Chevrolet C10 Suspension Upgrade - Stand And Deliver

The sleeves also feature an interlocking design that prevents the hardware from ever working loose. Best yet, they’re a direct bolt-in, requiring no modifications and work with all factory and replacement power steering systems.

Drop coil springs will be used to get the nose down an additional 2 1/2 inches for a total drop of 4 1/2 inches.

Attaching the modular spindle to the lower control arm ball joint, inserting the drop spring, and then compressing the spring using a spring compressor allows the top ball joint to be attached.

Here, you can see the new CPP nitrogen gas shock attached to the lower control arm and the upper reinforcing tab, as well as the business end of the suspension components. Simple, yet very effective.

With the suspension wrapped up, it’s time to install the brakes. High-temp grease is used to pack the wheel bearings before the aluminum hubs are installed.

Three major components make up the braking system at each wheel; a rotor, caliper, and mounting bracket. I’m using a 5x4 3/4-inch Chevy passenger car bolt pattern at all four corners on my truck so that my wheel options are vast.

The caliper bracket attaches to the modular spindle using the provided 5⁄8-inch hardware, torqued to 154 lb-ft.

The rotor is then slid onto the hub, followed by the caliper, which attaches to the bracket using 5⁄8-inch hardware torqued to 154 lb-ft as well. Note that the bleeder screw is at the top of the caliper.

Since we have drum brakes out back and discs up front, I opted to use CPP’s OEM-style master cylinder/power booster combo. It comes complete with the proper proportioning valve and just needs to be plumbed into the braking system.

I’ll be using a CPP brake line kit from each wheel up to the master cylinder but before it can be installed, it’s necessary to bench bleed it to get the air out of each reservoir.

A good suspension system isn’t complete without a good sway bar and CPP’s heavy duty version, made from 1 1/4-inch steel tubing, is a complimentary component to the rest of their suspension line. Their kit comes complete with the sway bar, urethane bushings, end links, frame mounting brackets, and Grade 8 hardware.

The sway bar mounting brackets attach to the chassis using preexisting holes. Two of them however are occupied by rivets, which need to be removed. An air chisel makes quick work out of the rivets.

To install the sway bar, first the end links are assembled while the center of the sway bar rests on a jack stand.

Here are the sway bar brackets that mount to the framerails. Since I lowered the front of the truck, CPP recommended running their lowered brackets.

Compared with the stock unit on the left and I can see why. The lowered brackets tuck the sway bar up nice and tight to the framerail, increasing ground clearance.

Bolted to the existing holes in the framerail, I used the jackstand to lift the sway bar into place where the clamp and urethane bushing mated the two together.

And there you have it! From stock to sport in about two days time.

Here’s a sneak peek at the tire/wheel combo I’ve got planned for the C10. A bit of traditional styling with a hint of contemporary aesthetic thrown in for good measure, the Custom Classic Trucks maxim if ever there was one!