PROJECT BLOODHOUND, PART 3
Performance-Ready Front Suspension
YOU NEED TO start with a good foundation in order to create something great. We’ve started Project Bloodhound, a ’70 C-10, with a solid base as we strive toward dodging cones on the autocross course. To achieve our goals, we made some upgrades to this old dog to turn it into a cornercarving beast.
We stripped the truck down to bare bones to build it up big time. Once we were finished, all that was left in our driveway was a cab and a long-bed frame, which we later cut down. Next, we rebuilt our Chevy 12-bolt rearend and added a posi. With the axle set, we took care of the rear suspension by ditching the allstock components for Ridetech’s Level 2 coil-over kit. We also cleaned up the frame and coated it with rust inhibitor (P/N POI-45404) and Chassis Shield paint (P/N SUM-CSUMUP501) from Summit Racing.
Once the rear was finished, we finished off the frame and tackled the front suspension. This job was a little more complicated because it addressed multiple functions like ride dampening, braking and steering. We were pretty happy with the quality of the Ridetech rear kit, so we were confident that the front kit would be equally impressive. It didn’t disappoint, as the new control arms and coil-over mounting brackets came powdercoated black.
To lower the truck even further, a set of Wilwood’s new drop ProSpindles (P/N 831-14201) were added. These spindles lowered the C-10 an additional 2.5 inches and were designed to work with Wilwood’s performance-proven brakes. We ordered the set along with Wilwood’s Aero6 front brake kit (P/N 140-15305) with 14-inch Spec-37 discs and six-piston calipers. To complement the
parts, we added a stainless steel Flexline kit and a master cylinder.
To upgrade steering functionality, we decided to ditch the traditional steering box for a modern rack-and-pinion. With so many parts readily available these days, it’s so easy to make this sort of improvement. Flaming River offered a solution here with its Power Rack & Pinion cradle steering kit. It comes complete with steering rack cradle, steering shaft, steering joints, mounting bracket, power steering pump and fluid reservoir. A set of tie rods from Rare Parts connects the rack to the spindles.
Lastly, even though we’re primarily building the truck for the track, we planned to finish it well; so, we dressed it up with a set of 20x10.5inch VN901 American Racing Wheels. Our partner on this project, Chad Carothers of Index Ink Design, added some special touches by implementing a splatter paint scheme and had the wheels powder-coated by New Year Metal Finishing. To help us keep our grip on the pavement, a set of 295/30R20 Toyo
Tires Proxes 4 Plus wraps the customized wheels. These tires were designed for highperformance applications and aren’t weight rated for typical show trucks. Because our truck is more of a pro-touring-style build with weight removed, these tires support our truck while adding more traction.
With the right prep work, the front end of our chassis was set up to handle like never before. Not only did these products help us reach our goal, we were able to add them easily in our very own driveway. Take a peek at how you can modernize your classic hauler, too.