The truck recently received a large number of modifications which were a huge step toward making the truck how I want it to be ultimately. Soon after I obtained the truck I pulled the wheezing little 307 motor in favor of a fresh 400 small block. The trans got a shift kit and I added power brakes, power steering and factory gauges for better drivability.
My plan was always to lower the truck, add disc brakes for meaningful stopping power and to add a positraction rear axle. While the Chevelle was in the shop I tore into the truck and did all this work. The disc brake modification was supposed to be a direct bolt in but I had to modify most of the brake lines to accept the disc brake hardware, master cylinder and the new flex hose line for the '71 posi rear axle.
All new brake parts, steering parts and a completely rebuilt rear axle were installed during this process. The thing drives very well and does not feel nose heavy even with the nature of it being a pickup and also having a strong forward rake. The lowness of the front end is quite striking.
I had the axle rebuilt and had 3.73:1 gears installed for better towing ability. This altered my speedometer readings so I had to change the speedo gear too. While I had the thing apart to install the disc brakes and new rear axle I added the lowering kit, large anti-sway bars front and rear and I added new custom wheels to match the new 5-bolt lug pattern. Since I wanted to continue to use the truck as a truck, I opted for slightly heavier rear springs which give it a bit of a forward rake. I really like the new stance of the truck. The basic springs in the lowering kit would have kept the truck level, but would leave me with almost no rear suspension travel and very little hauling capacity.
The front hub caps are missing since when the photos were taken I had not yet received the spacers I needed to make them clear the large front hubs. They are on the truck now.
Summer 2000 update: Even with the stiffer rear springs the load carrying capacity is greatly diminished. To avoid installing the original springs or new springs which would be equally stiff and thus raise the rear too much, I chose to install a set of original equipment half-leaf helper springs. These springs could be installed as an option to add load capacity. A bracket bolts to the frame just ahead of the rear bumper and a very stout half leaf spring is mounted. A bracket is installed at the rear suspension to axle u-bolts and this bracket contacts the free end of the spring when the rear suspension is sufficiently compressed. The very nice thing about this arrangement is that the helper springs can be removed with a single large bolt in each so they can be removed for cruising or light hauling (smoother ride) or quickly reinstalled for heavy hauling or towing.
Here's how they look installed:
Summer 2003 update: A few years after adding the lowering kit (modified front lower control arms and lowering springs) I found the front end suspension and steering geometry was not great and it tended to bottom out when riding over large dips in the road. The front springs were simply too soft given the amount of lowering which had been accomplished. I removed the modified front lower control arms and reinstalled a set of rebuilt stock arms. By using the lowering springs I already had, the low ride height was maintained, it perhaps came back up an inch or so, but the ride and handling were vastly improved.
Here's how it looks now (about the same, just slightly higher in the front):
