Sometimes all we need is the slightest of nudges to try something new. That's why you'll consider eating something totally disgusting just because one of your buddies says "I dare you." Well, that same sort of thing happens with body mods: Sometimes all you need is a little push to build up enough confidence to start cutting. This story is intended to get the gears in your head turning and hopefully release what is holding you back from modifying your truck.

1. Full Skin Graft
Check out this heavily modified, '99-style Chevy truck from Ekstensive Metalworks of Houston, Texas. The truck has been made into a unibody, and then a front clip and fenderwells from an '07 Tahoe were skillfully grafted into place. Bill and the crew at Ekstensive spent many an hour grafting new body lines on this truck. If you're a beginner, you might want to start with a simpler mod. Not only are the '07 parts expensive, but you'll really get pissed when you mess up and have to buy another fender.

2. Franken-Grilles
Tom McWeeney from Kustoms Inc. took elements from two different classic trucks to modify his first-generation S-10's front end. The headlights and surrounds were lifted from a '61 GMC, and the bumper is from a '67 Chevy. The fenders were modified to match the contours of the '61 headlights and the ends of the '67 bumper. The grille is a combination of the factory GMC letters from the '61 and stainless tubing Tom picked up from a supply house.

3. Roll The Front
For a simpler yet still good-looking mod, check out the front roll pan on Brian Clark's '67 C10. You can pick up these pans from companies like Mar-K or Brothers Truck Parts. Most of these will be bolt-on applications, but like Brian you can decide to weld yours in place. One thing you will have to do is cut off about 2 inches from the front framehorns, so keep that in mind before you order one.

4. Handle Swappin'
Here is a clean mod that won't mess with functionality. John Meyer from Clean Cut Creations in St. Louis welded in a set of Malibu door handles to replace the square units that were stock in John Collett's truck. If you are confident in your welding abilities, this is a mod for you. The Malibu door has the same curvature as the S-10, so all you have to do is worry about placement and welding it in without warping the doorskin.

5. Nose Job
Nate from Neighborhood Dreamz car club totally went for it and had a 300 front clip grafted to his Dodge Dakota. Sneaky Snake Customs went the extra mile and made sure the rear fenderwells matched up with the front. We are sure getting the body line matched was a chore in itself.

6. Bed Games
Inside the bed is a great place to add some custom bodywork, like Mike Finnegan had done to his C10. The crew at Scott's Hot Rods not only raised the floor to smooth it out, they also added a little trapdoor for storage. If you've dropped your truck so low that the axle encroaches into the bed, raising it is a great option. Also, look at the wheelwells. Instead of being replaced with round aftermarket pieces, these are the factory units that have been lengthened and raised. Keeping some factory lines next to your custom ideas is a sure-fire way to be called cool.

7. Get Some Implants
Dru's '91 Silverado not only shows what a full rear skin looks like, it also proves that taillights can be a factory piece used in a custom way. You can get combo skins (tailgate and roll pan in one) for some of the more popular trucks from companies like Grant Kustoms. These require a lot of welding. The Chevy's taillights are from a Range Rover. They fit nicely, and they show that adding parts from a different make can be cool if done tastefully.

8. Shave-'N'-Weld
Here's a good example of removing a body line. Lee from No Limit Customs in the greater Vancouver area of British Columbia shaved the upper body line from his dime. There are two ways to attack this mod. You can do it the simple way by just filling the line with body filler, but that could fall off. The second and much better way is to cut sheetmetal and weld it in the line and then use filler to smooth that.

9. Lose Your Top
Here is a good mod for the beginner who really wants to set himself apart. Cutting off the roof will be the easy part, making the filler pieces to cap the ends can be done by making simple patterns from cardboard and then transferring them to metal. Welding in the caps will take awhile, but if you take your time and stitch-weld them as opposed to welding in one pass, warpage will be minimal.

10. MMM... Pancakes!
Here is the sum of these mods. Tom Pagano's '56 F-100 has them all: chopped top, sectioned sides, and a full shave job. Another cool modification is the pancaked (flattened) hood. The before shot should give you a good idea of how much work that took. Pancaking requires not only welding skills but a good knowledge of metal manipulation with hammers and dollies.

11. Grandfather It
Kevin Aguilar's '00 S-10 has all kinds of fun stuff going on out back. For that retro look, he had Jose Rodriguez at Devious Customs graft in the center of a '60 Chevy tailgate to add the classic letters. Down below is a welded-in roll pan with frenched-in Model A Ford taillights. To complete this look, the factory taillights had to be shaved by welding in fillers from Sir Michaels. The tailgate mod required a lot of work because the old 'gate was wider than the S-10, so it had to be shortened to fit.

12. Shaved Smooth
This shot of Gabe's (red) and Cory's (orange) mid-'80s trucks really shows what shaving is all about. The red truck has been fully shaved right down to the Bow Tie in the grille; the orange truck still has everything. The trim, emblems, mirrors, and the driprails on these trucks are pretty easy to shave, only requiring you to fill-weld small holes. The door handles are a little harder because the hole will require a patch panel.

Adding a cutout-style billet grille to your truck is one of the most basic and common ways to clean up its appearance. It's also a pretty simple procedure if you have done one before, but it can be a little difficult for first-timers. It's one of those mods where you have only one shot to get it done right. It is in your best interest to take your time and do each step properly, because the grille is where most people's attention is drawn to.

The install here is on my '00 S-series GM truck just before it was to be displayed at the 2007 SEMA Show. Though I previously had a billet grille in the truck, it had seen better days and needed to be changed out before the show. So read along to see how I installed this grille before my big debut.

The Final Word
With the billet grille installed, it was time to attach the whole unit to the front of my truck. This step is easy because the factory push clips make it possible to attach the grille shell to the core support in just seconds. After installing the upper grille, I attached a simple bolt-in billet grille to my Envoy bumper. Once completed, it's easy to see how both of these grilles complement the truck's front end.

What do you get when you take an '01 Dodge Dakota, yank out the old yellowed headlights, and swap in some new, modern, one-piece halo headlights? Boom! A cool late-model look on an older truck. We contacted Stylin' Trucks for a set, and after a pretty simple install we suddenly had the look of an '08 Charger on the front of our '01 Dakota.

After seven years of road debris and atmospheric fallout, the stock eyeballs on our Dakota developed a bad case of cataracts. The old headlights were so yellowed and hazed over, even a solid attempt at polishing them out did no good. Our eye doctor, Stylin' Trucks, gave us a prescription for some pretty awesome one-piece headlights to cure our disease. After a quick phone call, we were on our way over to Industrial Motoring in Anaheim, California, to have our prescription filled and get a little outpatient surgery.

The lights we installed are fairly new and feature CCFL halo technology. CCFL is short for "cold-cathode fluorescent lamp" and it basically means neon tubes surround the lights. They're pretty bright, even in the daytime, and they really update the look of our truck.

What's In The Box?
Once we opened the box, we knew we were in for something cool. The headlights have a full one-piece design with separate circular bulbs for high and low beams. Along the bottom of the front face is a row of five LEDs. These are the turn-indicator lights and are an amber color that matches the front and side marker lights. The coolest feature though is the "angel-eye" halo effect around the main headlights. The light from these is bright enough to use as daytime running lights. The headlight units are SAE and DOT certified and come fully wired for a true plug-and-play installation. In all, it only took us a couple of hours to pop these bad boys in the Dakota.

I Can See Clearly Now!
Once the sun set, we finally got a chance to test the light output of our new lights. Needless to say, it was pretty refreshing to be able to see at night. The light output is pretty amazing, and the road gets lit up like never before. After installing the lights, we realized we needed to install an inline resistor for the LED turn signals. Without the resistors, the signals flash ultrafast due to the lower resistance in the LEDs. A quick order to an online store and everything was fixed. Overall, this is a pretty cool and simple modification that really has a big impact on the looks and functionality of the truck.

I am getting closer to the end of the restoration/customization work on my '89 S-10. Over the past months, I've tuned up the motor, dropped the suspension, had it painted, and installed a bunch of restoration parts. The truck is no longer an embarrassment to drive and is actually turning heads and getting some looks. One thing that was still posing a problem was the exhaust. With over 170,000 miles on the odometer, the catalytic converter has had a bunch of exhaust pushed through it and has to be close to death by now. Also, the muffler is just a stock replacement and is way too quiet for our performance-tuned ears.

Obviously, I need to bring the exhaust system up to speed but without completely emptying my bank account. I contacted MagnaFlow for the components on this budget-minded install. I went with a satin-finished universal muffler and weld-in catalytic converter instead of the polished, bolt-on styles. The performance will be the same but at a lower cost because I'm not paying for flanges and the man-hours needed to polish the stainless. I'll be giving up a little performance by not having mandrel-bent tubing, but I'm willing to sacrifice that in lieu of money. The $136.00 muffler from MagnaFlow features a straight-through design for a free-flowing exhaust with stainless wool and other sound-absorbing materials inside to quiet the sound. The cat is legal in all 50 states on OBD-I vehicles like my dime and only set me back $175.00. The bolt-on-style converter cost $311.10 and the polished muffler cost $193.05, so I saved $193.02. Instead of pocketing that money, I decided to pick up a rolled, double-wall T304 stainless tip to add a little flash to the back of the truck. The tip is a little pricey at $176.37, but I just couldn't help myself.

To get these parts in the truck, I contacted David Bechtel who owns D&A Speedway Muffler in Gardena, California. I've known David for a long time now, and the work that comes out of his shop is spot-on. He was nice enough to let me invade his pit with my camera to shoot Wayne Wright doing the work. David was busy grinding on a '50 Chevy truck frame and was in a groove, so he put Wayne on the job. When it was all done, I forked over $175 for the work and drove off smoking the tire. The performance increase was very noticeable, and the tone was surprisingly deep for a V-6. Just off of idle the truck now has a performance sound, and on the highway there is zero drone in the cab even without carpet.

