leaf setup for a SWB.....

[hyarbour]

From the sounds of things my 71 GMC must be a freak, it has trailing arms.

[StingRay]

In the US as I understand it Chev's were standard coil and leaf was optional. GMC's were leaf standard and coil optional. Either could be either way depending on how it was ordered. Up here coils were the standard across the board and leafs could be ordered. 3/4 tons and 1/2 tons could be either spring configuration depending on how ordered. The only leaf only application I've seen on the 67-72 trucks is the Longhorn and the bigger stuff. I've got a swb frame of 68-70 vintage with leafs and I too will be swapping it to coil when I build the truck.

[Robznob11]

well not trying to bash but in my opinion only a mentally ill person would do that conversion. i cant think of one single place that a leaf would out preform the coil but i load cap. coils have better ride, less wrap up meaning beter traction and would offer more of a indipendant move ment even on a 4 wheel drive meaning you could climb hills and holes easier i would think some one would offer a drop crossmember and taller springs for that look your after it should not be that hard to design a crossmember with a drop arm location and just add taller springs and shockes that would make for a cool articulating suspension and good ride, just use a longer track bar, this should be easy stuff to fab. why does every body want bolt ons step out side the box and be the first.....

[Robznob11]

just read all the above post, my idea is to weld a piece of plate to bottom of the stock crossmember and gusset it in. make a hole in the middle of it for your drive shaft to have room witch means you would probably have to cut the bottom of the hole on the original crossmember. and then simply move your trailing arm mounts down on the new plate. ad your taller shocks and springs. no need to use longer arms they stay the same just moved down. and the track bar for that fact could even be stock with a modified bracket though i think a longer one that went to the trailing arm would work better. the only thing that might need extended would be the drive shaft witch could be cut and made cheap or taken off another truck with a longer oem shaft. cool, unique and great ride, also bragging rights to be the first maby even a patend!!!

[StingRay]

I've seen 4 x 4 conversions with the coil suspension left alone and the axle flipped to the bottom side before. Is this an option? Drive shaft length and pinion angle could be an issue but pinion angle can be corrected when the axle gets flipped. Driveshaft length would require a new back half for the shaft but it would be far simpler than swapping the whole suspension.

[RicksTrucks]

I have a leaf spring axle I removed from a frame - could probably take the stuff off and sell to you. I cut the rivets out of the frame, so the leaf holders are good. And will be down in the Austin area middle of August.

[cypress TX 72]

Robznob11 - as I said I'm sure it can be done, as I'm sure I could do it - but for it to be cost effective for my customer ......maybe not. he has spared little expense so far but this may push him over... plus the liability of all taht fab work... if it was my truck maybe / but then again if it was my truck i wouldnt lift it to begin with or loss the coils.....
My daily driver 72 is stock height with trailing arms and i love it - the only thing i did to my suspension was to add a thicker sway bar and an additional bar between the trailing arms for handling - in the front - the same, however mine did not have the front sway bar when i bought it ...???

I was looking through a build thread yesterday - and this guy is dropping his truck (which i'm not to fond of either) - but the fabrication work this guy is doing is incrediable and considering all he's doing - lifting 4" is absolutley do-able.
Cypress

[71tahoe]

I like the idea of the rear axle flip. It should get at least 6" of lift plus shim for pinion angle. ECE sells new axle mounts for trailing arms and you could even use the same size u-bolts. Might have to fab lower shock mounts and definitely use the track bar to the opposite trailing arm. Also would need a few more inches on the driveshaft.

[SCOTI]

Who sales a conversion kit from rear coil and control arms to leaf springs - -

I also have a short leaf frame/chassis that will be swapped to a trailing arm w/bags suspension if you don't find anything.

[68GMCCustom]

my rear end and leaf spring setup are available now...if you still need.

[cruiserman]

Why not just keep the coils and do a cut and turn on the axle housing for the pinion angle? Or a double cardan driveshaft. Anything can be fixed with a welder

[grancuda]

Maybe I am just ignorant to the coils but what is the advantage besides the ride? I know buddies who have coils on their '72 short wides and they have bad wheel hop issues when building up their motors. Also, I have had various cars with coils in the back and they tend to "suck down" in the back when you nail the throttle. So if it is "sucking down" then that means the rear end is going up towards the body where as if you use a leaf springs you get wind up and if you use a Super Stock style set up it is like a traction bar and it sends the back of the vehicle up pushing the rear axle toward the ground for better traction. Also, a Pinion Snubber really helps this. So as far as coils being a superior set up over the leaf spring arrangement, I think they both have advantages. What is the advantage of the coils other than the ride? Again, I don't know much about the coils and I have had my '72 model less than 2 weeks now, which it has the leaf spring option. I would like to know more about the coils, anyone have any links to the performance/traction aspect of them?

[corn]

Originally Posted by Orange

You're going to get bashed.
These people hate leaf springs.

DLB

Whats wrong with leaf springs Orange? Why dont we like our leaf springs here Orange? Why would people go so far as to hate them Orange? Nothing wrong with my leaf springs...

[2bits]

Check out my thread in my sig. When I bought my truck, the PO had removed the trailing arms and welded and bolted the leaf spring hangars (and rear end) to the side of the frame and that was it. Not that I would reccomend that, but this is an example for ya anyway. I did a rear section frame swap to get it back OEM, I actually wouldn't have minded leaving it but I had other reasons why I wanted to get it back to stock...

[lukecp]

I think it depends on the engine options with the GMC....My (well not mine yet...in the family and will be mine soon enough) C2500, an original stripped-down 307/4-speed truck, has factory coils and a Dana 60. It doesn't have coil springs listed on the option sheet. Every 6-cylinder GMC I've seen has had leafs (half tons, that is), and mos of the V8 GMC's have had coil springs.

[bad6772]

Originally Posted by corn

Whats wrong with leaf springs Orange? Why dont we like our leaf springs here Orange? Why would people go so far as to hate them Orange? Nothing wrong with my leaf springs...

Its all a matter of person choice...but my 72 Chevrolet has leafs ,(factory)..and i love my leaf springs....and it rides fine and hooks up fine. also my engine isnt as powerfull as some but it tips the 400 horse range easy and with the 4.56 posi it runs real strong, and pulls hard.... ive never had any complaint about them........my 67 has coils and there just fine as well...its all a matter of what you want.. IMO Green is my favorite color but that doesnt mean it should be everybodys too just cause i say so..........