79 Chevy suspension?

[63chevyll]

The body lines from the doors forward are the same, Almost a direct bolt on. Mainly the cowl needs modified.

 

[bullnerd]

Cool, thanks for the info.

 

[PBR Overall]

I've got a little experience with vintage chevy front ends. Currently I'm "building" a square body blazer that was raced back in the 90's so it's very race era correct. Originally it had 3 x 2" body shocks per corner but the previous owner cut off the upper mounts so I'm going to be using a single 3" bypass per corner. The upper arms are reinforced 1 Ton and the lowers are 1/2 or 3/4 ton, not sure (reinforced as well). The upper runs a Henry's style ball joint and on the lowers when I got it there were stock ball joints so I had Mark Newhan (as per his recommendation) install 1" spherical bearings for more articulation. Also running Stock Car products hubs and spindles with corvette calipers. Springs are P30 motorhome from the late 70's or early 80's.

If you don't want to go this crazy for only 10-12" of travel I would suggest running the P30 spring with a Henry's upper ball joint for more angle. You can add a spacer to if you need a little more height and then run a stock lower 1 ton ball joint. If you can find spindles off a 79 Ambulance (I'm pretty sure that's the year but not 100%), these had a bigger snout / bearings but you could still run the 5 lug rotors. I may have some of these parts for sale in the near future if you're interested.

As for the rear my set up is spring under Nationals with a single 3" bypass King. Nothing super fancy.

If you live in SoCal you're welcome to come by and check it out.

 

[7s ranger]

I've got a little experience with vintage chevy front ends. Currently I'm "building" a square body blazer that was raced back in the 90's so it's very race era correct. Originally it had 3 x 2" body shocks per corner but the previous owner cut off the upper mounts so I'm going to be using a single 3" bypass per corner. The upper arms are reinforced 1 Ton and the lowers are 1/2 or 3/4 ton, not sure (reinforced as well). The upper runs a Henry's style ball joint and on the lowers when I got it there were stock ball joints so I had Mark Newhan (as per his recommendation) install 1" spherical bearings for more articulation. Also running Stock Car products hubs and spindles with corvette calipers. Springs are P30 motorhome from the late 70's or early 80's.

If you don't want to go this crazy for only 10-12" of travel I would suggest running the P30 spring with a Henry's upper ball joint for more angle. You can add a spacer to if you need a little more height and then run a stock lower 1 ton ball joint. If you can find spindles off a 79 Ambulance (I'm pretty sure that's the year but not 100%), these had a bigger snout / bearings but you could still run the 5 lug rotors. I may have some of these parts for sale in the near future if you're interested.

As for the rear my set up is spring under Nationals with a single 3" bypass King. Nothing super fancy.

If you live in SoCal you're welcome to come by and check it out.

@PBR Overall . Wow, tank you for the info. I Dm Marc but never heard back. Good info. I’m in AZ so to far for a stop by.
You happen to have a spring part number? Make it easier.
Does that fit a 33” or35”tire?

 

[crafty]

I've got a little experience with vintage chevy front ends. Currently I'm "building" a square body blazer that was raced back in the 90's so it's very race era correct. Originally it had 3 x 2" body shocks per corner but the previous owner cut off the upper mounts so I'm going to be using a single 3" bypass per corner. The upper arms are reinforced 1 Ton and the lowers are 1/2 or 3/4 ton, not sure (reinforced as well). The upper runs a Henry's style ball joint and on the lowers when I got it there were stock ball joints so I had Mark Newhan (as per his recommendation) install 1" spherical bearings for more articulation. Also running Stock Car products hubs and spindles with corvette calipers. Springs are P30 motorhome from the late 70's or early 80's.

If you don't want to go this crazy for only 10-12" of travel I would suggest running the P30 spring with a Henry's upper ball joint for more angle. You can add a spacer to if you need a little more height and then run a stock lower 1 ton ball joint. If you can find spindles off a 79 Ambulance (I'm pretty sure that's the year but not 100%), these had a bigger snout / bearings but you could still run the 5 lug rotors. I may have some of these parts for sale in the near future if you're interested.