What's In The Box?
Here's the stuff I got from MagnaFlow. The muffler has performance features like a straight-through design for free-flowing exhaust and stainless steel materials for long life. The cat is a replacement piece but with a lot more strength designed into the case to prevent the internals from breaking. The tip was a personal splurge, but being stainless and double-walled it will stay shiny for a long time.

Tech Tip
A Look Inside
Here is a shot I got from MagnaFlow, and it clearly shows the muffler's internals. Wrapped around the one-piece, perforated stainless steel core is a stainless steel mesh that prevents blowout and deterioration of the absorbing material.

The Final Word
All and all, I'm very happy with how things worked out. The truck sounds great and runs better, and the tip looks sweet hanging out the back of the truck. I want to throw a big thanks out to David and Wayne for fitting me in their schedule at the last minute for this tech shoot.

One of the easiest and cheapest ways for any enthusiast to get more power out of his truck's engine is to install an air-intake system. Such a system is designed to increase airflow and reduce the temperature of air entering the motor to maximize the engine's power. An efficiently operating engine eats up less gas and delivers better overall fuel economy because the engine does not have to work as hard. Greater efficiency equals better fuel mileage. The net result is more horsepower as your engine taps into power that would otherwise have gone to waste.

Stillen, a company that has an excellent track record in supplying performance products for the Nissan brand of vehicles, has been focusing on Ford, Chevy, and Dodge as well and is now supplying its Hi-Flow intake system with a wide variety of applications. Since we've heard good things about Stillen's system, we decided to outfit our project Frontier with the Hi-Flow system to see the effectiveness of the product for ourselves. We took a trip to Stillen's headquarters in Costa Mesa, California, to have the system installed by Stillen's highly capable technicians. The entire installation took under an hour, and when finished, gave our truck's engine bay a cleaner look and a performance attitude.

What's In The Box?
The Stillen Hi-Flow element consists of a cleanable K&N cone filter that incorporates a velocity stack, which uses the venturi effect to accelerate air-intake speed. The airbox itself is made of heat-resistant plastic that helps keep the air cooler and denser for a cleaner and more efficient burn. It is also CARB-approved, so the man who runs the emissions sniffer can't say anything about it.

The Final Word
For several days following the install, we had plenty of seat time in the Frontier to gauge the effects of the new intake, and we can honestly say that there is a very noticeable difference. When the throttle is punched, especially while cruising the freeway, the added power can easily be felt, especially in the truck's sweet spot. The sound of additional air being sucked into the intake is mellow enough not to be annoying on long drives. During dyno testing of Stillen's Hi-Flow intake kit, we measured a gain of 11.2hp (see accompanying chart), which is substantial for any stand-alone intake system.

As many of you already know, iPods are great for listening to MP3s through a set of headphones, but playing them in your truck is a bit more complicated. One simple way around this is to buy an FM modulator. However, sound quality with these systems is subpar because they send airwaves to the antenna, which allows for distortion and even static. The next best way to enjoy your digital tunes is to send them directly to your head unit via a wire harness.

The solution is to either purchase an iPod-compatible aftermarket head unit or get an interface system from Precision Interface Electronics (PIE), which allows you to play and control an iPod on the factory radio of most late-model vehicles. Since the head units on late-model trucks are decent nowadays, I opted to go with the PIE interface for my '07 Chevy Silverado Classic. The head unit on my truck is XM-ready, and this interface uses the satellite radio controls for navigation of the iPod. It's a simple component, and it can be installed in under an hour. It was so easy that I was able to hook one up to my truck in my driveway with a few simple tools.

Whats In The Box?
PIE suggested that I go with a GM12-IPOD/S interface and a GM12-R1 wire harness. Total cost: $187.90. This is a reasonable price to pay for a single piece of equipment that provides quality transfer of digital music to the stock receiver.

The Final Word
After the install, I plugged in the iPod and placed it in the glovebox. The controls are overridden, and the battery charges simultaneously. Now I can use the band button on the radio to toggle between AM, FM, and iPod. From there, the preset buttons allow for navigation through playlist, artist, album, and genre. This interface works well while maintaining the factory look of the interior. The system is stealthy and should keep my truck under the radar of the evil stereo bandits.

Configuring and wiring controls for valves on an airbagged truck can be a time-consuming process. This can be especially tedious if you have a setup of eight valves for control of the front, back, and sides. However, the new switch boxes from AVS make it easy to wire up and manage your air ride. The top-of-the-line ARC-9 controllers come with everything you need in one simple device. All you need to do is feed your wires into the relay box and you're good to go.

Though the boxes themselves are versatile, the new brass-knuckle model really caught my eye. The housing on this particular controller is made of a CNC-machined piece of billet that resembles the infamous hand weapon. If this isn't your style, AVS has you covered with optional small-box versions in various colors. Also available are large and small boxes with toggle switches instead of the rocker-type. Whichever works best for you, they are all made with high-quality components and add a nice touch to a vehicle's interior.

What's In The Box?
For the reasonable price of $190, we received this stylish locking controller attached to a relay box that has all the terminals needed to control eight valves. In addition, two of the connectors have negative feeds to control up and down of the entire air system with the auxiliary outputs of most alarms.

The Final Word
The AVS switch box not only looks nice, it also works perfectly. Because of its shape and weight, the controller sits comfortably in my lap while I'm driving. The best feature has to be the option to raise and lower my truck by remote. Now I can raise and lower my truck with the doors closed and avoid damaging them on pesky curbs.

No Dirty Air
AEM has released its Brute Force HD intake system for '07 Cummins-equipped 6.7L Dodge Ram pickups. AEM manufactures the inlet pipe using roto-molded polypropylene that features an oil-free, reusable Dryflow filter, which enables a lot more airflow than stock. Each kit includes a heat shield with a powdercoated black finish (when applicable), a complete hardware kit, and comprehensive photo installation instructions.
Advanced Engine Management
(310) 484-2322
www.aempower.com

Make It Rumble
advanced Flow engineering (aFe) has a new Mach Force XP 4-inch exhaust system for '01-'07 GM Silverado/Sierra Duramax motors for all cabs and bed lengths. The system is constructed of mandrel-bent, 4-inch 409 stainless steel and comes with an 8-inch muffler and monster 6-inch 304 stainless steel tip. All hardware, including band-style clamps, is supplied for easy installation. These kits also come in aluminized steel for the budget-minded truck nut.
Advanced Flow Engineering
(866) 503-9911
www.afepower.com

More Length Without Pills
Made from high-strength aluminum, the Bed X-Tender installs easily in minutes, effectively turning a shortbed into a longbed by adding 18 inches with the tailgate open. The black powdercoated Bed X-Tender is durable and simple to operate. Position it outward with the tailgate open to secure bikes, motorcycles, ATVs, gardening tools, building materials, or other long cargo. Fold it forward with the tailgate up to create a convenient enclosed area to hold smaller items such as toolboxes or grocery bags.
AMP Research
(888) 983-2209
www.amp-research.com

Big-Wheel Arms
AVS is proud to be the exclusive distributor for The Choppin' Block control arms. These arms are designed to lay out '88-'06 fullsize GM trucks on 24-inch wheels and '82-'03 Chevy S-10s on 22s. Of course, low-profile tires and drop spindles are necessary. Features include 2-inch DOM tubing with 1/4-inch walls for the bushing collars, CNC-machined cross-shafts, 1/4-inch-thick lower airbag plates, and a heavy-duty powdercoat finish.
AVS
(559)486-5444
www.airbagparts.com

Corn Carb
High-octane power is now available for your carbureted street engine with the Quick Fuel Technology Super Street E85 carburetor. This new carb offers all the benefits of an electric choke as well as everyday driveability and added power capabilities with fewer emissions from E85 fuel. The E85 Super Street carb features an aluminum main body, dual billet metering blocks, Teflon-coated throttle shafts, low-profile button-head screws, aluminum float bowls, and clear sight windows.
Quick Fuel Technology
(270) 793-0900
www.quickfueltechnology.com

Wheels From An Artist
From the drawing board to the mill, automotive designer Jason Rushforth is proud to debut Rushforth Wheels. With heavy emphasis on design and function, these two-piece, forged billet wheels come in diameters ranging from 17 to 24 inches in custom bolt patterns, widths, offsets, and finishes. Finish options include brushed, powdercoated, fully polished, and "smoked titanium."
Rushforth Wheels
(951) 609-3483
www.rushforthwheels.com

Complete Oil Burners
Banks Power announces availability of complete Duramax diesel engines. These are new Duramax engines assembled by Dmax Ltd. in Moraine, Ohio. They include the following key components: cylinder block, cylinder heads, rotating assembly (crank, pistons, rods, etc.), valvetrain (cam, valves, lifters, springs, etc.), VG turbocharger, EGR system, fuel system (CP3 pump, injectors, HP rails), oil pan, water pump, flywheel housing (with GM bolt pattern), engine wiring harness, flexplate, and front damper. The engines come dressed with factory equipment only and do not include an ECU, fan, A/C compressor, alternator, or starter.
Gale Banks Engineering
(877) 278-0213
www.bankspower.com

Build Your Own Exhaust
Heartthrob Exhaust offers build-it-yourself exhaust kits. Each kit contains four 4-foot lengths of tube, four 45-degree bends, and four 90-degree bends. You supply your own mufflers, hangers, and labor. The kits are available in mandrel-bent, 16-gauge aluminized, or 304 stainless in 2-1/4-, 2-1/2-, and 3-inch diameters.
Heartthrob Exhaust Accessories
(320) 693-0222
www.heartthrobexhaust.com

Big Boom, Little Room
If you have a standard-cab truck and still want big bass, check out the Kicker CompVT line of thin subwoofers from Stillwater Designs. They come in 6.5- and 8-inch sizes and can be mounted directly against the rear wall of a sealed or vented enclosure, permitting the woofers to perform in depths less than 3-3/8 inches.
Stillwater Designs
(800) 256-5425
www.kicker.com

