Squarebody Trailing Arm Conversion
Some progress on the install of my PB Fab converison kit.
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...pskhgmmqoj.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psludf5wsz.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psmqhjv29s.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psjmirgrg8.jpg I did have to pull the gas tank so I could add clearance holes in the trailing arm crossmemeber mount and I will also have to add one in the front gas tank hanger. This could be due to the way I mounted the tank when I shortened the frame though. I thought I used a factory location but I honestly cant remember. All the suspension stuff is going out for powder today but I'll try and get a picture of what I had to do on that bracket. |
Re: Squarebody Trailing Arm Conversion
Looks good so far.Let me know how it handles after you get it all good to do.
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Progress is being made just not much that is picture worthy. Axle is cleaned up and painted, everything is back from powder coat and ready to install. At the front of the notch the bolts are to short so I'll be picking up some longer ones today at lunch to fix that. I'm not sure if they sent longer ones and I lost them or what. I had some issues early on with this kit that lead to me packing it back up for a bit because I got frustrated so I could have misplaced them then.
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...pstsxjlgty.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps4xmqyofa.jpg |
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Got all this stuff back on an tightened down. Whole lotta bolts in there...
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psdfonftz4.jpg |
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Looks good Paul!
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Looking good so far,What are you going to do to the front ?
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Work has been crazy with our winter shutdown but I've managed to get a little bit accomplished on my swap the past few days.
New wheels seals, locker an the larger drums installed on the axle. Then put the trailing arms an axle on the truck. http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psji1lam9n.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps3gfp6lin.jpg Today I got the bump/steering stop removed from the front a arms. Put on the lower shock bar an the shock studs. Next week I still need to order a nice aluminum cover for the axle an new brake hardlines to go to the wheel cylinders.... |
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Passenger side front stuff is done, just need to do the bag plate and shock mount on the dr side now.
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psfqafwcrv.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps6qc1wccg.jpg |
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Well I'm making some progress but its frustratingly slow. I spent quite a bit of time clearancing the rear bag mounts for my air line fittings, after they were powdercoated :(
I got my air tank mount made and then went to install the front bag assemblies and the bolts are to short, so I had to order more. Ordered new prebent brake lines to go across the rear axle to the wheel cylinders and they had to be tweaked to fit. I also got a nice LPW low profile support cover but it is really close to the panhard bar and it might not work either. Then bolts that came with it are to long and it didnt even come with a gasket! I had hoped to have it sitting back on its suspension after my two days off this week but nothing worked out like I wanted it to. At about 3 pm yesterday I threw in the towel for now because I was just getting too aggrivated with it all. I'll try and grab a few pictures at some point, it doesnt look to much different right now though |
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This is cool, I didn't even know they made something like this.
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Here's a few updated pics.
Clearance added for fittings http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps3olmnuic.jpg Rear mostly together, tank mounted, swapped to 84+ parking brake cables. http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...pskuctdefr.jpg Front mounted up, I still have to swap out the bolts for the upper bag plate. http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...pswhydzj3y.jpg Air line ran http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps1og0oqbd.jpg Hopefully it's all smooth sailing from here.... |
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Well that last sentence above came back to bite me. I've been off the past few days an been cranking on this thing. Yesterday I got to the point where I was just about ready to throw the tires back on it an let it off the stands. Jacked the rear axle all the way up into the notch to check travel an the driveshaft hits the trailing arm crossmember with around 2" of up travel left. I ran it all the way up first then checked when it hit so I hope I didn't bend it with that first test.
So I fired off an email, then went to bleed the brakes. (All new rear axle lines an new braided stainless lines front an rear). Stripped a front bleeder screw, threw a wrench or two then quit for the day. I swapped out the caliper an finished up the brakes this morning an then took most everything on the rear back apart. I have a few plans of my own but I'm waiting to see what direction PB wants to go. My show deadline is in serious jeopardy now..... Looks like I never mentioned the show in here, I'm trying to have it ready for Run to the Sun in Myrtle Beach this March. |
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Hi.....new to the squares.....I'm in Australia... they'res not many around that people work on.....soooo..I'm trying to work it out......why are you swapping to This style rear setup and not a 4 link( which seems the common way to go if have leaf Spring rear truck)...is it easier way to bag?...different?
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I saw in your earlier pics that the cross member was hanging below the frame rails. Is there anyway you can just raise it up? The factory style cross member just goes right in the middle of the rails is the porterbuilt unit a direct replacement? I don't know if you remember but I contacted you a while back on this conversion for my Suburban. I still haven't started but Im hoping to have it completed by Powertout this year. The difference is I'm using a factory cross member and have a 2 piece drive shaft
I'm watching this for sure |
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A suburban will be a different process all together I'm sure, so all I can say there is good luck on your swap. Hopefully it goes alot smoother than mine has. |
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Any reason you don't just notch the cab and raise the crossmember?
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http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psih6zulsh.jpg The CPP kit gets the conversion done with no mods to the floor of the cab so there is no reason for this kit to requrie a large hole to be cut in the floor in my opinion... |
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That cross member hit the floor too? It looks like you put the top bar on top of the top frame rail and the lower rail on the inside of the c channel
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http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psmfh3lf7p.jpg |
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So I havent let the driveshaft issue hold me back. I've been emailing with porterbuilt about it and they want to build another crossmember that is basically another 3/4" higher. I have a show I want to make so I took it all back apart and made a little modification of my own for the time being....
