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1973 C10 "The Purple Truck"

Basic build
Overview Gallery Discussion
Truckman4life said:
They don't show a C10 one though. I wonder how different they are from C20 lower arms.
https://www.ecklerstrucks.com/1971-...nd-ball-joint-assembly-front-right-lower.html
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The C20/30 have a piece that threads into the arm instead of pressing in. I hadn't really thought about whether the shape of them is the same. From what I remember of removing all the IFS stuff off the crew cab, they install the same way. Now I'm curious if a C20/30 arm could be used in place of a C10 arm. First thing would be to check if the ball joints are the same.
 
I swapped the 3/4 ton arms onto a c-10. I was changing everything though, using the 8 lug hubs and spindles. Its all the same at the frame but you are correct that things are different out at the ball joints and spindles. The ball joints wont swap, different size at the taper.
 
mrk5 said:
The C20/30 have a piece that threads into the arm instead of pressing in. I hadn't really thought about whether the shape of them is the same. From what I remember of removing all the IFS stuff off the crew cab, they install the same way. Now I'm curious if a C20/30 arm could be used in place of a C10 arm. First thing would be to check if the ball joints are the same.
Click to expand...
Yeah the ball joints are smaller on the c10.
 
I won the first half of the battle and got the bushings out.

20191007_135002.jpg

Cut the shaft. Surprisingly didn't use more than half a wheel. Would have been even better if I could cut straight.

20191007_140305.jpg
Some flat stock and 3" exhaust pipe and 20 ton press.

20191007_134448.jpg
And all the pieces. Note the shiney bolt; need that to keep the inside from trying to collapse in. I used a 1" long 1/2" bolt with a nut; the nut can be turned to make it a tight fit.
 
I've seen some videos and TV shows on guys boxing in the stamped steel control arms like that to stiffen them up. Not sure if it makes any difference on a plain old normal use truck or just one that you plan on doing some rally cross with.
 
Not worth it for what he is using the truck for.

Let me ask you this. How many times do you have to drag the bottom of the coil base on the road surface to wear them through? And have the coil push through?
 
If I'm dragging the cavity for the coil, I've got lots of other problems. Haha

@Truckman4life you reminded me, I actually did something similar to what you mention with the lower arm on the 71 'cuda we had. That lower arm was flimsy compared to this one tho. It wasn't an "A" arm, but more like a box with an open bottom and flange. Maybe more like an upside down "U". Of course that car used a torsion bar front suspension so it didn't need a coil bucket.
 
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A custom 4" deop spindle and 34 dry water crossing in a road doing 80mph. Kept seeing sparks in the bottom and after coming out of the dips. thought it was the cross member. Was that also, but the coil blew out 3 days later.
 
Good grief, this has been a fiasco!

Once I realized I was going to have to replace the lower control arm shafts I started searching around for new ones. The 3 franchises list one from "Rare Parts" for about $180 and they're out of stock. Napa has one for about $100. Nothing on Summit or RockAuto. Eventually I stumble across a TRW shaft kit on eBay. Once I have the part number I find them on Amazon for $75 after tax with free 2-day Prime shipping. Sweet order 2 from Amazon and I'll have them by Wednesday.

RareParts.png

Amaz-TRW.png

I notice Wednesday morning I have a refund notice for 1 shaft that was damaged in shipping (USPS). At first the other one also shows as damaged in shipping but then later in the day it's reported as being delayed but still coming. So now I'm worried if my Amazon order will come at all.

I called Napa thinking I would just order 2 from them and return the 1 from Amazon if it ever shows up. Well, Napa has 1 in Colorado. The second shaft would have to come from a couple states away. So I figure I'm guaranteed to have 1 shaft from Napa. I decide to play it safe and order a second one from Amazon so that'll it arrive before the weekend. A second one from Napa wouldn't make it before the weekend and it's considerably more expensive and they would charge me shipping.

Napa-shaft.jpg

Thursday morning I figure I'm good because I have one shaft in hand and 2 more coming from Amazon - surely at least 1 will make it. Well come Thursday evening I see another Amazon refund and I think "oh they are finally refunding the one from the original order that kept showing as delayed." NOPE! They just refunded me for the one I ordered Wednesday again saying it was damaged in shipping.

So it's Friday morning and I have 1 shaft on hand. Now I know I'm stuck with the truck sitting disassembled in the shop for another week. I start looking again for sources. I can still get a TRW shaft on eBay and have it by Thursday next week. However I'm a little concerned because they would also ship USPS and I already have 2 - probably 3 - instances of USPS not being able to deliver them without damage.

I find that LMC sells the shaft kit for $50. I'm not as much of an LMC hater as some are, but I also get suspicious when something costs so much less that all the others I've found. I decide that what really concerns me about a cheap lower control arm shaft is cheap bushings. I have a set of Moog bushings I was going to return since the new shafts come with them so I'll just go ahead and use them after all. I figure given the size of the control arm shaft and what I'm using it for, the odds of the shaft itself failing are pretty low.

