1986 Chevy C10 SWB Step Side

[98Murray]

Looking good!

[aotte1]

Thanks,

[aotte1]

The body shop is making progress, the bed is apart and pretty much ready for sealer and primer this week. I just need to confirm that a few of the new bed SS bolts are correct. Those that are going to be painted body color were very lightly etched with 120 grit aluminum oxide for good paint adhesion.

The cab and front fenders are moving along too. The fenders are also almost ready for sealer and primer. The windshield is out and the frame looks really good except for drivers side corner with a little rust but solid. The cab corners are being repaired too. They have been welded in and fiberglassed over for strength of seam. The following are a few pictures.

[aotte1]

Right side cab corner.

[aotte1]

Front fender ready for sealer and primer

[Tx Firefighter]

You can't screw up the lower control arms. There is a dimple and nub arrangement.

The control arm shaft has a dimple. The crossmember has the nub. Insert them together and install the u bolts.

[aotte1]

Kevin,
Thanks for the help with the lower control arm. Today worked on taking suspension further apart for rebuilding. It came apart pretty easy. Used impact to remove both upper and lower control arms. Then used air hammer with chisel attachment to remove the bushing. Placed the chisel on the flange of the bushing and the vibration removes it. At first it opens up a gap, and then you can push the chisel down to the bushing cylinder with it operating. Next put pressure on the bushing cylinder at the flange in a motion that causes it to be removed from the vibration. Some come out easy and others take more effort. On each of the bottom shafts one of the bushing came loose from the control arm attached to the shaft. I used a cutting wheel to remove these bushing from the shaft ( the outer most sleeve and rubber ) along with a chisel and hammer on the inner most sleeve after notching it with the cutting wheel.

Les

[aotte1]

In the picture above you can see the lower shafts with the one bushing attached to each one. This picture shows the tools used to get to this point.

[aotte1]

Removing the bushing from lower control arm shaft. Cutting wheel removing outer sleeve and rubber part.

[aotte1]

Another picture of removing bushing from shaft. This shows the bushing removed in three parts, outer sleeve, rubber with slot cut with cutting wheel, and inner sleeve.

[SkinnyG]

Do you mean the offset ~lower~ control arm shafts? What did your alignment guy say? (If you don't mind my asking)

[aotte1]

SkinnyG,
Yes, moving the lower control arm forward 3/4 inch. Alignment person ( Joe)has worked at same Michelin tire shop for 35 years doing alignments, I have used them for 12 years, just a little background, that I believe he know how to do alignment requested if not factory spec.
Joe agreed that increasing caster was a good idea for wide front tires on old trucks like the 1986 C10. His thoughts were that, 4 or more degrees would be helpful in keeping truck from trying to follow every imperfection in road at highway speeds. He emphasized that having 4 degrees would help a lot. With slight negative caster also, he could make it drive nice by adjusting toe. He also asked how many rear shims it had before changes, because caster adjustment via shims is made by moving upper control arm out, and you run out of bolt length to do very much caster increase.

With all the changes I am making, Joe said I could adjust camber at home before bringing in for alignment with level on side of tire to get it a little negative. He also told me how to get truck tires sitting neutral for checking camber, role it back and forth several times.

Overall he thought it was a good thing to do, and changes in front spring alignment of 3/4 inch was no big deal.

Thinks that's pretty much what he said, will be few months before I report back on how it drives ( truck is in body shop .......limbo) actually thick truck is doing well, for all the quality work they are doing!! Taking their time to do it right, with a few other small jobs being done along the way, as needed for his business.
Les

[SkinnyG]

Since you are lowering via springs, you will automatically gain some negative camber (tires tipping inward at the top). For a street vehicle you probably want to stay around -1° camber for best tire wear. This likely will be able to be corrected by adding shims to the upper control arm to move it outward.

Caster (angle of the steering axis through both ball joints as viewed from the side, the steering axis should intersect the ground ahead of the centerline of the wheel - think of "caster wheels" with the pivot always ahead of the wheel) is increased by adding shims in the front and removing shims from the back - this moves the upper ball joint back. It is possible that you will not be able to get enough shims in the front to maintain acceptable camber and yet still reach your caster goal.