Keep It Clean
Eagle One has two new products in its detailing arsenal: Tire Shine Gel and A2Z All Wheel & Tire Cleaner. The thick Tire Shine Gel clings to the tire with no drip or sling. The result is a lasting, glossy shine that will complement great-looking wheels. The A2Z, which now comes in a convenient aerosol can, cleans wheels with a thick foam to dissolve road grime and brake dust. Just spray on and hose off.
Eagle One
(877) 5-Eagleone
www.eagleone.com

Move That Tank
The engineers at Performance Online have expanded their classic truck product line by offering the first rear-mount aluminum fuel tank for '73-'87 Chevrolet C10/C20 trucks. These fuel tanks mount behind the rear axle and offer increased fuel capacity and safety and replace the factory-recalled sidesaddle tank. Made of heavy-gauge aluminum, these 19-gallon tanks offer a lightweight design and are fully baffled.
Performance Online
(800) 638-1703
www.performanceonline.com

Make It Handle
On The Ground Performance (OTGP) has a suspension upgrade kit for '99-'04 Ford F-150 Lightnings and '97-'03 F-150s. This kit includes tubular upper and lower control arms and a power rack-and-pinion kit. OTGP has redesigned the arms for the performance market. The upper ball joints have been relocated to the rear of the vehicle for an additional 3-plus degrees of positive caster, as well as being shifted outboard to compensate for lowered vehicles to achieve 0 degrees of camber if necessary. The ball-joint angle has been changed to correct angularity problems associated with lowered vehicles with stock upper control arms. The ball joint is now correctly aligned with the spindle. A 15:1 power rack-and-pinion comes with all the lines, fittings, stainless steel universal joints, steering shaft, and idler bearing as well as a fabricated steering-idler bracket and all hardware necessary for a complete bolt-in assembly.
On The Ground Performance
(410) 549-1112
www.onthegroundperformance.com

We've put 5,000 miles on our '07 Toyota Tundra and during that time we've towed and commuted with the truck, getting a feel for its on-road manners. It's time to find out how well our two-wheel-drive truck will work off the road by taking a journey to a far-off destination. In this case, the destination is one of our favorite watering holes, which is situated in the middle of the Arizona desert. The aptly named Desert Bar is in the middle of nowhere, and like that island in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, you can't find it unless you already know where it is.

The Desert Bar lies between two rock formations at the base of a mountain about 3 miles off highway 95 in Parker, Arizona. The trail that leads to it is an unmarked, rocky stretch of dirt with a handful of switchbacks and tight corners of varying elevation. It's tame enough to take a stock truck through with a few scrapes on the chassis, but rough enough to rattle the fillings from your teeth should you take your stocker in search of the bar's fantastic beer and live music. We were hankerin' for some hooch but didn't want to hurt our kidneys, so we opted to outfit our Tundra with a dirt-worthy suspension and rolling stock from Pro Comp. Dealer Services International (DSI), the company that built the no fear GMC Sierra featured in the March '08 Builder's Blueprint, also hooked up our truck.

The KIT: The Stage II suspension system from Pro Comp lifts the truck a total of 6 inches. It includes all of the hardware to do the job, except for thread-locking compound for the bolts and the tools to do the job. The parts will put the truck up enough to clear 35x12.50-inch tires with rim sizes up to 9-inches wide. The replacement coilovers are not adjustable, but the eS9000 rear shocks are. This kit works for both two- and four-wheel-drive Tundras.

Stock Suspension: The Tundra's IfS is a beefy, unequal-length A-arm design and relies on coilovers for support. look at those big ol' tie-rod ends: They are larger than most 3/4- and 1-ton domestic truck parts.

Spindles And Shocks: The new spindles move the hub location downward and roll the angle of the tie-rod end over to eliminate bumpsteer. The aluminum-body coilovers are longer and offer increased travel without a harsh ride, thanks to a better spring rate.

1.The IFS is torn down, and the spindles and stock coilovers are removed. The stock hubs are retained and installed onto the new spindles using the provided hardware (inset).

Destination: Found!
In the world of lifted trucks, we've come to expect a few things. Usually, our truck won't handle as well, ride as well, and the parts don't always fit or work the way we'd like them to after installing a lift kit. We weren't expecting factory-quality parts; however, that's what we received from Pro Comp. everything fit the way it was designed to. With the exception of a few bolt holes that had to be enlarged, the entire kit bolted in place. The new coilovers were tuned almost perfectly to provide a cushy highway ride and plenty of suspension to soak up moderately rough off-road sections. Make no mistake: This is not just a lift kit. But, don't also make the mistake of thinking this or any other bolt-on suspension will turn your Tundra into a Trophy Truck. We don't recommend jumping your rig unless you want to test the strength of the factory chassis.

Prior to the lift, we averaged 16 to 19 mpg in fuel economy on the highway and 14 to 16 around town. The switch to 35-inch tires dropped our cruising rpm by several hundred revolutions per minute and threw off the speedometer by 3.3 mph. The additional weight of the new rolling stock hurt the acceleration of the truck. We are now averaging about 13 to 15 mpg on the highway and 10 to 12 mpg around town. Towing a car hauler strapped with a 3,600-pound truck brought the gas mileage down to 9 mpg. Still, that's not too shabby considering our truck is still rockin' the factory rear-axle ring-and-pinion gears. A quick switch to a higher ratio will help restore some of the fuel economy.

Behind the wheel, we noticed our steering radius decreased slightly, but this truck had a great turning radius to begin with, so navigating parking lots is still easy. The truck definitely feels top-heavy due to its size, but the steering response and smooth on-road manners really give the truck a good balance, even in high-wind situations.

We feel this is as close to a stock ride as you can get with a lift kit of this type. Our only gripe is that after towing with the truck the rear suspension sacked out and lost about an inch and a half of ride height, which pointed the headlights toward the sky, making them virtually useless at night. Adjusting the lights or adding a taller block or another leaf spring to the rear suspension should fix that problem. Overall, we dig our Tundra with this group of parts, and the loss of fuel economy is more than made up for with off-road prowess and style.

Not only do tachometers look tough hanging from the dash, they also provide a needed service: monitoring the rpm. Keeping track of the Rs on your truck may not seem like a big deal unless you're a quarter-mile junkie, but it's something you should know. They can be a small window into how to save fuel because each truck gets different mpg at different rpm. You never know, you could get an additional mpg just by dropping your cruising rpm by a few hundred ticks.

Equus Products, maker of all things gauge and meter, has made adding a tachometer to your truck very simple. The company's 8000-series tachometers feature an inductive pickup (like you would find on a timing light) to grab the ignition signal. The tach also offers the ability to hard-wire directly to the negative side of the coil or tach port of your distributor, if so equipped. If you have a classic truck in which you can access the coil or a GM heI-type distributor with a tach connection built in, this is where your connection will go. If you have a truck that is not that old and has a more exotic factory ignition system (like the '89 S-10 in this story), then the inductive pickup will save your sanity. You won't have to break out all kinds of schematics or call your buddies for help-just grab one of the ignition wires and clamp on the pickup. Of course, the tach still needs to be hooked to power, ground, and to the lighting circuit, but these connections are standard and easy to complete.

I installed the 3-3/4-inch tachometer that displays 0 to 8,000 rpm in 100-rpm increments because there is no way I'll spin the 4.3L V-6 anywhere near eight grand. (For you real racers, equus has a 5-inch tach that goes up to 10,000 rpm and has a programmable shift light and memory recall.) This new tach also features an OeM-type electric Aircore movement for a nice, smooth needle operation. The white face is backlit by two bright white lights that can be converted to red, blue, or green by simply slipping over the provided covers.

The install only took me about an hour with some very simple tools. A drill motor, a step drill, a file, a set of crimpers, a few crimp-on connectors, and some electrical tape were the only things I needed.

What's In The Box?
Here is the tachometer I got from equus. It cost just under 100 bucks and has got to be the lightest gauge I have ever felt. The multiple hookup options were the biggest selling point for me because at the time of purchase I didn't know the S-10's wiring too well, but I knew it had plug wires. The ability to change the color of illumination from white to red, blue, or green was an added bonus.

The Install

The Final Word
The install was made very easy thanks to the inductive pickup, and because the tach is so light I have no problem with it being mounted to the plastic cluster. even though this truck is no racer, knowing the rpm lets me downshift a gear without blowing the motor. Plus, if I pay attention to my gas consumption at certain rpm I can figure out the most efficient cruising speed.

The one thing we as drivers stare at the most has got to be the instrument cluster. This is the window into our truck's soul, showing all of the vital information we need. So why not make this something worth staring at? That is exactly what we intend to do with the very black factory cluster in our art director's truck. Andy, the guy who turns our pictures into these pages, has an '01 Dodge Dakota that is in need of some more custom touches. We already lowered the truck and slapped on a set of 20s. Now it's time to bring some custom into the interior, and the gauge cluster is the perfect place to start.

We contacted Stylin' Trucks for one of US Speedo's stainless steel gauge faces. It features all of the same markings and such of the factory unit, but it looks much better. Besides the face, we also ordered a set of needles with a silver hub to complement the stainless. The install is pretty straightforward but can go horribly wrong if you don't pay attention to the instructions. Because the needles have to be removed from the gauges, it's necessary to make a diagram of where each one points. US Speedo prints a blank diagram on the back of the instructions to help with that.

We dragged Andy away from his computer and made him install the parts. Should you decide to install one of these gauge faces in your truck, you'll need a screwdriver, a knife, and a pen. One piece of advice we can pass on to make the job a little less stressful is to fill up the gas tank and let the truck cool completely down before starting. That way those needles will be easier to reposition.

What's In The Box?
Here is what we got from Stylin' Trucks: a US Speedo stainless gauge face and a needle kit. Not only does the face have that high-end appearance, it still features the same blue/green illumination so it will match the rest of the dashboard when the lights are on. US Speedo also includes a needle tool and a great set of instructions. Stylin' had the face to us three days after we ordered it, and it set us back $130.32 with shipping.

