Vintage Truck Suspension Upgrades: Get the Best of Both Worlds

12/12/2023

Vintage Truck Suspension Upgrades: Get the Best of Both Worlds

12/12/2023

Photo by Jelly Bean via Unsplash.com

We all love vintage trucks. But not everyone is so enamored with the way they drive. Sure, there are some people who enjoy jumping into their stock old hauler and taking a nostalgic trip back to the old days, when cars floated over the road and trucks drove like, well … trucks.

But for those among us who’d like their pickup to drive a little nicer, there's fortunately an almost infinite range of options for improving the road manners of classic trucks. Many truck owners nowadays upgrade their chassis with complete pro-touring suspension setups. These top-to-bottom suspension systems typically replace all the original suspension components with totally re-engineered parts designed for fierce, athletic handling that rivals that of brand-new performance cars.

That said, there are still plenty of truck owners who don't need or want that kind of extreme performance. Maybe you just want your old rig to handle a little sharper and feel more pleasant as you tool down the road. With that in mind, we’ve put together some options for simple-to-install chassis upgrades that can make substantial improvements in how your vintage truck drives, without requiring a lot of time, money, or specialized mechanical skills.

These are ideal upgrades for folks who want their vintage trucks to still drive like trucks, but with some of the rough edges smoothed up.

Brothers Trucks Sway Bars

Upgraded sway bars will greatly reduce body roll to provide better handling and improved all-around driving feel for your classic truck. These kits come complete with frame mounting brackets (lowered or stock height), urethane bushings, hardware, and installation instructions. Improves handling without affecting ride quality Significantly reduces body roll in turns Easy installation Includes brackets Detailed installation instructions to guide you Works on stock-height or lowered vehicles Compatible with air ride suspension systems Available for a wide range of truck years and models

Brothers Trucks Quick Ratio Steering Box

This quick-ratio power steering box will enhance the steering feel in your truck, reducing full steering wheel travel to approximately 3 to 3.5 turns compared to the stock 4 turns. These steering boxes are rebuilt to precise specifications and tolerances, and they’re designed to work perfectly with power steering conversions. Simple bolt-in installation OE design ensures absolute compatibility with original steering Reduces steering wheel travel from stock 4 turns to approximately 3 to 3.5 turns Gearboxes are completely reconditioned for like-new performance Surfaces are cleaned and refinished for like-new look All seals and O-rings are replaced with OE equivalent parts Each unit is tested to insure OE performance Better than stock but simpler than rack-and-pinion

Brothers Trucks Power Steering Conversion Kit

Brothers Trucks Lowered Coil Springs

Heavy duty performance lowering springs are a great way to lower your truck. These springs improve handling and performance. Front springs are offered in 1-, 2-, or 3-inch drop by themselves, and when used with Brothers lowering spindles you can achieve a 4- or 5-inch drop. Lowered shocks are recommended with all lowering coils. Easy installation Available for a wide range of years and model trucks Improved ride and handling Lower-than-stock ride height Great for use with rear C-notch frame kit Available in 1-, 2-, or 3-inch drop Ideal for use with lowering spindles Get up to 4- or 5-inch drop when used with lowering spindles

Brothers Trucks Deluxe Disc Brake Conversion Kit

Upgrade the stopping power of your classic truck with the Brothers Deluxe Disc Brake Conversion Kit. It gives you the strong stopping ability of modern brakes in an easy to install kit that’s not only a disc conversion but also a front-end rebuild and upgrade as well. NOTE: this kit doesn’t work with stock rims. Complete kit includes ... Stock height or 2-1/2” drop spindles Upper and lower ball joints Inner and outer tie rods Calipers Pads 5 lug rotors (5x5 bolt pattern) Wheel bearings Hoses