Lowering options for a 62 c20

[jcramsey]

Just picked up a 62 c20 with a service bed and I'm trying to work out a plan to get it a lot lower. Anyone have any experience bagging one of these trucks? Don't want to get into frame modification up front just yet so I know that will limit how low I can go, so just wondering what kind of stance could I expect from removing the torsion bars, cupping the lower control arms and mounting some bags? Drop spindles would be nice but if they even make them for 60-62 I'm pretty sure they are spendy. I would like to keep 8 lug just for the uniqueness, but I'm thinking would I be better suited swapping to a c10 rearend and front cross member. Parts are readily available and cheaper, and I imagine the gearing in that 8 lug axle will be good for pulling stumps but not for highway speeds.

I did let off on the torsion bars just to see where that would get me. Have a little more to go before I'm sitting on the bumps but I don't think cranking them all the way down will be anywhere near how low I want to go.

[LVPhotos]

Swap in some 67-72/73-87 ball joints and drop spindles. Keep the torsion bars. Your contradicting yourself by not modifying the front end if you want to go that low but you're going to have to modify it if bagging.

72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=721782

[jcramsey]

Thanks LV...food for thought!

[Brad54]

Originally Posted by LVPhotos

Swap in some 67-72/73-87 ball joints and drop spindles. Keep the torsion bars. Your contradicting yourself by not modifying the front end if you want to go that low but you're going to have to modify it if bagging.

72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=721782

Not really seeing how you can swap any ball joints with the stock lower control arms... not without a bunch of fabrication.

Any more info on that?

-Brad

[72freak]

Originally Posted by Brad54

Not really seeing how you can swap any ball joints with the stock lower control arms... not without a bunch of fabrication.

Any more info on that?

-Brad

Plenty of threads on how to do it. Its simple. The easiest way however is the Early Classic C20 drop spindles.

[Brad54]

Originally Posted by 72freak

Plenty of threads on how to do it. Its simple. The easiest way however is the Early Classic C20 drop spindles.

I've seen countless threads on swapping the cross members and lower control arms, but after a pretty long check, I don't see any threads on swapping later ball joints into '60-'62 lower control arms and keeping the torsion bars.

The '60-'62 lower ball joint itself is the end of the control arm--there's no control arm for the ball joint to bolt INTO, because it IS the end of the control arm, unlike later control arms.

-Brad

[jcramsey]

I let off the torsion bars as far as they would go just to see where that would get me. This is sitting on the bumps right now. Obviously probably not very drivable but I just wanted to see where it would get me. I like the direction its headed, but I definitely wanna go lower.

I did come across a build where from what I can tell it looks like the plated the bottom of the 62 control arm and sectioned some out of where the upper bag mount goes. Other than this it looks like he Z'ed the frame a couple inches, but he was way low. I'm wondering if I forgo the Z'ed frame and just section out the upper mounts, will that get me pretty low?

[LVPhotos]

There are several ways for ball joint. 1 is a flat plate to help bolt on newer torsion bar truck joints (4x4). 2 a tube style for press in.
Pic of my PB arms for press in 72-88 ball joints for reference. This can be done same way on stock arms. Just make sure the tube is big enough. Find your spindles and appropriate ball joint and go from there, and lower tires. How low is low? Mine was 9" at cab just torsion bars.