7.Andy slowly peeled off the factory face (inset) and used a knife to remove any little bits that might have stayed on the cluster. You want a nice smooth surface to stick the new face to, so make sure to get all of the factory stuff off.

8.With gloves on his hands to prevent fingerprints, Andy removed the protective backing to expose the glue (inset). Then, he carefully positioned the stainless face and stuck it down.

The Final Word
US Speedo's face looks high-class compared to the plain black the factory used. Stylin' made finding and ordering this easy with its "what-fits-my-vehicle" search. We think the money and time spent was well worth the outcome, and the fact that we got Andy out of the office was a bonus.

Gauges are the instruments that show us the things we need to know about our trucks. Is it running hot? How fast am I going? Do I still have oil pressure after bottoming out? These are all questions gauges will answer. Every truck has at least a few gauges, but for the most part those are boring. We compiled this guide to show you what's out there and where to get it. There isn't enough room in this whole book to print every gauge, so we took a sample of the coolest. So sit back and enjoy our guide to gauges.

Auto Meter has a few new lines of gauges for '08: the ES, GS, and Retro. The ES (black bezel) and GS (chrome bezel) gauges are available in short-sweep electric, mechanical, and electric full-sweep. The ES lights up red, while the GS lights up green thanks to Auto Meter's signature, high-definition, through-the-dial LED illumination. The 3-3/4-inch, pedestal-mount, retro-style tachometer accurately reproduces styling cues of the first tachometers produced by Auto Meter in the late '50s and early '60s. Beneath their shiny exterior these tachometers are all business, featuring the same high-quality, race-proven, precision air-core movements that Auto Meter uses in all of its racing tachs.
Auto Meter
(866) 248-6356
www.autometer.com

For all you air-suspension guys, check out Air-Zenith's LED digital air-pressure gauge. This gauge is rated to 220 psi and has two faceplates available (White or Smog). Every gauge comes with an electrical pressure-sending unit and a 2-year manufacturer's warranty.
Air-Zenith USA
(702) 270-7988
www.air-zenith.com

AEM is proud to introduce its digital-display gauge line that includes sensors and all necessary hardware in one box. The digital-display gauges are available for oil pressure, fuel pressure, water temp, trans temp, oil temp, boost, and voltage. Each gauge includes 24 sweeping LED lights for immediate reference to the measured parameter, and an integrated three-digit display that reveals real-time operating conditions.
AEM
www.aempower.com
(310) 484-2322

Got 'bags? Then AVS has air gauges for you to consider. Available in single- or dual-needle models, the face of the 2-inch AVS gauge is brushed aluminum and has black markings up to 200 psi. Both models have an aluminum trim ring and built-in lighting.
AVS
(559) 486-5444
www.airbagparts.com

Give your truck an instant aircraft look with these precision-machined Cockpit Rings designed to fit on 2.125-inch and 3.75-inch Classic Instruments gauges. The large speedo ring features turn-signal and high-beam LED lights in the simulated adjuster knobs. The rings feature a matte-black powdercoat finish with machine screws at each corner. They are in stock and ready to ship and carry a full 5-year warranty.
Classic Instruments
(800) 575-0461
www.classicinstruments.com

Brothers' '47-'72 billet panels are constructed of aircraft-quality aluminum which has been machined to fit perfectly into the dash using the existing mounting holes. The billet insert comes in a machined "brushed" finish, and the gauges mount from the rear of the panel for a flush look. The '47-'59 gauge packages include a mechanical speedometer and electrical oil pressure, water temperature, voltmeter, and 0-30 ohm fuel gauge. The '60-'66 gauge packages include the same gauges as well as a 0-7,000 rpm tachometer. The '67-'72 insert is designed to accept Auto Meter Competition gauges, which are sold separately.
Brothers Mail Order Industries
(800) 977-2767
www.brotherstrucks.com

If you've got a '55-'59 or other classic Chevrolet truck, then check out what Dakota Digital has for you. The vacuum fluorescent instrument package is a six-gauge system that has a 255-mph speedometer, 0-9,990 rpm tachometer, oil pressure, water temperature, fuel level, and voltage gauges. The system also features odometer/trip odometer, turn signal, high beam, check engine, brake, and cruise control indicators. It is available in your choice of a blue, green, or high-contrast teal-colored display. This package includes the required senders and features the Series III control box with pushbutton speed calibration and user-adjustable warning points for oil pressure and water temperature.
Dakota Digital
(800) 852-3228
www.dakotadigital.com

Looking to replace those faded or broken gauges in your '67-'72 truck? Then Early Classic Enterprises has what you need. You can get each gauge individually, or you can order a pre-assembled cluster in a shiny new bezel. Not only does it offer the gauges, but ECE has the proper printed circuit card and lens for a clean rebuild. Don't forget to check out the ultra-rare vacuum gauge, because you probably won't find one of those in the wrecking yard.
Early Classic Enterprises
(888) 777-0395
www.earlyclassic.com

Edelbrock, known for producing a variety of performance-building products, now offers a line of pressure gauges to monitor your nitrous and fuel systems. Edelbrock's nitrous gauges are calibrated for 0-1,400 psi and are available in 1-1/2-inch diameter for bottle-mounted applications and illuminated 2-5/8-inch diameter for dash or pod-mounted applications. The fuel-pressure gauges are available for carbureted (0-15 psi) and fuel-injection (0-100 psi) applications. You can get these in either a 1-1/2-inch or 2-5/8-inch diameter with a liquid-filled illuminated face.
Edelbrock Corp.
(800) 416-8628
www.edelbrock.com

Innovate Motorsports announced the release of the G2 52mm (2-1/16-inch) wideband air/fuel ratio gauge. The G2 features a high-speed stepper motor, through-dial backlighting, and an illuminated pointer. It retails for $289. Each kit includes the gauge, an LC-1 wideband controller, oxygen sensor and bung/plug, and the award-winning LogWorks engine-tuning software.
Innovate Motorsports
(949) 388-4442
www.tuneyourengine.com

MSD is introducing a line of performance instruments that aren't merely normal gauges with dressed-up pointers and faces. In fact, there are no pointers. Lazer Gauges are digitally controlled gauges with a spinning LED that is turned on and off at a precise moment, creating a bright trace. Using advanced digital controllers, Lazer Gauges also provide other unique features such as dual-sweep readouts, shift points programmed by touching the face of the gauge, and programmable warning indicators.
MSD Ignition
(915) 857-5200
www.msdignition.com

LMC Truck offers a variety of reproduction gauges for '73-'87 Chevy/GMC trucks. These gauges are quality reproductions, manufactured to exact original-equipment specifications. On top of the repop stuff, LMC also has a full line of 2-1/16-inch electric full-sweep gauges. These feature an aluminum bezel and smoke-colored lens. The smoked lens goes black when the vehicle is turned off and illuminates a medium-blue color when on. These gauges also feature buttons on back to set warning levels and recall maximum readings.
LMC Truck
(800) 562-8782
www.lmctruck.com

Nu Image has a new line of stainless steel gauges that takes replacement gauge faces one step further. Added to the line of smooth stainless is the stainless steel with etched flames face. Combine the face replacement with the billet trim and needles to get the full-custom package. Nu Image gauge faces carry a lifetime warranty and are available for dozens of new vehicles from '99-'08.
Nu Image Components
(951) 278-2467
www.nuimage1.com

Simco Ltd. is a manufacturing company specializing in the design and manufacture of specialty instrument clusters and gauges for aftermarket and OEM use. The company has developed a "plug-'n'-play" approach to instrument-cluster upgrades. You can now purchase a precalibrated cluster that drops right into your truck's dash. This allows you to upgrade your instrument cluster with the latest style and never have to pull off pointers or recalibrate your gauges.
Simco Ltd.
(810) 245-0188
www.simcoltd.com

Equus Products' 8080 shift light tachometer includes high-end features that everyone can afford. It easily installs with either a DIS inductive pickup clamp on a spark-plug wire, or it can be hard-wired for a more traditional connection. It includes a programmable shift light, four switchable Back-Lit colors, RMP recall, and a shock-mount bracket for easy installation. Equus offers a complete matching series to the 8080 as well as two other series: 6000 Black Series and 7000 Chrome Series.
Equus Products
(800) 544-4124
www.iequus.com

Stylin' Trucks is proud to offer Daytona-edition color gauge faces by US Speedo. You can complement your truck's interior color scheme with your choice of red, yellow, blue, silver, white, orange, pink, purple, or woodgrain gauge faces. These gauge faces install directly in place of your stock gauges for a fast and easy upgrade. The face includes a needle-removal tool and complete instructions to simplify installation.
Stylin' Trucks
(800) 434-4381
www.stylintrucks.com

The Faze CompetitionEL tachometer and gauge line produced by Sunpro features a bright-white dial face set against blue electroluminescent backlighting. Gauges are encased in HIPS (high-impact) plastic and feature a very slender design. They come standard with necessary sending units, EL power supply and accessories, a wide assortment of adapters, as well as a highly detailed instruction manual. On the other side of Sunpro's gauge arsenal is the 5-inch Sport ST tach. This tachometer features a smooth-finished bezel, 0-10,000 rpm range, air-core meter design, and large amber shift light, and it can be used on a two-, four-, six-, or eight-cylinder engines.
Sunpro
(800) 228-7667
www.sunpro.com

New from US Speedo is this stainless steel gauge-face kit in aqua blue for the '08 Ford F-250. A unique process changes the stainless steel to an icy blue color. The numbers are white and light up the factory green at night. It only takes about 20 minutes to install and involves no cutting, wiring, or gluing. Check out a full install of a smooth stainless face in this very issue.
US Speedo
(810) 244-0909
www.usspeedo.com

Last month, I lowered my Colorado to get the stance I wanted. This month, it's time to get the 20-inch MB Motorsports wheels from Discount Tire Direct and Hankook tires mounted on the truck.

