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OK the deal is this, I am fairly new to all of this. I have a 65 GMC and I want to do the suspension up right. It is a very low truck and I like that but I want to improve my ride. right now it has chopped springs in the front and a c-notched frame in the rear. I have been told so many different ways to do this but I dont want to buy anything yet until I know the best way to go. Also I need to do it for a reasonable price.

The chopped springs are giving you the bad ride, buy some lowered springs from Early Classic or Classic Performance products, or go to airbags if you have the cash. New lowered springs run a little over $100 a pair, airbag setup is $1-2grand easy. Brian

i used dropped spindles and got disc brakes as a bonus.

dropped spindles is the way to go. RJ

I'm guessing this is a 1/2 ton. You can get 2.5" drop spindles from Classic Performance CPP for $240 that accept original ball joints and tie rods. You'll have to use a disc brake setup using 71-87 calipers, rotors and bearings. If you don't already know, using drop spindles allows you to go lower while keeping original spring travel. If you want to go lower, you can add 1, 2 or 3" drop coils for $95.
Rear drop coils are also $95 and CPP also has lowering blocks for trailing arms.
AirRide makes a bolt-on rear bag kit for these trucks. I bought a kit from CPP for my '65 C20. Haven't installed yet as I'm still working on the front but, it looks really simple to install. For me, the thing I like about the bags is I should still be able to carry a decent size load in the bed by just airing 'em up a bit to compensate.
-David

Thanks for all of the help guys, just one question. Mugsy said that I will have to use disc brakes, I dont understand, but I guess I will find out soon enough. Also since I only have leaf springs in the rear will I have to switch to a 4 link to use airbags properly or can I do it with the same setup just adding the bags?

Dave

Yeah, unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your view), the drop spindles available require you to install disc brakes. You can't use your drum setup.
As for the rear, that throws a kink in things. I don't think I've ever seen a '65 with only leaf springs. Auxiliary leafs yeah but, not straight up leaf springs. Are they on top or below the axle? How's the rear lowered right now?
Options for leafs would be having a set made from Eaton springs Eaton to get you a little lower and better ride quality. If it's not low enough, you could add a 1 or 2" lowering block.
AirRide also makes a setup for leaf spring vehicles called AirOverLeaf. Air Ride
-David

Mid sixties GMC'S came with leaf springs. Chevy came with coil springs and could be ordered with leaf.

Yeah it is definitaly just leaf springs, with shocks of course and they are under the rear end. I honestly have no idea how they lowered the rear because it all looks stock and fairly untouched but it is even with the front which as I said is almost completely on the ground. Honestly though I dont think my rough ride is coming from the rear, I think it is all in the front. So for a semi cheap way to do the rear I was thinking posi with traction bars and air shocks, however even with that I will still have to look into improving the handling in the future.

Hey Mugsy,
What all will I have to change to go with disc in the front, and can I really just swap with 71-87 disc brake parts, call me naive but I was looking at conversion kits which cost more then I bought the truck for. So far I think I need Calipers, rotors, bearings, regulator and booster. but will I need adapter brackets and have to change my master and run more lines? Sorry about all the questions but as I said I am fairly new to all of this.

If the rear's already plenty low and looks stock, my guess is the leaf springs were reworked at a spring shop or something to get it lower. How are the shocks mounted? Are they mounted in such a way that they'll be effective? It's my understanding that (at least with coil spring Chevy's), if lowering the rear, it's necessary to relocate the shock mount to regain travel. I don't have firsthand experience but, am getting ready to find out when I install my bags. You may be right in that a good set of shocks (effectively mounted) would get you where you need to be for the rear. How 'bout a panhard bar, adjustable trac bar?
If you go with drop spindles, you're not really swapping for later model parts, it's just what the spindles are made to accept. As far as the conversion goes, don't know much about it as I haven't been and am currently not interested in disc. Besides the parts already mentioned, I think a dual master cylinder is in order. Sorry I'm not much help on the conversion. I'm sure if you researched disc conversions on this site, you'd probably find all the info needed. There's probably also plenty of info on the net. Just do some creative Googling.
-David

I'm guessing its been lowered w/a blue flame adjuster, real popular around here. I saw a kid in a Ranger doing aboput 45 in the freeway, had the truck sitting down square on the bumpstops, bouncin like a ping-pong ball. He gave me a thumbs up as I passed by in my primered 64. Saw a 69 once w/heated coils that actually had a droop in one coil where it actually melted. Brian

Yikes that sounds like a mess, thanks again for all the help guys.

I lowered my 2000 Chevy Silverado in the rear with a "leveling kit"... this consisted of new shackles in the rear... the leveling kit drops the rear 2 inches...leaves the front alone..
The shakles bolted into the stock frame holes and look completely stock to the eye... this is another explanation on your drop... the shakles I used had holes in them to go 2 or 3 inches...
some of the 67 to 72 trucks look pretty low with
STOCK suspension.. no joke..a 3 inch from that factory height would put it down there pretty far
.....On a good note... the lowering of my rear suspension with the shakles IMPROVED my ride quality by allowing the factory springs to carry
more of the trucks weight....trucks are sprung to be able to carry weight when loaded... the 2 inch shackle drop did this to a degree and therefore
gave a more loaded and less kidney jarring ride..
... I'd give rough estimate of ride quality improvement as 10 to 20 percent...car like really
.. shakles are CHEAP! 50 to 60 bucks... anyone who torches springs freehand is a moron..
If you want a GREAT set up... Eibach makes a kit that will drop you 1 in the front and 3(shackle) in the rear... handling with swaybars will be awesome for a truck...and there will be sport engineering in your drop vs just for looks..
If you want sheer comfort ride then listen to the guys here on the drop spindles... you'll still get the benefit of lowered center of gravity for improved handling without the harshness... spindles are a really good way to go..so is leveling... so is Eibach... good luck!!

Thanks for the help bud, I have really been considering the drop spindle approach but I am unsure if this is going to be the best way to go considering that I will have to change to disc brakes in the front and with that goes a whole lot of other work, there is definitaly a lot of benifit to going with disc brakes but as much as I like to dream I still have a budget to consider. I think I may go with a full air bag kit with a 4 link. The benefit to this is that I will be able to cruise into the show completely on the ground and lift it to get over the speed bumps.