Total Cost Involved’s All-New Bolt-In Four-Link for C10 Pickups

four-link

A cool stance is everything.

When it comes to updating the suspension on a C10 pickup, front suspension modifications have become commonplace. Let’s face it, bolt-on tubular control arms and upgraded shocks are an easy install. But, when it comes to upgrading the rear suspension, things can get a little more, shall we say, less “bolt-in.” That is, until now.

We just received an announcement that Total Cost Involved is releasing a true bolt-in four-link rear suspension for the venerable C10. “We have designed the four-link to be bolt-in for a variety of reasons. The main one being ease of installation,” according to Jason Wilcox of Total Cost Involved.

four-link

We’re told this kit is for any ’73 through ’87 C10, and the installation is all about drilling and bolting on components. The kit is actually designed to reuse as many factory bolt holes as possible, which make installation easy. But, how “sturdy” is this kit? “For most users, bolting the brackets to the frame and axle will be more than strong enough. For those select few that might want to cut a sub 1.6 60-foot time on sticky tires, I’d be more concerned about replacing bushings than any part of the kit being welded in or not,” Jason said.

The rear suspension has been designed so that the home enthusiast can install everything in their home garage or driveway. According to Total Cost, the kit is designed with extremely precise components, which is an important feature when said components are required to bolt-in using existing mounting points on a stock chassis.

All mounts and plates are made from 3/16-inch steel.

For starters, the fully boxed c-notches sandwich the frame using 3/16-inch thick plate. To ensure maximum travel and height drop, the c-notches were designed with the factory 12-bolt rearend in place. For those of you wanting to upgrade the rearend, complete 9-inch axle housings that are fully welded and ready to be bolted in are available. At full compression, there is ¼-inch of clearance between the top of the rearend housing and the bed floor. This maximizes the amount of achieved ride height drop and wheel travel.

four-link

Some cutting is required.

The four-link frame mounting brackets are also constructed from boxed 3/16-inch steel. Installation of the frame brackets is very simple, as the kit uses the locating holes of the factory leaf spring brackets that you remove. The actual bars are made of 1.25-inch OD, and are designed to handle the abuse dished out at the drag strip, yet they will articulate well for a comfortable street ride. By the way, Jason also said, “The link bars inhabit roughly the same space as the inside of the factory leaf. However, because the link bars are roughly one-third the width of the factory leaf spring, you gain nearly 2 inches of tire clearance.”

four-link

The bolt-on rearend-housing bracket makes the install a snap.

Finally, a unique, bolt-on axle bracket that captures the axle tubes 360 degrees locate easily onto your factory leaf pads. The ride height is fully adjustable via coilovers that can be mounted in one the three holes on the back of the axle bracket. At the lowest setting, Total Cost says the fender-to-ground clearance is 24.25 inches with 29-inch tall tires.

C10

So, rejoice C10 fans. Total Cost Involved has delivered a kit that is true, bolt-on upgrade that any home-enthusiast can install in a day. What are you waiting for, if you have been thinking about a better suspension, now’s the time.

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About the author

Randy Bolig

Randy Bolig has been working on cars and has been involved in the hobby ever since he bought his first car when he was only 14 years old. His passion for performance got him noticed by many locals, and he began helping them modify their vehicles.
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