As for the rear my set up is spring under Nationals with a single 3" bypass King. Nothing super fancy.

If you live in SoCal you're welcome to come by and check it out.

Sounds awesome! Got any pictures?

 

[PBR Overall]

I was wrong on the year of the Ambulance spindles. 80-83 diesel ambulance is the hot ticket!!!!

 

[PBR Overall]

I don’t have a lot of current pics on my phone and I’m out of town. I will post more next week. Here are a few.

 

[7s ranger]

Very nice. Can’t wait to see more pictures.
So I’m guessing I need to start looking at pick your part yards for ambulance spindles.
I love that there are a few of this old trucks getting some needed love.

 

[Roger Gray]

I knew I had these articles somewhere and I finally found them. Sorry for the cell phone pictures. I’ll try to scan them later.
Dave Westhem’s pickup (according to the article) uses 1/2 ton upper arms with Henry’s ball joints. The ambulance spindles and 1 ton lower arms with one ton ball joints. They say that’s from a motorhome.
Larry Minors blazer says it’s custom upper and lower arms. To me it looks like a tubular upper arm and some sort of stock style lower. It doesn’t talk about the spindle.
Interesting fact on the blazer. The article says it’s a 4 link and it uses Air Ride inflatable bags. I wonder how that worked.

 

[bullnerd]

Love these old chevy trucks!

Off road magazine use to have a pre runner section in every issue. One had four really nice pre ruuners similar to the ones pictured here.

To the guys that know these trucks, Were 2 wd blazers used to make the 2wd prerunner style trucks or 4 wd and switched to a-arms on the front with a sub frame?

I grew up and live in NJ, so ZERO access to any of the stuff you guys get see daily out west.

 

[7s ranger]

@Roger Gray tgat is great info ! I was looking for any info on the Westhem truck, that thing was a beast. Love it!

 

[63chevyll]

Great Info. Thanks for.sharing

 

[PBR Overall]

Here are some pics of Westhem’s front end. I talked to tony who preps the truck about the brakes and they would smoke the stock front brakes so he did a clean upgrade to The Brake Man stuff. I’m going to be running corvette calipers on the front my Blazer. When I raced class 8 in the old Nelson & Nelson truck we had dual corvette calipers per corner in the front. Old school!!!!!

 

[racer dad]

My 77 with 85 nose,arms extended 4”.caged front to back but basic.need to add more bracing and shock towers,but it’s getting there.gets tons of looks

 

[bullnerd]

Damn that thing is perfect! Love the old look!

Anymore info on the front arms would be great! Did you mod them?

Tire size?

 

[63chevyll]

that Upper ball joint is tough looking.

and the step side is killer looking

 

[7s ranger]

@racer dad that looks awesome! Love it!
Those arms, custom? How about a pic of the upper to? Any info would be great.

 

[bullnerd]

Its unanimous! Racer dad, we need way more pictures! lol!

 

[63chevyll]

agree. does it work pretty good. im suprized how well my stockish 77 front end works.

 

[racer dad]

@racer dad that looks awesome! Love it!
Those arms, custom? How about a pic of the upper to? Any info would be great.

I'll try and get more photos this weekend. The arms are lengthened, plated and braced although could use more on the uppers which I will do when it comes time to fab the shock mounts.I got to have those shocks through the hood!!the arms did start out as factory units.I bought the truck with them already done although the truck was in bad need of TLC when I got it.It was not takin care of.I cleaned and detailed the under carriage, pinion seal was leaking,installed new carb,diff cover,wheels tires,interior,radiator,detailed motor,put on the bed and front clip,new lights,had to rework the bumper,fabbed up the skid plate.now goes all the way down to frame,I'm sure there's a few more things I'm missing but you get the idea.And more to do lol.thanks everyone for the compliments,almost forgot,tires are 35's