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Old 07-02-2020, 10:01 AM   #3
Ziegelsteinfaust
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Temple City
Posts: 3,562
Re: suspension upgrades 1969 Panel truck

There's a make it handle thread somewhere, but the basic recipe is.

Move the lower A-arm forward 3/4-1 inch
Lower the upper a-arm 1/4-1/2 inch depending on whom you believe. I have done a 1/4 personally.
Get a matched steering setup with a weighted feel to taste.
Longest leaf springs, and shackles possible for most linear feel. Also the wider the better too.
Truck arms I have no experience with.
1 1/4 front, and 7/8 rear bar were my faves. I had C20's rclb's.
Add PST polygraphite bushings if you keep the stock arm's.
High quality shocks or quad shocks. I prefer gas charged cheap shocks in a quad shock arrangement personally.

One day I will put C30 spindles on a C10 a-arms in order to use Polygraphite bushings. Which to me would be the ultimate.

I like to weld in a internal brace from the shock mount to the a-arm cup in order to true up shock movement for loss of a better term.

One day I will try to put a Caprice a-arm shock into a truck since it looks to fit with a space to keep shock at mid travel.

Most standard style shocks should be set to mid travel height for best results.

I prefer C20 or C30 front with a 14 bolt semi floater or light duty for the factory big brake option.

With out modifying the crossmember any bolt on solution is not taking full advantage of what's possible. It will still understeer by comparison, and will block the rear end from rotating around in a sense. Allowing tighter fast turns, but be careful. It can now come around pretty good when your not intending it too.

The mods I described will be like a truck version of the Gulstrand or Shelby mods, but for trucks.
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