How to get that sweeeeet sexy Seventies jacked up truck rear end look

[laotsu]

I guess the title says it all. On my '71 521 I have 14x5.5 front rims with 195/60's and 15x10 rear rims with 295/50's. would adding a leaf or air springs give me more rise in the rear and would messing witht the front torsion bars help get the JackedAss look? Would traction bars do any thing to raise the rear? I'm thinking Gabriel Hijackers to match my vintage stickers.

[datsunfreak]

Would traction bars do any thing to raise the rear?

 

No, but "spring helpers" would raise it a bit?

 

You can get this style at Pep Boys for $40-50 a pair. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hellwig-550-Medium-Load-Helper-Spring-Add-A-Leaf-/130601642541?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e6876ea2d&vxp=mtr

[RedBanner]

I ran those... You can also

Get new leaf springs

You can flip the leaf mounts to the top of the axle.

Or you can make shackles for the rear.

It's possible to get a couple inches each way.

[wayno]

The easy way is air shocks, the other way would be to use a early 4X4 rearend that mounts on the bottom of the leaf, and put your gears in it, that will also move the rear wheels out a little like this look, steriods hotrod.

He also played with the front torsion bars in this truck I beleave.

He calls this one "Choptana", here is a link.

http://community.rat...-fontana-truck/

I don't think he used a 4X4 rearend in this truck, he just lowered the front from the looks of it, and he also has the ladder bars/traction bars on it.

[datsunfreak]

In those pics, it looks like his leafs are still under the axle?

 

edit: Never mind, read your post wrong. :rofl:

 

 

I would agree that lowering the front a lot and putting air shocks out back seems like the simplest, most cost-effective approach. :thumbup:

[laotsu]

yeppers that's the look I'm going for. Just realized that Hijackers don't have the stud on one side, any ideas on how to put em on a 521. I wanna use Hijackers 'cause I'm vain and wnat to use the stickers and not get picked on for advertising equipment I don't run.

[datsunfreak]

yeppers that's the look I'm going for. Just realized that Hijackers don't have the stud on one side, any ideas on how to put em on a 521.

 

Make a clevis. Cut a C-shaped piece of steel that is the width of the Hijacker shock bushings, weld a bolt into it for the stud mount. :thumbup:

 

Made exactly this to use shocks on my 1200 that had round eyes at both ends.

[datsunfreak]

And, apparently there are companies that make them too! :rofl:

 

 

 

http://store.jksmfg.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SHOCKADAPT&Store_Code=JKS01&Category_Code=Shock

[laotsu]

Gee Freak you are one nice guy doing all that googling for me! :blush:

 

Seriously though thankee fer tha patience and helpful advice.

[datsunfreak]

No worries. Hope that works. :thumbup:

 

It's funny I spent two hours making/inventing something I could've just bought. Only cost $5 to make though, not $60. B)

[datsunaholic]

I know this isn't a great shot, but if you see the light blue truck, this is what simply dropping the torsions to the bump stops looks like from the rear:

 

 

 

You can see it has the stinkbug stance. No rear changes at all. It also had 60-series tires in front and 70s in the rear, but they were just 14" steel sawblade wheels. Nothing fancy, the truck was a total rustbucket and lived less than a year after that shot was taken.

 

 

Found a better shot:

 

[laotsu]

 

 

 

 

izzat a MaDeuce in the driveway?! :w00t:

[datsunaholic]

Yep. Gotta have some "small" toys.

[oldskoolvws]

5 tons of good loving right there. I want a new Osh Kosh MTVR. Those things yummy.

[Dguy210]

izzat a MaDeuce in the driveway?! :w00t:

As a kid I wanted one of those so bad as a daily driver when I grew up.  Hell, I still want one.

[JoeCool]

That black truck looks bad ass! All it needs is a big V8 under the hood.

[Steroid]

I just noticed this thread. Remember I built My first truck in 1974/75 and every truck back then had the "stinkbug" look. NOTHING was done, just lower the front. Choptana is all stock in the rear suspension. Yes, some guys ran air shocks but in My opinion, that opens the distance between the top of the rear tire and the bedside too much. I like a very small gap there. Choptana is the lowest truck I have ever owned. I have cut off/removed all front bumpstops and cranked the front torsionbars down so low that I removed the top "security" nut, drilling through the bottom nut and torsionbar adjuster and placing a cotter pin through for security. One problem, which is very noticable, is the camber/caster of the front tire. I have to keep it that way though or the top of the tire will hit the fender. Yes, in time I will wear out the front tires but that is the cost for the look I want. Remember, We were trying to copy the NHRA top fuel funny car look back then, that is why We did it. To look like them, which naturally, was a fad that passed. EVERYTHING had the stinkbug look, even vans!!! Good times!! 

[cruznude]

Yea,even in our older days we re-live the good old days of the 70's.  Thanks Steroid for showing the Choptana truck and remanissing those good ol' days with us.  Some of us like myself are not wanting to let go.  Everyone thinks the 80's rocked, well, the 70's kicked ass!!!!! 

[Steroid]

Yes it did ! !  My 3 Fontana styled trucks give You a little glimpse into that time period:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[laotsu]

Yes it did!!

 

THIS is exactly what I want to do to my truck! I have the rims and tires, do I just need to adjust the front or do yous guys thank this'un gott'un air shocks onnit?

 

And what a picture, it's like VanStock or Gathering of the Dirtbags! Steroid did you take this pic?

[Steroid]

That truck was Greg Slay's 521 taken by another old friend (who just happened to attend Our SWDP Bar-B-Que last year) John Jocher. That photo was taken in 1976 at a run in the Hemet California area. Yes, Greg did have air shocks on that truck at the time. Notice that He took the time to fill in the bedside areas after the tiedown hooks were shaved. This is pretty hard to to on a 521 and few guys ever did it. If done properly, like Greg's truck was, the bedsides look like they came from the factory without tiedown hooks. Greg also smoothed out the tailgate letters. This photo has aged and the truck was an extremely bright orange. At this time Greg was running the exhaust system that came off of Ziggy's Stardust. Dave Bednarczyk had purchased them from Duanne Clemments and then went with a triditional SCDP exhaust system like You see on My green truck and also Smokin' Joe. An angeled "bell" tip was placed to dump just behind the driver's side rear fender flare. That was the SCDP way and it had to be 2 1/4" diameter. Greg purchased the exhaust system then from Dave. I copied this exhaust system on Choptana but updated it some by using Harley fishtales instead of the VW chromed megaphone tips that Duanne used. This explains why Greg was running air shocks, to get the rear end higher to show off the exhaust. It must have worked pretty well............ He got pulled over and was cited and thus was the end of the Ziggy's Stardust exhaust system ! ! !

[cimarronlibre75]

• WHOA :thumbup: