1ST GEN Chevy 63s conversation

EDITING FOR NEW INFO (Bold is the new info)

So, I'm looking at options for the rear leafs on my 1st gen. Definate changes will happen this winter. But I want to start collecting the parts, to have on hand when the snow starts falling and trails start closing. Lead times now days can be stupid, so I'm trying to get a jump on this. EDIT *** Changes were made, went with Alcan. Now more changes are needed. So, it looks like Chevy 63s are up next.

Considerations are:
Chevy 63s
Alcan Custom: Tried it... they're nice... they'll be for sale shortly.
Deaver Custom: Not worth trying to contact IMO

I run with too much weight for the AllPro Expos that are on there now. I run too much weight for Alcans too LOL

I completely understand the fabrication involved with 63s. I have already boxed and reinforced the frame, as well as relocating the rear shocks and upgrading to Fox 10 inch resi in the back.

My main concern with 63s (I actually already have a good set I could use) is the departure angle. 63s are pretty permanent, and a bit of work. I would hate to do them and then constantly be cussing them because I catch the shackles on rocks coming off a shelf. At this point, I'm not really worried about this. The leafs should basically slide off the obstacle, if by chance I get that western.

Along with the rear shock relocation, I have high clearanced my rear fenders behind the wheel wells, and bumper. So my shackles would be by far the lowest point behind the rear wheels. See above

I don't do the go fast desert stuff. I'm more happy in the rocks going slow. Plan is to look at doing Rubi, Slickrock, Deer Valley trails next year. I did do Slick Rock, Deer Valley, Dusy, Niagara Rim, and other last year. The Alcans did ok. But I need to move up.

Does anyone have experience with 1ST GEN 63s... that maybe has some input? How much problem does it cause? Does it cause problems?

Inevitably someone is going to post a link to the same 63 thread, for a 2nd Gen, that comes up every time someone asks about 1st gen... it's pretty much useless, just so you know ahead of time. This is still true.


The truck is now Solo Motorsports Long Travel in front. I'm currently building a custom 9.5 inch (Land Cruiser 3rd member) full float rear axle. The axle is going to go from stock ~60 inch WMS/WMS to 66 inch WMS/WMS. The added 3 inches per side should give me room to outboard the shocks. Which will allow me to go to a much longer shock without cutting in to the bed.

Hopefully I can add info here, to this thread, that is more specific to a 1st Gen Chevy 63 swap.

 

FTFY.

 

Not going that far... and I don't think it would help with the problem I'm tryin to solve, lol

Geometry wasn't my favorite subject either lol

 

After checking out @jberry813 's 2nd gen build and discussing things similar to this to Solo Motorsports I'd steer away from the 63's and look into a custom pack. It seems like you're working on a budget that can work at that price point and probably expect decent handling after going through all the effort of custom leaf mounts.

 

There's online calcs for the geometry. You said "winter" project. Those other 3 are a 1 day or less project. Coils will give you the exact weight carrying capacity you want. Plus, the articulation will not get any better then with a linked truck.

But if you want to stick with leaf springs I personally wouldn't put the effort in 63's. Just to much work for to little gain.

 

I think I'm tending to agree with both of you here. I think I just needed more people to talk me off the ledge. lol

Especially because I'm not poking holes in the bed to fit 12 inch shocks.

I realize Coils will give me lots of articulation, but I just think leafs would be better for this tank.

I'm thinking Alcan is probably the best option... maybe I'm wrong, but I just think maybe Deaver is more geared towards the go fast crowd. (plus I've sent them 4 emails and they have never responded).

 

Deaver are old school - I mean they work out of a barn without insulation lol. Phone is best in communicating with them. I wouldn't say they're focused on the go fast crowd because they have a lot of springs for heavier rigs, but I'm in SoCal where they're half an hour from me and it's easy keeping up with them with phone calls and in-person at their shop. Where you're not as close I'd only go with whoever gives you the best service - not having good communication sucks if you're spending your hard earned money and making plans around stuff showing up on time.

 

I'd really like the idea of dealing with Deaver. I'm in CenCal, but I'm not opposed to making a trip to pick up some leaf springs. Alcan (Colorado) is a bit of a trip to pick up parts lol.