The wheels that I chose really fit the look I was going for. The only issue is that they only come in one offset for my truck. My only two options were: 1) find another rim that fits the way I want but may not have the right look or 2) make the truck fit the wheels. I wasn't willing to sacrifice the look, so I chose the second option. In order to do that, I had to narrow the rearend to get the wheels to fit on the back, which was not that big of a chore, but once we mounted the rolling stock on the front we found out that each stuck out about 1/2 inch too far. With the SEMA Show right around the corner, modifying the front suspension was out of the question, so the only option was to modify the wheel.

With a little bit of research, I found that late-model Ford truck wheels have a bigger offset that would work for my application. The only problem is that they are drilled with a 6x135mm bolt pattern instead of the 6x139mm bolt pattern that my Colorado has. The fix was to have MC Motorsports drill the 6x139mm in the Ford wheels and insert a slug into the new opening. It's a really trick way to fit most any kind of wheel (within reason) you want on your truck. The final step was to install a big brake system, and SSBC had the kit for me.

If you're into larger-diameter wheel-and-tire combinations, then you probably already know about the drawbacks. See, larger wheels have much more mass to them than your factory wheels. They're big and shiny, but they're also much, much heavier, and it's a lot harder to stop them from spinning. Your factory braking system just wasn't designed to deal with this type of stress. People who've installed a basic 20-inch wheel onto their truck will notice severely diminished braking performance. A typical truck may require 50-percent additional braking distance. So if your 60-to-0-mph braking distance is 100 feet with stock tires and wheels, you may need upward of 150 feet to stop with 20-inch wheels.

This is where aftermarket braking systems come into play. They offer stronger, 14-inch, fade-resistant rotors and tougher, larger calipers to put the bite back into your brakes. You'll see braking distances decrease, a firmer pedal feel, and less brake dust and grime on your wheels. And in most cases, you'll see increased life out of your pads and rotors.

Part One: Narrow The Rear
Once Semon of ST Trucks removed the rear axle from the truck, I dropped it off at Diff Works to have 2 inches removed from each side. But before the axle could go under the proverbial knife, the internals needed to be removed. We started by taking out the pin that holds the axles in place.

1.We pushed the axles toward the center so the retaining clips (C-clips) could be removed. Once the axleshafts were removed, we checked them for wear. The one on the left is from my truck and is in excellent condition. The one on the right that we dug out of the scrap pile shows extreme wear. If your axleshafts look like the one on the right, it's time for new axles and bearings.

Part Two: Mod The Wheels
While the axle was out getting narrowed, we headed over to MC Motorsports to make the modifications to the front wheels. To keep the wheel and tire flush with the wheelwell and not stick out, I needed to find an offset in the style of wheel I wanted for the truck. I found it in a Ford wheel pattern, a plus-35mm offset. The only problem was the bolt pattern is 6x135mm, not 6x139mm.

The Final Word
With everything installed, I still had to wait about 500 miles per SSBC's recommendations for seating the brake pads. After a few days, it was on. I couldn't believe the difference. The rims and Hankook's low-profile tires greatly increased the stability of the truck during cornering, or any lateral movement for that matter. The brakes were awesome: As soon as I applied some pressure, they were on it-I almost ate the steering wheel a couple of times. When I tested the braking distance, I gained 35 feet of distance going from 125 feet to 90 feet. Overall, I am very satisfied with the performance I've gained from the upgrades.

Have you noticed how strong a connection trucks and music have? They go together much like rims and tires-you can drive on a rim, but it's much better if it has a tire. You can have slick paint and shiny wheels, but adding an audio system to your truck takes it to another level. Whether that level is just covering up road noise or shaking the pavement, you need a solid foundation. This story covers just that: building a nice solid system that can play just about anything and also expand when money permits.

Over the past few months, I have been building an '89 S-10 with one overriding theme: low budget. In keeping with the "spend-my-moneywisely" theme, I picked up Pioneer's DEH-2900MP head unit. This unit not only plays normal CDs, it will also play discs with MP3 and WMV files. If that isn't enough, it also features an auxiliary input on the face allowing me to hook up an external music player like an iPod. The last little selling point for me was pre-outs, i.e. RCA jacks. This unit has two: one for normal speakers and one specifically tuned for subwoofers. These outs will make hooking up an amp easier. Not bad for a $120 product.

For the speakers, I stayed with Pioneer and got a set of 100W 4x6s (TS-G4641R) to fit in the dash and a set of 120W 4x10s (TSA-4103) for the rear pillars. Both of these speakers are made to fit in the oddly sized factory mounting locations with no modifications, so the install will be a snap. The head unit has a power rating of 50Wx4 max, so the speakers will sound great but not be overpowered. Thanks to the pre-outs, I can add an amp and really drive them, but again that will come later when I have more money.

There are a few other things I picked up to either aid in the installation, rebuild my busted dash, or quiet down the truck. I got an installation kit from Scosche to hang the single-DIN head unit, along with some speaker harnesses to convert the factory speaker plugs to aftermarket-style connections. I also got some Accumat to disperse around the cab to cut down road noise and make my new sound system that much better. From years of use and abuse, a few components that make up the dash had broken. I picked up a radio bezel, glovebox surround, and an ashtray assembly from LMC Truck. Like everything else I've ordered from LMC, the parts fit perfectly.

All installation of the aforementioned equipment can be installed in an afternoon with normal tools, and to me it was worth the $508.75 I spent.

Here are all the components I picked up to improve the sounds in my S-10. All of this set me back $311.95 and is just what I need and nothing more. The Pioneer head unit will play burned CDs and has an input for an external device like an iPod. The dash kit and harnesses from Scosche will make the install much easier. If you are on a tighter budget, you can just cut off the factory plug and install the proper terminals instead of buying the speaker harnesses.

Here are the parts I ordered from LMC to refurbish my dash. I really needed the bezel and the glovebox frame. The face of my ashtray was missing a corner-it still worked, but it looked like ass-so I got one of those as well. All of these cost me $116.85 and came painted with the right gray color.

The radio bezel was pretty busted up, but the biggest problem was that one of the mounting points was completely snapped and stayed on the dash when I removed the piece. The glovebox hinge broke at some point and was MacGyver'd back together with a small piece of aluminum.

To make all of my new audio components work that much better, I decided to drop $79.95 for a box of Scosche's Accumat. This 0.060-inch-thick, foil-backed, sound-deadening material damps vibrations and absorbs noises. This is one of those products that I have found instrumental in building a nice truck. Even a few pieces dispersed around the cab will quiet road noise and get rid of that tinniness in the sheetmetal.

Quickie Install

The Final Word
With all of the electronics in place, I can now listen to CDs chockfull of MP3s, or I can just plug in the iPod for another 200-plus songs. The Pioneer factory-size replacement speakers sound much, much better than the stock units. They produce plenty of high and midrange frequencies, but they are a little light when it comes to the bass notes. That's why I picked a head unit with pre-outs that will make expanding the system to include some subwoofers a heck of a lot easier.

Not all of us are walking encyclopedias of automotive knowledge. We all know that one guy who can rattle off facts like how many '67 small-window C10s were made, but does that knowledge really matter? Well, it may not help build a truck, but it is cool to know. We wanted to give you some information that you might be able to use in the real world and hopefully help you build a better truck. With the assistance of some of our four-wheel-drive buddies, we compiled a guide to help you determine what rearend is under the truck and what lug pattern it has. This will just cover truck stuff, but that doesn't mean a car rearend can't be stuffed under your S-10. But that's a story for another day. We hope you find this guide useful, and until next month: Keep your eyes on the rearend.

TECH TIP
Axle Terminology
To prevent you from looking like a total newbie, here's some techno-jargon terms you should know when talking to the guy behind the parts counter:

Semifloating: The weight of the vehicle rides on the axleshaft, which also spins the wheel.

Full-floating: The weight of the vehicle rides on the axlehousing, and a ring of bolts in the center holds the axleshaft in place.

Integral: The ring gear and pinion gear are set up inside the differential housing.

Dropout: The carrier, or differential, can be removed as a single unit. It is also called the centersection.

Chrysler 8-1/4
This semifloating rear axle features a 10-bolt cover and appeared in various Dodge and Jeep vehicles.
Applications: '90-'00 Dakota, '72-'96 1/2-ton 2WD and 4WD Dodge fullsize, '92-present Cherokee
Ring-gear diameter: 8.25 in
Pinion-gear diameter/splines: 1.626 in/27 splines
Available gearsets: 2.71, 2.94, 3.21, 3.55, 3.90, 4.10, and 4.56

Ford 8.8
The Ford 8.8-inch is basically a 7.5 with a larger ring gear. The only way to distinguish it from the smaller unit is to look at the vehicle it's under or inspect the housing for identifying numbers.
Applications: '81-'94 Bronco, '90-1/2-'96 Explorer, '90-1/2-'92 Ranger with 4.0L engine, '81-'90 F-100, '81-'96 F-150/F-250, '97 F-150
Ring-gear diameter: 8.8 in
Pinion-gear diameter/splines: 1.626/30 splines
Available gearsets: 3.08, 3.27, 3.31, 3.55, 3.73, 4.10, 4.33, 4.56, 4.88, and 5.14

Ford 9-Inch
Appearing in almost every light truck with Ford written on the tailgate, the Ford 9-inch is one of the strongest light-axle designs around. Though production ceased several years ago, these units are still plentiful in wrecking yards, not to mention from custom-axle builders. The 9-inch is easily spotted because it uses a third member, or dropout, to house the ring-and-pinion, making it accessible from the front rather than the rear of the axle. This means there is no bolt pattern to look for, only a round hump.
Applications: '66-'88 Bronco, '57-'87 F-100/F-150/F-250
Ring-gear diameter: 9 in
Pinion-gear diameter/splines: 1.313 in/28 and 31 splines
Available gearsets: 2.80, 2.86, 2.94, 3.00, 3.10, 3.15, 3.25, 3.40, 3.50, 3.55, 3.60, 3.64, 3.70, 3.75, 3.80, 3.82, 3.89, 3.91, 4.00, 4.11, 4.22, 4.30, 4.33, 4.40, 4.50, 4.56, 4.57, 4.63, 4.71, 4.78, 4.86, 5.00, 5.14, 5.22, 5.29, 5.43, 5.50, 5.57, 5.67, 5.83, 6.00, 6.14, 6.20, 6.33, and 6.50

