SQUARE-BODY STEERING SOLVED

CPP MAKES AN OLD TRUCK BETTER THAN NEW

CPP Makes an Old Truck Better Than New

THIS INSTALLMENT WILL finish the host of suspension upgrades we’ve made to our square-body C-10 project. In the previous article, we brought the truck down to a respectable height and installed a new big brake setup (ST June 2017, “Dropping a Square,” pg. 108). Now, we’ll turn our attention to the 38-year-old steering system.

Since we used parts from Classic Performance Products (CPP) for our lowering kit and big brake kit, the company’s products were the obvious choice for our steering upgrade. CPP specializes in manufacturing chassis components for 1947-87 Chevy and Ford cars and trucks. The company has a wide selection of parts and had every piece we needed to completely upgrade our steering system.

Since this truck sat for such a long time untouched, we knew that just about every part of the steering would need attention. As most of you already know, common parts, like tie rod ends, are known to wear over time.

However, there are also other parts of the system that can be upgraded to enhance steering characteristics. CPP has a complete steering upgrade kit that includes every link that connects the spindle to the chassis. It also has upgraded parts such as a 500 series steering box, which bolts directly in place of the factory gear box. The upgraded box also has a quicker steering ratio then the original unit. In this final installment of the chassis and suspension upgrades for our ’79 Chevy

C-10, we will walk you through the process of installing a completely new steering system to help this old truck turn with ease.