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psrffig4gk.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psikjkrirt.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psryalhqje.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psrhsy2t3t.jpg |
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I worked on that off an on all week along with a little bit of the plumbing and mounting for my "air command center"
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...sneeiw4zm.jpeg Put it all back together today and I have plenty of clearance now... http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps0cfekhf6.jpg Threw the wheels back on it and let it back on the ground for the first time in probably two months http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psfsavynxc.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...pszdf3iea0.jpg And a quick dirty hookup of everything to the shop air just to see it work.... http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...pskxntx7j6.mp4 click the picture or this link if it doesnt work http://vid644.photobucket.com/albums...pskxntx7j6.mp4 |
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Lookin' Good! What wheels / tires are you running? I notice they're different than your older thread and I like the look of 'em.
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Wow. Lotta work here! looks pretty good. I actually talked to Porterbuilt about their conversion, told me it would be bags or coilovers only for their setup. Didn't want to bagged my truck or drop $2k+ on rear suspension so I went with the CPP kit. Just wanted a simple coil spring suspension.
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I initially liked the CPP kit but did some shopping around. I came back to it because it was built around the 67-72 trailing arms. So I was able to use stock trailing arms with the kit to keep the cost down. Plus it uses many other parts as the earlier trailing arm trucks which makes me more comfortable with affordability and future part availability. I just don't have the budget at this time to have this project spiral.
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Today's progress was mounting an beginning wiring of most of the air system components
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psfjwq3eb0.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psixlzoe0b.jpg |
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Great looking work. Did you put your trailing arm perches back in stock location? If so do you remember what the center to center distances are for front and back holes? I'm getting ready to fab up a Ford 9" my 72, the guy I bought it from put a 99 Z28 7.5 Torsen Posi in it and my beefed up 5.3 Vortec has it whining big time. If you have the perch dimension I'd really appreciated it. I just want to lightly tack them while I'm lining everything up.
Thanks, George |
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Well I spent this week routing, protecting and securing lines an wiring. I also pulled the front apart an moved the bag plates to center the bags in the a arm better.
Before: http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...sgtze3o0b.jpeg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...sulawf4ov.jpeg After: http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psvktzmwav.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psodaharnx.jpg |
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Here's a few more pics of the progress
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psybugcsc8.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...pshgsjaq4s.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psxw9jwpal.jpg |
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Still plugging away at it, all the plumbing an wiring is finished up. I got a new Panhard bar that clears the cover. I just rattle canned it silver for now as I have no time left to have it coated.
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...pskheadbmk.jpg I switched to a 245/40 front tire an a 1.5" spacer to help with the fender clearance issue. I had to grind out the hub on the front wheels to fit over the rotor an I have no idea what I'll do for a center cap but I still feel it was worth the effort for what I gained. http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps1iymzc6i.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psyj0pr6yb.jpg Hope to have the bed back on an take it for exhaust early next week! |
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Well I've been going at it all week, yesterday was my day off an I was close enough I thought I could get it relatively finished up to take to a local show today. I had pulled the door glass for new seals so I tinted it while it was out. Got the doors all back together, trimmed the fenders up front where they were close to the tires an started hacking together an exhaust so I could drive it. Ran out of welding wire with 4 welds to go of course lol.
Finally got the exhaust in, an I can't air the truck out because of how I had to run it. Get it running an pull around to put the bed on an it won't sit all the way down. Remember those bolts on the top of the c notch? The middle row is right under the bed crossmember. Quit for the day after that... http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psxrarv8er.jpg Guess I wasted the time I spent on the exhaust but I didn't want to drive it over the weekend with nothing. It has an appointment Monday for a new setup that should be tucked up nice an high an hopefully I get tailpipes to. |
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Bed modded up now. I clearanced all 3 of the small crossmember just in case. Then had to make room for the axle at full drop.
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psteol5ksz.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psrwgowva3.jpg Got everything back on it an it's ready for a real exhaust system tomorrow. Then I can hopefully get a picture of it aired out with the bed on. http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps0xmv749d.jpg |
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Nice progress.
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So I trucked it over to the exhaust shop Monday, in the rain of course. While I'm waiting the expander on his bender breaks. I'm about to leave but he says he can still do it with the other end of the expander just not as fast. So we get it up on the rack an I air it out.
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...pssk7gygr5.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psxdn1le10.jpg Zero room to run all the way out the back :( we go over a few different options an I decide to y it into one on the passenger side an dump it at the edge of the wheel well. http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...pssmc7qf1r.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...pshqzocpho.jpg All in all he did good work, it allows the truck to lay out an it still would not scrape on anything. Not what I wanted but I'll take it until I make more room for something better. Money shots http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps9nygnwki.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps0cinmzlf.jpg I spent today putting the interior back together an cleaning. I have a week to shake it down before leaving for Run to the Sun. http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/u...psfq9koqmr.jpg |
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i like everything i see.
Curious what grommets you used for your air lines through the frame. Also do you have an afforadable source for the woven covering you used on the lines as well? |
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