GM 9-1/2-INCH & 10-1/2-INCH 14-BOLT
GM produced two 14-bolt axles through the years: the 9-1/2-inch and the 10-1/2-inch (shown). The 10-1/2-inch is the stronger of the two. Both use 14-bolt covers, but the 9-1/2 is more egg-shaped (like a larger GM 7-1/2), while the 10-1/2 has straight sides and sharper corners. The 9-1/2 is an integral pinion design where the pinion is removed through the rear cover plate. The 10-1/2 is a removable pinion design, which allows the pinion to be removed from the front of the housing without pulling the rear cover. Other distinguishing features of the 10-1/2 are the 6-bolt removable pinion support and full-floating axles.
Applications: '88-'96 C10/C15/C20 (9-1/2-inch), '88-'96 K10/K15, '81-'96 K20, '73-'92 K2500/K3500 (10-1/2-inch)
Ring-gear diameter: 9-1/2 in, 10-1/2 in
Pinion-gear diameter/splines: 1.876 in/30 splines (9-1/2), 1.750 in/30 splines (10-1/2)
Available gearsets:3.42, 3.73, 4.10, 4.56, 4.88, 5.13 (10-1/2 only)

GM 12-Bolt
Two versions of the GM 12-bolt exist but have nothing more than the bolt count in common. One is a car version with a grooved cover plate, while the truck-version cover plate is raised. The 12-bolt is integral and semifloating, but isn't a big step up from the 8-1/2-inch 10-bolt because the axleshafts and housings are very similar. A drawback to both the 10- and 12-bolt axles is that the axleshafts are retained by C-clips, which, if broken, can be a serious hazard.
Applications: '64-'82 K10/K20 and Blazer
Ring-gear diameter: 8.875 in
Pinion-gear diameter/splines: 1.438/30 splines
Available gearsets: 3.07, 3.42, 3.73, 4.10, 4.56, 4.88, 5.13, and 5.38

GM 8-1/2-Inch 10-Bolt
With its round cover design, the 8-1/2-inch 10-bolt is a semifloating, integral design. Its claim to fame is that it replaced the Dana 44 in '77 when GM decided to use its own products.
Applications: '77-'87 C10/K10/K20, '80-'94 Blazer, '80-'94 C10/K10, '88-'00 K1500/K2500
Ring-gear diameter: 8.5 in
Pinion-gear diameter/splines: 1.626/28 and 30 splines
Available gearsets: 2.73, 3.08, 3.23, 3.42, 3.70, 3.73, 3.90, 4.10, 4.11, 4.56, 4.88, 5.13, 5.38, and 5.57

Toyota 8-Inch
Also referred to as a 7.8-inch (Americans rounded up the figure), two versions of the 8-inch appeared in Toyotas over the years: one for four-cylinder applications and another for the turbo four-cylinder and V-6 models. The only difference between the two is that the four-cylinder model uses shorter pinion gears. Both units are dropouts and are recognizable by the nonremovable, humped rear cover and breather tube on the top of the housing.
Applications: '79-'85 Toyota (four-cylinder model), '86-'96 Toyota, '86-'96 Toyota (turbo/V-6 model)
Ring-gear diameter: 7.8 in
Pinion-gear diameter/splines: 1.378 in/27 splines
Available gearsets: 3.70, 3.90, 4.11, 4.37, 4.56, 4.88, 5.29, and 5.71

Dana 44
The Dana 44 went into production in the late '40s and has since appeared in virtually every make of production four-wheel-drive vehicle. On the street side, the 44 found its way into some Chevys and Fords. It has a 10-bolt cover design and was produced with 30-spline axleshafts.
Applications: '60-'70 C10/15, '67-'78 F-100/F-150 4x4
Ring-gear diameter: 8.5 in
Pinion-gear diameter/splines: 1.376/30 splines
Available gearsets: 2.72, 2.87, 3.07, 3.23, 3.31, 3.54, 3.73, 3.92, 4.09, 4.27, 4.56, 4.89, 5.38, and 5.89

Dana 60 (also 50)
Looking like a larger version of the Dana 44, the Dana 60 can be identified by its 12-bolt pattern. The housing is made from nodular iron, which provides excellent rigidity and strength over other housings. Still in production today, the Dana 60 is offered in both semi- and full-floating configurations and is touted as one of the strongest and most reliable units available.
Applications: '67-'85 F-100, '67-'85 F-150, '67-'92 F-250, '78-'92 F-350, numerous Chevrolet, Dodge 3/4- and 1-ton
Ring-gear diameter: 9.75 in
Pinion-gear diameter/splines: 1.626 in/30 and 35 splines
Available gearsets: 3.33, 3.54, 3.73, 4.10, 4.56, 4.88, 5.13, 5.38, 5.57, 5.86, 6.17, and 7.17

The Final Word
Armed with this info, you should be able to know your rearends and what they fit and what gears you can get. The lug pattern sidebar should help you determine if you can stuff those sweet Escalade wheels your buddy has on your Nissan pickup.

KNOW YOUR LUGS:
FORD
YEAR	MODEL	BOLT PATTERN	LUG NUT SIZE
'03-UP	EXPEDITION 2/4WD	6 on 135 mm	14x2.00 mm
'03-UP	NAVIGATOR 2/4WD	6 on 135 mm	14x2.00 mm
'00-'02	EXPEDITION 2/4WD	5 on 135 mm	14x2.00 mm
'00-'02	NAVIGATOR / BLACKWOOD 2/4WD	5 on 135 mm	14x2.00 mm
'97-'99	EXPEDITION 2/4WD	5 on 135 mm	12x1.75 mm
'97-'99	NAVIGATOR 2/4WD	5 on 135 mm	12x1.75 mm
'83-'97	RANGER / BRONCO II 4WD	5 on 4.5 in	1/2 in
'98-'04	RANGER 4WD	5 on 4.5 in	1/2 in
ALL	SPORT TRAC 2/4WD	5 on 4.5 in	1/2 in
'83-'04	RANGER / BRONCO II / EXPLORER 2WD	5 on 4.5 in	1/2 in
'90-'94	EXPLORER 4WD	5 on 4.5 in	1/2 in
'95-'04	EXPLORER 4WD	5 on 4.5 in	1/2 in
'49-'96	ALL 1/2-TON PICKUP 4WD	5 on 5.5 in	1/2 in
'49-'96	ALL 1/2-TON PICKUP 2WD	5 on 5.5 in	1/2 in
'66-'96	FULLSIZE BRONCO	5 on 5.5 in	1/2 in
'97-'99	F-150 PICKUP 2/4WD	5 on 135 mm	12x1.75 mm
'00-'04	F-150 PICKUP (HERITAGE) 2/4WD	5 on 135 mm	14x2.00 mm
'04-UP	F-150 PICKUP (NEW BODY) 2/4WD	6 on 135 mm	14x2.00 mm
'97-'99	F-250 LIGHT DUTY 2/4WD	7 on 150 mm	12x1.75 mm
'55-'79	F-250 / F-350 4WD	8 on 6.5 in	9/16 or 1/2 in
'55-'79	F-250 / F-350 2WD	8 on 6.5 in	9/16 or 1/2 in
'80-'98	F-250 / F-350 (OLD BODY) 4WD	8 on 6.5 in	9/16 in
'80-'98	F-250 / F-350 (OLD BODY) 2WD	8 on 6.5 in	9/16 in
'03-UP	F-250 / F-350 / EXCURSION 4WD	8 on 170 mm	14x1.50 mm
'03-UP	F-250 / F-350 / EXCURSION 2WD	8 on 170 mm	14x1.50 mm
'99-'02	F-250 / F-350 / EXCURSION 4WD	8 on 170 mm	14x2.00 mm
'99-'02	F-250 / F-350 / EXCURSION 2WD	8 on 170 mm	14x2.00 mm

TOYOTA
YEAR	MODEL	BOLT PATTERN	LUG NUT SIZE
’72-’95	PICKUP 2WD	5 on 4.5 in	12x1.50 mm
’79-’95	PICKUP 4WD	6 on 5.5 in	12x1.50 mm
’96-’04	RAV4 2/4WD	5 on 4.5 in	12x1.50 mm
’93-’99	T100 2WD	6 on 5.5 in	12x1.50 mm
’93-’99	T100 4WD	6 on 5.5 in	12x1.50 mm
’95.5-’04	TACOMA 2WD	5 on 4.5 in	12x1.50 mm
’95.5-’04	TACOMA PRERUNNER 2WD	6 on 5.5 in	12x1.50 mm
’95.5-’04	TACOMA 4WD	6 on 5.5 in	12x1.50 mm
’00-’04	TUNDRA 2/4WD	6 on 5.5 in	12x1.50 mm
’64-’97	LAND CRUISER / LX450	6 on 5.5 in	12x1.50 mm
’98-’04	LAND CRUISER / LX470	5 on 150 mm	14x1.50 mm
’84-’95	4RUNNER 2/4WD	6 on 5.5 in	12x1.50 mm
’96-’04	4RUNNER 2/4WD	6 on 5.5 in	12x1.50 mm

NISSAN
YEAR	MODEL	BOLT PATTERN	LUG NUT SIZE
’72-’03	PRERUNNER, FRONTIER, PICKUP,	6 on 5.5 in	12x1.25 mm
’72-’03	PATHFINDER, HARDBODY 2WD	6 on 5.5 in	12x1.25 mm
’72-’03	FRONTIER, PATHFINDER	6 on 5.5 in	12x1.25 mm
’72-’03	PICKUP, HARDBODY 4WD	6 on 5.5 in	12x1.25 mm
’00-’04	XTERRA	6 on 5.5 in	12x1.25 mm

