Making A Canyon Carving C10: Big Brake Kit & Suspension Upgrades

Part II: Tubular Trailing Arms, Coilover Shocks, and Big Brakes For a 1968 C10

By Ryan Manson – Photography by Mike Chase

When Pete and Leslie Richmond sat down with the Cotati Speed Shop crew to determine how to get their 1968 C10 to sit right, look good, handle well, and stop even better, the one thing they knew was that they were going with a company that offered a “full system.” They knew that mixing and matching components had the risk of incompatibility. It was also decided that they wanted a system that would allow for full adjustability when it came to the stance as well as the handling of the truck. Stock coil springs and non-adjustable tube shocks wouldn’t cut it nor would the stock trailing arm setup out back.

01 QA1 coilover conversion for the rear of this C10 from Speedway Motors — Here’s the QA1 rear coilover conversion kit with tubular truck arms from Speedway Motors (PN 721R210200). The tubular truck arms are front and center, flanked by the 200-pound double-adjustable coilover shocks, sway bar, mounting brackets, and hardware. The fully plated and powder coated kit makes it ready to bolt in.

Last month, we followed along with the Cotati Speed Shop crew as they installed a QA1 front suspension kit from Speedway Motors on the Richmond C10, so it should come as no surprise that when it came to addressing the rear suspension, the guys went with more of the same.

QA1’s Tubular Truck Arm Kit is the perfect complement to their front tubular control arms & coilover shock setup. With 200-pound double-adjustable coilover shocks, fully adjustable tubular trailing arms, adjustable sway bar, and extended Panhard bar, the limits are endless when it comes to setting up the suspension exactly as desired. The upper coilover shock mounts on the bolt-in C-notch bracket, relocates the shocks to the outside of the frame, closer to the wheel, providing more cornering stability and increased real estate for a rear-mounted fuel tank. Tubular truck arms built from seven-gauge DOM steel replace the stamped factory trailing arms with integrated pinion angle adjustment, eliminating the need for angled shims. The adjustable truck arms also allow for wheelbase adjustments to get that rear wheel perfectly centered in the wheel well, a common problem with lowered trucks. A full-length, adjustable Panhard bar with multiple mounting locations keeps the rear end centered while also correcting roll center geometry on a lowered truck.

02 Cotati Speed Shop got a QA1 C-notch and shock brackets — The Cotati Speed Shop crew got a jump start on the chassis by installing the QA1 C-notch and shock brackets as well as a custom crossmember built by Quarter Tilt Metal Company. Though the QA1 suspension kit is designed to be a fully bolt-in affair, it can be welded in place as well, if so desired.

Installation of the QA1 suspension kits begins with the removal of a number of crossmembers, as well as a handful of stock brackets. Thankfully, the Cotati Speed Shop crew did the dirty work before we arrived, going so far as sending the chassis out for blasting and powder coating after they installed the new QA1 C-notch and shock brackets. We showed up just in time to catch the guys as they started bolting in all the new componentry. CTP