LMC-shaft.jpg

Crazy thing is 3/4 ton lower control arm stuff is far more widely available. Same goes with upper control arm stuff too. I figure people just don't usually replace the lower control arm bushings on the C10's based on the searching I've done for how to do it. Plus the shaft isn't going to fail or wear, so really the only problem is probably like mine when they get seized to the inner bushing sleeve.

Hopefully this will be done next week! Makes me think I should have just done tubular control arms. :haha: :doah:
 
mrk5 said:
Good grief, this has been a fiasco!

Once I realized I was going to have to replace the lower control arm shafts I started searching around for new ones. The 3 franchises list one from "Rare Parts" for about $180 and they're out of stock. Napa has one for about $100. Nothing on Summit or RockAuto. Eventually I stumble across a TRW shaft kit on eBay. Once I have the part number I find them on Amazon for $75 after tax with free 2-day Prime shipping. Sweet order 2 from Amazon and I'll have them by Wednesday.

View attachment 317127

View attachment 317128

I notice Wednesday morning I have a refund notice for 1 shaft that was damaged in shipping (USPS). At first the other one also shows as damaged in shipping but then later in the day it's reported as being delayed but still coming. So now I'm worried if my Amazon order will come at all.

I called Napa thinking I would just order 2 from them and return the 1 from Amazon if it ever shows up. Well, Napa has 1 in Colorado. The second shaft would have to come from a couple states away. So I figure I'm guaranteed to have 1 shaft from Napa. I decide to play it safe and order a second one from Amazon so that'll it arrive before the weekend. A second one from Napa wouldn't make it before the weekend and it's considerably more expensive and they would charge me shipping.

View attachment 317126

Thursday morning I figure I'm good because I have one shaft in hand and 2 more coming from Amazon - surely at least 1 will make it. Well come Thursday evening I see another Amazon refund and I think "oh they are finally refunding the one from the original order that kept showing as delayed." NOPE! They just refunded me for the one I ordered Wednesday again saying it was damaged in shipping.

So it's Friday morning and I have 1 shaft on hand. Now I know I'm stuck with the truck sitting disassembled in the shop for another week. I start looking again for sources. I can still get a TRW shaft on eBay and have it by Thursday next week. However I'm a little concerned because they would also ship USPS and I already have 2 - probably 3 - instances of USPS not being able to deliver them without damage.

I find that LMC sells the shaft kit for $50. I'm not as much of an LMC hater as some are, but I also get suspicious when something costs so much less that all the others I've found. I decide that what really concerns me about a cheap lower control arm shaft is cheap bushings. I have a set of Moog bushings I was going to return since the new shafts come with them so I'll just go ahead and use them after all. I figure given the size of the control arm shaft and what I'm using it for, the odds of the shaft itself failing are pretty low.

View attachment 317125

Crazy thing is 3/4 ton lower control arm stuff is far more widely available. Same goes with upper control arm stuff too. I figure people just don't usually replace the lower control arm bushings on the C10's based on the searching I've done for how to do it. Plus the shaft isn't going to fail or wear, so really the only problem is probably like mine when they get seized to the inner bushing sleeve.

Hopefully this will be done next week! Makes me think I should have just done tubular control arms. :haha: :doah:
Click to expand...
With Amazon there's no damage in shipping, that's what they do when they say they shipped before they realize they are out of stock.
Happened to me a couple of times eventually it shows as out of stock
 
As of now I've been refunded for (2), but one of the shafts in the first order is still showing as delayed in shipping.
 
Finally have 2 lower control arm shafts. Received the one from LMC. Here's the manufacturer info for what it's worth. It came from "be quiet" auto parts. :whistle:

2019-10-15 11.34.11.jpg

The shaft I got from Napa also said "made in Taiwan" but it was in a box and not a plastic bag.

I made my own bushing install tool from some scrap 3/8" plate, 3" exhaust pipe, and 8" long 1/2"-13 grade 8 bolts.

2019-10-15 09.28.14.jpg

2019-10-15 09.28.24.jpg

I wasn't quite getting the bushing pressed all the way in. I replaced the little spreader bolts with a piece of .080" aluminum to make sure I wasn't squeezing the sides together. Then I tightened up the bolts as tight as I reasonably could and gave the area around the bushings a few good whacks with a 1 lbs hammer and that seemed to do the trick.

So these are all the tools I used.

2019-10-15 11.28.33.jpg

I'm trying to decide if I want to make my own ball joint install tool. Should be simpler than the bushing tool since it doesn't need to notch around a shaft. Or they can also be rented at the local parts store I believe.
 
Oh, and for what it might be worth; I have had the bushings in the freezer since I started this whole fiasco so that should help a little. The lower ball joints are sitting in the freezer too.
 
mrk5 said:
Or they can also be rented at the local parts store I believe.
Click to expand...

That's what I've done, it's pretty much free and you rarely use it. I use the press for most of that stuff.
 
I thought a lot about just buying one but I'm not sure I'll ever need one again, but maybe 1 more time.

It ended up taking 3 stops to find a tool to rent. I called the closest, an Auto Zone, and he said they had them but obviously didn't verify there was one on the shelf. Figured I would stop at another Auto Zone that was on the way to where I needed to pick up my son. None there either and he verified the other store in town didn't have one. Called the closest O'Reilly's and they had 3 on the shelf. :doah:
 
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