Is the 66 chevy c-10 front suspension ball joints the same size all the way to a 87? I was looking at a 85 chevy, i was going to use the 66 control arms replace the ball joints and use the 85 spindles and drums so i can have disk brakes,can i use the master cylinder off the 85 what about puting a front sway bar? thanks carl
One word answer? NO. Ball joints are different. If you really want to do that swap, consider the entire front crossmember from the 87. Be WARNED ! I don't know if the 87 crossmember will work or not, but an entire crossmember swap will be easier than trying to cobble used parts together. A word to the wise: This is one change to your truck you want to get right. The purpose is to improve braking, and if done correctly, you should see a 30% improvement in stopping distance. If not done right, it could result in an unsafe condition placing you and your fellow drivers at risk. If it were me, ( and it was ), look at qualty disk brake conversion kits before starting. After I did the numbers, I figured a kit would only cost a few hundred more than cobbling used parts together. For me, time was important so a kit made the most sence. I used Early Classic and the kit went in, on a disassembled and rebuilt front end, in less than 8 hours. Val
ball joints etc. CF: Val is right about the ball joints being different. Also, the outer tie rod end will be different from the 66, requiring a special adjusting sleeve with bigger thread on one end. All of these parts are heavier duty stuff for 73-87.... and widely available and cheap. I also concurr re the purchase of a good conversion kit.... you will need to rebuid any brake components you get from the salvage yard anyway- esp. the calipers and pads. OAt east one company (PO) advertises a conversion kit that goes to 5 bolt but keeps the 66 components. I would not do that myself because the later components are stronger and more widely available should you need parts.. which you will some sunny day. I disagree somewhat with Val on swapping the entire unit. IMHO that is harder than changing the bjs. The lower ball joint is a press fit, so you need to remove the lower control arm and take that to a shop with a press. The upper bj is bolt in but you may have to grind rivets off the old ones if they've never been done before. Tie rod end is NBD at all... you flip the tie rods so that outer becomes inner and replace the outer with the 73-87 end. This puts the tie rod left hand thread end on the inside where it is supposed to be.
I have an ethical reason for preffering NOT to swap stuff around. It has to do with the NEXT owner of a truck I'm working on. It's easier to tell a buyer, and easier for them to remember, that the entire front crossmember has been swapped. It allows the tie-rods to stay as they came from the factory, outter is still outter, inner is still inner. I have heard that you can swap the upper and lower control arms ( and the tie-rod ends) from the later year trucks, but I can't confirm. If this is done the ball joints will fit as they should. Let me also say, I did the homework on front end disk brake conversion kits Vs. Swapping out later year front end parts. For me, it made more sence to use a good kit. The old parts will most likely need a rebuild, vs the kit's new parts. Wit a kit like Early Classic, the tie-rod ends, ball joints stay the same as the year truck so my ethical concern was eliminated. I also think you need to assess your skill in doing this swap. Braking and steering are two things you need to be VERY sure of your abilities to execute it. Your butt depends on it ! Val
66 suspension update RE: "I have heard that you can swap the upper and lower control arms ( and the tie-rod ends) from the later year trucks, but I can't confirm. If this is done the ball joints will fit as they should." I think you CAN do that but I don't see how it changes anything. You will still have 73-87 ball joints and spindle. Thus you must change the outer tie rod end (using the stock 73-87 part) to connect to the original 66 drag link, which requires the smaller inner tie rod end (part ES350L). The adjusting sleeve with different threads to do this is readily available and is the only non-GM part involved. To avoid this, I suspect that you can change the drag link to the later model... I can't confirm that though. Think I'll grab one from the UPullIt and see... hmmm. Re: the ethics issue: there must be fifty things that I have done to my truck that the next owner (maybe my grandson) could get confused about. Heck, I sometimes have trouble remembering details of what I did in the past. Thus, I try to keep a pretty good record on my computer and have some three ring binders for wiring, electronic, and really technical stuff. Again, I completely agree that a kit is a good idea for most people...and time saving and affordable too. I may be wrong but it seems like most of the kits on the market use the 73-87 components. They don't typically include a new drag link, so the tie rod transition problem would still need resolving in any case. Further research: You can get new spindles from several vendors (drop or not) that combine the earlier ball joint/tie-rod parts with the 73-87 disc brake parts. This simplifies things except for the fact that you then have a non-GM spindle, which may fool or confuse some future owner.
Here is one option from one of the major suppliers: "1963-72 CHEVY/GMC/C10 TRUCK, 2.5" DROP SPINDLE KIT (SPECIAL) #16183 These popular kits are a great way to lower your truck 2.5" in the front and upgrade to the more readily available ball joints and tie rod ends from the 73-87 truck. Kits are available for 1963-70 and 71-72 trucks only. 1963-70 kits include: • Upper and Lower ball joints • Outer tie rod ends • High Performance adjusting sleeves 1971-72 kits include: • Upper ball joints • Outer tie rod ends Requires heavy duty disc brakes. " Cost is $279.00 With a kit like this you can get salvage disks, calipers, and pads. Then exchange the calipers/pads for reman NAPA units or equivalent. The alternative from the same supplier is: "1960-70 CHEVY/GMC/C10/C20, 2.5" DROP SPINDLE SET #16683 These hot items lower the front of your vehicle without affecting ride quality or suspension geometry and bolt directly to the original ball joints. Requires disc brake application. Please specify year and model. Use OEM ball joints. All spindles require heavy duty 1/2 ton rotors. " Cost is $228.00. You might still use salvage rotors and caliper/pads, as above.