Alternatively, you could move the lower control arm forward (moving the lower ball joint forward does the same thing as moving the upper ball joint back). This should allow the caster to be increased, while leaving majority of the shims to correct the camber.

One quirk I found, was the springs were more difficult to install with the lower spring basket moved forward.

[aotte1]

Today finished putting the upper and lower control arms together. They went together pretty easy. Just FYI, the hardware for the uppers was one gold Cadmium and the other black. The R/R of the control arms include the lower control arm modification to add more caster. The change I made will move the lower arm 3/4 inch forward. This amount seems to be a common dimension reported here by many. Plan to install the control arms on the cross members soon and see how much clearance I need to add on the cross member for full travel. Today also prepared the hardware for installing the lower control arm. Will report back w/ more pictures.

[aotte1]

The other side of the upper control arm

[aotte1]

Lower control arm

[aotte1]

Another of the lower control arm

[Russ_the_truck79]

Those cleaned up nice!

[rip2174]

awesome job on the wheels. That takes time and patients. very nice

[Low Elco]

Awesome! I love me some slot mags. Jonboy would be diggin' on it! Consider 15x10's for the back. They fill out the "hips" on a square great and just look bad ass. They turn up on the Bay from time to time. Can't wait to see this truck come together with the level of work you turn out.

[aotte1]

Jeff, Russ, Rip 74, and Low ELCO thanks for the compliments. I am zeroing-in on using 10" deep dish slots for the rear. That deep dish look has me hooked. To finalize decision would like to get truck back from body shop so can measure twice on all the measurements. If it will be awhile before truck is back from body shop, then may take the above wheel/ tire ( 8.5x15 w/ 3 7/8 BS) to truck and measure their frame clearances. Then calculate where a 10x15 w/ 3.5 or 3.75 back space will fit.

Also, starting to look for source to shorten axle, and respline shortened axle shafts. Going to try Moser in IN.

Also want to confirm if 93 to 98 Blazer/Tahoe rear axle WMS is shorter then the 1986 C10. Possible source for shorter axle.

For the 10" slots, kind of thinking of the vintage US Indy or American Racing wheels because of how their hub contact surface is made. FYI, US Indy has been repurchased back from American Racing by a family member of the original owner and they are making slots again. They have a 10 inch wheel.

[jpnh]

i was curious so i took a minute and layed under my rig with the tape measure its looking like the first thing you can hit with the tire back there is the bedside you have bout 14 inches from the bedside to the inner lip of the fender im running 15x10 wheels 5inch backspace 4 3/4 bolt pattern adapters to 5x5 bp with 295/50/15 MT tires i had to account for the adapter 1inch and the balooning of the tire 1 inch. there is still 2 1/4 inches between the tire and the first place it can rub on. {the bedside} the space looks huge in the pic but its 2 1/4 inches the front side it makes it under the fender the tire dosent stick out past the fender{pic2} but if i was trying to get the tire way up under the fender like some people do{which would be way too low for around here} id have to roll the lip of the fender more or get wheels with the 5x5bp and lose the adapters i would still be an inch and 1/4 from the bedside to the backside of the tire losing the adapters and gaining more backspace. the wheel are 15x10 but the tires add another inch on either side makes the width 12 inches. the trick would be to center that 12 inches in between the 14+ inches between the bedside and the inside lip of the fender pic 1 shows the space between the backside of the tire and the bed side pic 2 is a shot looking down on the fender showing the tire makes it under the fender pic 3 shows looking up at the front side of the tire and the fender lip {towards the right side of the pic} my truck is lower than stock but i still have 3 1/2 inches from the top of the tire to the fender-jeff

[aotte1]

Jeff,
Thanks for the rear wheel/tire space available and alignment of yours in a stepper wheel well. It is a big help since I do not have one to go measure right now.

Les

[jpnh]

no problemo

[Low Elco]

Nice!