DODGE
YEAR	MODEL	BOLT PATTERN	LUG NUT SIZE
’87-’90	DAKOTA 2/4WD	5 on 4.5 in	1/2 in
’91-’04	DAKOTA 2/4WD	6 on 4.5 in	1/2 in
’98-’03	DURANGO 2/4WD	6 on 4.5 in	1/2 in
’74-’84	RAM 1500 2WD	5 on 4.5 in	1/2 in
’85-’01	RAM 1500 2WD	5 on 5.5 in	1/2 in
’74-’80	RAM 4WD W/O HUBS	5 on 4.5 in	1/2 in
’80-’93	RAM 4WD W/HUBS	5 on 5.5 in	1/2 in
’94-’01	RAM 1500 4WD	5 on 5.5 in	1/2 in
’02-UP	RAM 1500 (NEW BODY) 2/4WD	5 on 5.5 in	9/16 in
’46-’81	3/4-1-TON 2WD	8 on 6.5 in	1/2 in
’82-’93	3/4-1-TON 4WD	8 on 6.5 in	1/2 in
’94-’04	RAM 2500-3500 2/4WD	8 on 6.5 in	9/16 in

CHEVROLET
YEAR	MODEL	BOLT PATTERN	LUG NUT SIZE
’82-’03	S-10 / S-15 PICKUP 2WD	5 on 4.75 in	12x1.50 mm
’82-’03	BLAZER / JIMMY 2WD	5 on 4.75 in	12x1.50 mm
’82-’03	S-10 / S-15 PICKUP 4WD	5 on 4.75 in	12x1.50 mm
’82-’03	BLAZER / JIMMY 4WD	5 on 4.75 in	12x1.50 mm
ALL	ENVOY / TRAILBLAZER 2/4WD	6 on 5 in	12x1.50 mm
’65-’87	C10 PICKUP 2WD	5 on 5 in	1/2 in
’88-’98	C1500 PICKUP 2WD	5 on 5 in	14x1.50 mm
’99-’04	C1500 PICKUP 2WD	6 on 5.5 in	14x1.50 mm
’92-’99	SUBURBAN / TAHOE 2WD	5 on 5 in	14x1.50 mm
’92-’99	YUKON / DENALI 2WD	5 on 5 in	14x1.50 mm
’92-’99	BLAZER / ESCALADE 2WD	5 on 5 in	14x1.50 mm
’00-’04	SUBURBAN / AVALANCHE 2WD	6 on 5.5 in	14x1.50 mm

’00-’04	YUKON / DENALI 2WD	6 on 5.5 in	14x1.50 mm
’00-’04	BLAZER / TAHOE / ESCALADE 2WD	6 on 5.5 in	14x1.50 mm
’69-’87	PICKUP 4WD	6 on 5.5 in	7/16 in
’88-’04	K1500 PICKUP 4WD	6 on 5.5 in	14x1.50 mm
’69-’91	BLAZER / SUBURBAN 4WD	6 on 5.5 in	7/16 in
’92-’04	SUBURBAN / AVALANCHE 4WD	6 on 5.5 in	14x1.50 mm
’92-’04	YUKON / DENALI 4WD	6 on 5.5 in	14x1.50 mm
’92-’04	BLAZER / TAHOE / ESCALADE 4WD	6 on 5.5 in	14x1.50 mm
’65-’87	3/4-1-TON C20 / C30 2WD	8 on 6.5 in	9/16 in
’65-’87	PICKUP / SUBURBAN 2WD	8 on 6.5 in	9/16 in
’65-’87	3/4-1-TON K20 / K30 4WD	8 on 6.5 in	9/16 in
’65-’87	PICKUP / SUBURBAN 4WD	8 on 6.5 in	9/16 in
’88-’04	C2500 / K2500 3/4-TON & HD 2/4WD	8 on 6.5 in	14x1.50 mm
’88-’04	C3500 / K3500 1-TON & HD 2/4WD	8 on 6.5 in	14x1.50 mm
’05-UP	C1500HD / K1500HD 2/4WD	8 on 6.5 in	14x1.50 mm
’05-UP	AVALANCHE 2500 2/4WD	8 on 6.5 in	14x1.50 mm
’05-UP	SUBURBAN 2500 2/4WD	8 on 6.5 in	14x1.50 mm
’05-UP	H2	8 on 6.5 in	14x1.50 mm

There are many ways to lower a truck, and the options multiply with rear suspension design-especially when you're dealing with an adjustable suspension with airbags or hydraulic cylinders. One only has to walk among the rows of lowered trucks at any show and peek through the holes in the bed floors to see the plethora of ways to make the rear axle of a truck cycle up and down. If you have ever wondered which linked suspension design is right for your truck and the type of driving you intend to do with it, this article will provide not only the answer but also a good definition of how a suspension should work. By the time you're done reading, you'll be able to pick a rear suspension design that will offer a good compromise between ride quality, traction, handling, and of course, getting your truck flat on the ground.

Suspension Designs
Three- and Four-Links
We've grouped these together because they are essentially identical when viewed from the side. The names are indicative of their designs: a three-link has three links, and a four-link has four links (the Panhard bar or Watt's links are not counted.) These link systems can be configured to excel at just about anything you want your truck to do, whether it's road racing, drag racing, off-roading, towing, cruising, or hopping. If properly designed, these systems present few pinion-angle changes or driveshaft "plunge" issues, which can be a big deal when trying to get the most usable travel out of your rear suspension.

A different type of link system that falls into the three- and four-link group is the wishbone three-link. It is basically a triangulated four-link in which the triangulated bars are joined together to form a single point. Technically, however, it is still a three-link. The advantages over a traditional triangulated four-link are that the wishbone can be built much narrower and it can be oddly shaped to fit into seemingly impossible confines, with comparable lateral control.

Two-Links and Ladder Bars
These are grouped together because they are essentially the same thing: A ladder bar is merely a type of two-link suspension. This system is limited in what it can do because it typically does not offer the articulation (one wheel up and one wheel down) that is necessary for most daily-driver or performance applications.

Chevy did build trucks in the '60s and '70s with a two-link that worked (NASCAR rear suspensions are based on this design), but it was engineered/designed to do so. You see, the "truck trailing arm" two-link has the forward frame mounts right next to each other with only enough room for a driveshaft to fit in between. These narrow mounting points allow the rearend to move more with just bushing flex alone, and on top of that the bars are actually engineered to allow some twist. This gives the design limited articulation. So, to properly set up a two-link that offers the articulation desirable in a street application, you'd have to take into consideration the design attributes of the Chevy truck system, which aren't easy to recreate.

Two-links installed on today's trucks are not as capable as GM's version. The traditional two-link also has travel limitations because of pinion-angle issues. Theoretically, the rearend should not rotate as it runs through its travel (it is necessary for it to, in order to have an instant center, but only a small amount), and a two-link forces it to rotate around a single point set by the length of the links themselves. This is not a big issue if the bars are long enough with a limited amount of travel, but it's a weakness just the same. The major issue is its inability to articulate.

For simplicity's sake, we used a ladder bar in the roll-steer diagram on p. 107. Look closely and you'll notice that as the suspension cycles though its travel, the rearend housing rotates around the single front pivot point. As the suspension travels up it rotates forward, and as it travels down it rotates back. You can begin to understand how having one wheel up and one wheel down can be an issue. Essentially, on a two-link/ladder-bar system, the rearend housing acts as an antisway bar-a really big antisway bar-and that is not desirable for good handling or even daily driving.

Full Reverse and two-Forward/two-Reverse Link Systems
If all you're looking for is simplicity of installation and you don't want a two-link, these systems are the ticket. We have all seen them at shows or on the road (you might even own one!), so we can't argue that they don't work. The best explanation that we've been able to come up with for these systems is that they are counterproductive. The suspension's job is to take energy that is being transferred into the tires from the ground and to properly transmit those forces into the chassis to be used to create more traction. A reverse link system, in which the bars mount to the rear axle and the rear of the chassis behind it, does just the opposite, and the two-forward/two-reverse link system is nearly unpredictable in how it transfers energy from the ground to the chassis.

Even if you calculate every single point to an exact placement when designing one of these systems for your truck, you will still only end up with a driveable truck and not one that handles properly. Your only hope for performance with a reverse triangulated four-link is to limit the travel as much as possible and run a stiff spring and a stiff shock. Then, maybe you'll have the traction of a poorly set-up forward-facing link system. The best way to think about it is to understand that with a properly designed forward-link system the rearend is actually being pushed against the ground by the chassis. So any force that the rearend can use to push against the chassis will ultimately create more traction. With a reverse-link system, if the rearend were to pull down on the chassis there would be an equal loss of traction. Try this on a bathroom scale. Stand on the scale in front of a cabinet and pull up on the cabinet and see that your weight goes up according to how much force you are able to apply to the cabinet. Now push down on the cabinet. Your weight will go down to nothing fairly easily. That is what's happening on a reverse-link system. The rotating force of the tires driving the truck forward applies an opposite twisting force into the rearend housing, and that force is applied to the chassis behind the rearend pulling the back of the chassis down, thus negating any hope for traction.

On paper, this design looks great because the pinion can be kept well within working limits. A quite desirable instant center can be calculated, and it seems to fit into the confines of just about any truck. The real negative effects are all dynamic, meaning that they are only noticeable when the truck is being driven and the more dynamics being applied, the less traction it has.

You can see from these diagrams that the pinion angle moves in a peculiar way (Figure 2). U-joints don't like the angles that are generated by a two-forward/two-reverse link system. It is possible to make the system work for a daily driver with zero performance advantages, but only with limited travel. On a two-forward/two-reverse system there are so many variables that can cause undesirable dynamic effects. The pinion is quite hard to keep within reasonable working limits, and the instant center moves around so much that there is no way for a normal human to track it, so calculating how forces are transmitted into the chassis is nearly impossible. It probably has more negatives than any other link design.

