You may recall back in the August issue I began the long road toward a finished and driveable classic pickup with the successful installation of a coilover IFS system from Total Cost Involved Engineering. Hopefully I was able to prove my point by allowing everyone to see that even an all-thumbs wannabe truck builder like me can successfully tackle a pretty major upgrade all by himself at home in a less than professional two-car garage/shop. I'm happy to report that since that issue hit the stands I've received more than a couple of reader's emails letting me know that my efforts have motivated them to give similar installs a go themselves. So, while my ego is pumped, I thought I'd share my experience installing a new suspension system to the opposite end of the '57 with the hope once again that some of you may figure that if I can do it, so can you.
As I did with the IFS, I chose my rear suspension components from TCI as well. The rear suspension is actually a lot easier and less intimidating than the front so as long as you can weld, there's no excuse for you to pay someone else to do something I'm sure you can do on your own. And though I did choose to use TCI components, the four-bar/coilover system is pretty basic, and the overall process will be nearly the same with any brand of aftermarket suspension of the same basic design. Rather than continue to blabber on and on, I'll get to the meat and potatoes. So take a look.
