Classic Performance Products Trailing Arm Conversion Kit - Leaves Are For Trees

The emergency brake cables need to be disconnected, and the tabs riveted to the bottom of each framerail need to be removed and swapped side for side.

CPP'S beefy new CNC-bent trailing arm crossmember goes in just forward of the rear cab-mount crossmember. The CPP crossmember went in easier when we started with the passenger side, which also meant the catalytic converter had to be removed. Because of variations in automotive frames from every manufacturer, a rubber mallet may help get the new crossmember in position.

While the CPP crossmember locates off of stock holes in the frame, a few more need to be drilled to give the crossmember enough mounting points to make it structural.

Once the trailing arm crossmember is bolted in place, everything needs to be checked to ensure the crossmember is square in the frame. Before dismantling the suspension, measure and write down the wheelbase and ride height.

Everything checked out, so Jeff got started pulling the rearend, shocks, and leaf springs.

CPP made this robust piece out of quarter-inch steel for the kit that combines the upper coil spring mount, C-notch, frame reinforcement, and Panhard/Trac Bar mount.

The piece locates off the holes that once held the stock bumpstops, but the C-notch needs to be cut out before the piece will fit in place. Jeff uses the new piece as a template for the C-notch.

Once removed, the holes from the bumpstop should still be on either side of the C-notch. Also, while there are C-notch kits out there with a bigger notch, the CPP-designed one in this kit stops the highest point of the stock rearend just before it would hit the bottom of the bed floor.

With the piece securely clamped in place every which way, the old bumpstop holes were drilled out to 7/16-inch to accommodate the fine-thread Grade 8 hardware CPP provides.