 

I stumbled across this (and the banter) in the 1st gen taco thread. Heres a little more info on a "mid" travel with deavers and 12" shackles. I downgraded from a bedcage to 12" shocks under the bed. 11.5" of actual axle travel now (perviously 14+)


https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ear-travel-without-cutting-up-the-bed.663001/

 

Not a Tacoma like you said, but probably a good comparison. I almost never hit the shackles, with running 33-40" tires, and if I did, it never effected anything nor have I ever got stuck on them. Unless you're bobbed, you're going to drag your bumper/spare tire/rear end just as much, if not more, than you would a shackle. Ran 63s for 6 years on 4 different builds

 

Bunch of good info in that thread. Hopefully it can add to the overall Chevy 63 discussion for 1st gen.

 

Nice rigs. Thanks for the input. I think maybe I'm not being accurate enough, or maybe people are misunderstanding what I'm saying when I say departure angle.

I'm not just talking about coming off a face, or a wall. I'm talking rock gardens with boulders that are not going to hit my bed, or my bumper, or spare (not tall enough) but could certainly have my leafs and lower shackles dragging them when they are 4 inches farther back and 2 inches lower. (and I do understand they could hit conventionally set up leafs too (just maybe not as bad).

Maybe that's not as much of a problem as I think it is.

I'm still on the fence about them. I think they are definately a solution for some. I'm just not sure it's the right direction for what I'm trying to accomplish.

There are also the considerations that this is not a crawler, or a buggy, I'm talking about, for my set up... it's a daily driven truck, I carry a pretty good amount of weight, and this truck is going to be used for at least one long trip pretty much every year. Long trip meaning 1500 mile + trip.

 

Yeah for the most part I've never really got hung up on the leaf/shackle, and if you do, its a smooth slide off. The 63s carry a good amount of weight, as they are coming off of trucks heavier than ours/meant to support more. All the rigs above were daily drivers, and all would max out 14" shocks. Handled great on the road, and I always ran 3.5-4" shackles.

 

And just like that... I changed my mind.


Well... $1400 (after shipping) and a 10-11 week build time from Alcan. And no contact after numerous attempts, over the past 6 months, from Deaver... I guess the decision was kind of made for me. Chevy 63s it is.

I already have a 5 pack, commercial, 1 ton set of 63s. (I think the 5 pack allows me options to mix/match and get the ride and height a bit more dialed in). Ordered the RuffStuff Ideal 63 swap kit last night.

 

Still no links... I've decided though. The next truck is getting 4 link (stay tuned)

 

Updated the first post with new info on where I'm at with this.

 

I have a 3rd on 63's, but I thought @Speedytech7 had 63's on a 1st.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/another-truck-third-times-the-charm-build.786969/#post-28158759

 

He does. I'm hoping he chimes in here. He tends to have a lot of useful info about things. I'm hoping he has dimensions I can go off of for perch placement. I did see he went with 3 leafs in his pack and wishes he had done 4. I'll probably start with 3 (even though I'm much heavier than he is) But my leafs are a 5 pack out of a 1 ton utility truck, so I think my actual leafs, themselves, are probably thicker than the ones he's running.

 

Where would you like dimensions from, I can take a measuring tape to just about anything but keep in mind we have different placements of body mounts and my original main eye hanger and shackle hangers were in different positions than yours (thank you weird 95-97 leafs). Something to keep in mind 1st gen leafs aren't equidistant from center pin to eye on either side of the pin and 63s are so you can't just blanket move the front perch forward half the difference in length between 1st gen leafs and 63s. I'm running a 3 leaf and one overload pack, minus the overload, from a 98 C/K1500 and some 2wd C2500. I'm considering adding another leaf since I have a heavy bumper and a heavier spare to put back there now, but I'm about perfectly sprung for my current 4900lbs with shocks that are currently valved to soft. If you have a 5 pack from something post 1999 it is the lighter of the heavy duty packs (there's a 7 pack too) and will probably be fine as is, else you may remove a leaf later on. The rest of my setup is pretty simple, ruff stuff hangers that are frenched in (have notes for making more clearance for those),trail gear creeper shackle hangers (i dunno how i feel on these, they're not bad but they're probably not doing much either), and some 12" Kings. The setup will cycle about 11.5 vertically and when forced into an opposite flex it can pull near 14. If I find a deal on 14s I'd go to the work to fit them but I'm not hampered by the little loss and I like keeping my ride height lower so for now the 12s are excellent.