When we departed last month, we had the nose of our project C10 down nice and low, but the rear had yet to be sorted. Well, wait no longer as we’re gonna wrap this sucker up, all things stance-related that is!
Though we originally intended to simply lower the back end of our truck, like the front, it quickly became a slippery slope. The trailing arms needed to be rebuilt and one ended up being slightly twisted so it was decided to step up and install CPP’s Totally Tubular rear suspension kit. And why not since the front received the same attention?!
At the heart of the kit are CPP’s tubular trailing arms, manufactured with a laser-cut-and-formed spring platform fabricated to CNC-bent, 2-inch DOM heavy-walled tubing and utilize a patended non-squeak, self-lubricating bushing that never needs to be greased. Coupled with a pair of 5-inch dropped coil springs and Nitrogen gas shocks, that low of a stance requires the framerails to be C-notched to facilitate full travel of the rearend. Luckily, a C-notch kit is included. We opted to go with the 3⁄8-inch heavy duty version, which CPP recommends for anyone who might end up towing with their truck (hey, you never know right?!). A little slicing and dicing to the stock ’rails and you’re back in the saddle with full travel. Rounding out the kit is their Deluxe Trac Bar, which is designed specifically for lowered vehicles, allowing them to maintain proper alignment of the rearend while taking advantage of the lower center of gravity. That translates into an increase in cornering ability and an overall handling improvement over stock.
They say a picture’s worth a thousand words, so in this case, I figure the next forty photos are worth at least forty thousand words. At least I hope they tell the story of what it took to get our C10 nice and low and get you thinking twice the next time you write off that $2,000 longbed truck! CCT
The Totally Tubular kit comes...
The Totally Tubular kit comes with everything a guy needs to get his truck way down low and handle like he always wished it would. Everything bolts on, no welding required; meaning this stuff can be installed in your driveway with minimal tools.
The first step in getting...
The first step in getting the back end in the weeds is to remove the stock components, including the rearend, springs, trailing arms, shocks, and track bar.
Here’s what you’re left with...
Here’s what you’re left with once those components are removed.
The stock crossmember will...
The stock crossmember will need to be removed so it can be replaced with a new CPP drop center unit before moving forward.
There are fourteen rivets...
There are fourteen rivets that hold the stock unit in place and there’s no easy way to get them out.
One of the quickest however...
One of the quickest however is to use a plasma cutter (we’re using a Lincoln Tomahawk 375) to cut the heads off each rivet. Be mindful of any brake, and fuel lines as well as any wiring!
A pneumatic chisel is used...
A pneumatic chisel is used to then drive each rivet out.
There are a few reasons for...
There are a few reasons for swapping the stock crossmember with CPP’s drop center piece. One is that CPP moves the front pivot point of the trailing arms up four inches to correct the driveshaft’s pinion angle. This is necessary because of the 5-inch drop. If the rearend was to move five inches up without changing this pickup point, the pinion of the rearend would be pointing towards the ground at way too drastic of an angle for the driveshaft not to bind. CPP has also made allowances for a 3-inch exhaust tube to run through the crossmember, further increasing ground clearance over the stock crossmember which forced the exhaust to run underneath the truck. Crescent cutouts on either side also allow for clearance of fuel, brake, air, and electrical lines to run inside the framerail. Though our truck is a long bed, the drop center crossmember is designed to work with both one- and two-piece driveshaft pickups.
The good news is the new crossmember...
The good news is the new crossmember uses the stock rivet holes to attach to the framerails, so no drilling should be required.