Locating Devices
Every link system requires a lateral locating device of some sort to keep the rearend from moving from side to side in relation to the chassis. Some systems have it built in (for example, a triangulated four-link); others need an auxiliary system (like a Panhard bar). The locating device used determines the roll center, and the roll center changes the way that the truck acts and handles. So in a road-racing application, having a system with different mounting points offers a system with a tunable roll center. On a daily driver, the roll center isn't a major concern.

Panhard Bar
The simplest of all the locating devices is the Panhard bar. It is mounted to the chassis at one end and the rearend housing at the other. The roll center is where the Panhard bar crosses the center of the rearend. So the higher the Panhard bar is mounted in the chassis, the higher the roll center and vise versa. The weak link of the Panhard design is that the single bar pulls and pushes the rearend from side to side as it runs through its travel. The best way to battle the push/pull effect of the Panhard is to run as long of a bar as possible and to be sure that the bar is parallel to the ground at half travel.

Watt's Link
The beauty of this system is that if properly set up, the Watt's link has zero lateral movement and the roll center is easy to calculate. The center pivot of the link itself is the roll center.

On a properly set-up Watt's link, both bars will be parallel to the ground at half travel, but the center link itself will be over center. The center link will be straight up and down only at 1/4 and 3/4 travel. Also, because there are two bars limiting movement, the links need only be half as strong as a Panhard bar. It's not unrealistic to be able to use a 7/16 rod end on the connecting links. The center pivot should be as stout as possible because it "sees" the entire lateral load at that one point.

Track Locator
A track locator, or track bar, is typically used on drag cars because of its simplicity. A track bar is a bar that simply mounts to the rear link mount on one bar and the front link mount on the opposite bar, essentially creating a triangle that won't allow any lateral movement (Figure 6). The strange thing about the track bar is calculating the roll center. I have talked to some very knowledgeable suspension guys and cannot find a solid answer to demonstrate the best way to establish the roll center with this design.

By triangulating the upper, lower, or both sets of bars, you can limit lateral movement without the side pull of a Panhard bar. However, the bars must be triangulated as much as possible (up to 90 degrees to each other). It's tough to state a minimum angle because the length of the bars and the compliance of the bushings play a major role.

Triangulation Of Bars
Triangulating the bars is a means of limiting lateral movement. And because it is a means of limiting lateral movement, it is also what sets the roll center. This one is just a little harder to explain. If you find the instant center (IC) of both upper bars and the IC of both lower bars on a three-dimensional plane and then take those two separate theoretical points and draw a line between them, you have the axis around which the rearend pivots. The point on the axis that crosses over or under the axle centerline is the roll center.

To make things easy, let's just assume that the roll center is very near the height of the triangulated bar ends that are nearest each other. For example, if the upper bars are triangulated and are mounted close to each other on top of the third member, the height of those joints is fairly close to the roll center.

So, if a low roll center makes for better handling (via more weight transfer), how would you lower the roll center on a triangulated link system? Triangulate the lower bars. A gentleman by the name of Satchell came up with this design to help trucks with limited space achieve a lower roll center. To properly set up a Satchell link, the lower bars must be triangulated with the bars coming to a point at the chassis, not the rearend housing. By doing this, the roll center stays "coupled" to the chassis and not to the constantly moving rearend housing. By having a roll center that is constantly moving up and down, the chassis can feel twitchy. Again, this isn't too much of a concern on a daily-driven, 'bagged truck, but it's good dinner conversation if you're truck is supposed to handle well.

Designs In Practice
Instant Center
Any time two or more links, bars, arms, or any other types of locating devices are employed, there will be an instant center (IC). The IC is found by extending an imaginary line through the points of each individual locating device until they meet the imaginary line of another related locating device. The point at which they meet is called the instant center or instantaneous center. Take for example a simple four-link. From a side view, the four-link appears to have only two links. If you were to extend an imaginary line through the pivots of each individual bar, at some point those two lines will cross. The placement of the IC is what determines where the forces generated by the tire/rearend relationship will be transmitted to the chassis. By moving the IC forward or backward or up and down, you change what type of driving the suspension excels at. This is the most important theoretical point to understand in the world of suspension design.

A properly set-up three- or four-link will have an instant center that is somewhere in front of the rearend. By moving the IC front to rear, you change the amount of force applied to the chassis. By moving it up and down, you can dial in the desired amount of antisquat. The position of the IC combined with bar length determines what it is that the link system excels at. A longer bar will allow more travel (but at the cost of energy transfer), while a shorter bar has less travel capability but more force transfer (think off-road truck versus a drag car.) Since most of you will probably be building a daily driver with adjustable ride height, the system should be somewhere in the middle. A medium-length bar with the IC around the front bumper at half travel is a very neutral system. It is essentially how Detroit has been doing it for years.

Also note point A point is a percentage of the center-of-gravity line (Figure 7). That percentage is the measure of antisquat. When a truck accelerates, weight is transferred to the rear, making the suspension "squat" from the extra weight. This chassis movement can be minimized or completely eliminated by using geometry to negate the squatting effect. On any rear suspension system (assuming it is a full-forward system, even a two-link), moving the IC higher will produce a higher percentage of antisquat, making the truck not squat as much during acceleration. A lower IC will have a lower percentage, and the truck will squat more. Going overboard and running the bars high in the front in order to negate any squat will induce excessive roll oversteer, making the truck less stable while cornering. It is not so important to calculate antisquat for a daily driver; it's more important you understand that it exists.

Roll Center
Every suspension design has a point at which the truck "rolls" around when leaning from side to side. A higher roll center (relative to the center of gravity) will make the truck lean less in a corner, and a lower roll center will lean more. You might at first think you need a high roll center in order to eliminate excess body roll so the truck handles better, but that's not necessarily the case. When the chassis leans to the outside while cornering, the leaning adds extra weight to the "loaded" outside tires, increasing traction. To have more weight transferred onto the "loaded" tires offers better cornering traction but at the cost of excess body roll (this is where antisway bars come into play.) Calculating roll center is not so important for a daily driver, but knowing it exists and understanding how it can be changed is helpful when designing a quality system or if you intend on speeding around corners in your sport truck.

To find the "simple" roll center of a triangulated link system, you would first find the instant center of the overhead bars (Figure 10). Then, find the distance past the bars of the IC. From there, you would input that distance into the side view. That will give you a close enough roll center to figure from. From the side view (Figure 11), you can see that as the suspension runs through its travel, the roll center will move slightly up and down. That is not necessarily bad, just something to take note of.

From an overhead view, you can see that the roll center is or isn't centered to the chassis depending on the suspension design (Figure 11). And from a side view (which looks just like a nontriangulated link system), you can find the height (the single point of the wishbone.) An off-center roll center should be avoided if any performance is desired. Mounting the single point off center from the truck is not recommended because having an off-center roll center makes the chassis "think" that it's heavier on one side than the other. This can be interesting when driving aggressively on a windy road.

On a side note, a wishbone can take up a lot of extra space to properly set up on a truck designed to lay frame because of the need to mount the single point in the center of the chassis. As a rule, if the truck has a one-piece driveshaft, the system will take up more room than necessary.

Roll Steer
Geometry being what it is, all suspension systems have a steering effect that is induced when one wheel is higher in relation to the chassis than the other; generally this happens while cornering or "hitting sides." It also comes in two different flavors: roll oversteer and roll understeer. Oversteer will steer the truck farther into the corner, causing it to feel as though you have turned the steering wheel too far. Understeer does the exact opposite, needing more input from the wheel to keep on course. Understeer is generally more desirable for a stable-feeling truck, but it's not always that simple. Roll steer is somewhat important to be aware of, as a poorly set-up system can become nearly undriveable if there is too much roll steer of either type. You can see how the wheel moves forward and back in the chassis as the suspension runs through its travel (Figure 12). If one wheel were up and one wheel down, the rearend would have its own steering input, similar to a Radio Flyer wagon. A commonly overlooked characteristic of three- and four-links is the distance that the bars are mounted across from each other. In every case, it is desirable to mount the bars as far to the outside of the axle as possible. Mounting the bars this way helps to minimize roll-steer issues as well as offers more support for the rearend. Top-to-bottom mounting distances are much more complicated and less of a concern. Just try to keep them about 6 inches or so above or below each other at the rearend.

The Big Compromise
For 99 percent of us, a well thought-out neutral system (24- to 36-inch-long bars with an IC around the front bumper) would offer some really good performance. It's the 1 percent who are looking for every last ounce of performance that would need to start worrying about instant center and roll steer. So how should you set up your suspension to do what you want it to? First off, understand that you cannot have a system that does everything the best. You have to find a compromise. For example, an independent suspension can handle better and drive smoother than a straight-axle rear suspension. But, a straight axle will launch harder and withstand higher power from the engine.

Here are some basic starting points: If you're building a long-travel off-road truck, then bars up to 48 inches long and an IC a few feet in front of the truck is best for neutral handling throughout the entire 2-plus feet of travel that you might need. On a road-race truck, shorter link bars with a low roll center and extra attention to roll steer would be a good place to start. And for drag racing, a two-link would work well (there's no cornering in drag racing) or a four-link with 18- to 24-inch-long bars and an IC that's in the middle of the chassis and 6 to 10 inches from the ground. Understand that these are just basic starting points. The dynamic relationship between the ground, tires, rearend, link design, and chassis is constantly changing, and we can only hope to find a fair compromise that works well for what we're trying to accomplish.

Finally, before settling on a suspension design, be honest about what you need your truck to do, not what you want it to do or how you want it to look. We all want our trucks to be the very best, but the actual use of your truck should be considered in your suspension design. If you want a truck that can put 1,000 hp to the ground using a limited-travel suspension design and still be able to drive it to work every day, you're going to suffer with an ill-driving truck in most situations. The same goes for a daily driver that has too much suspension travel-it just won't drive very well that way.

I'll admit it: I'm lazy. Real lazy as a matter of fact. Regardless, I do have standards: I won't let another soul wash a single vehicle of mine, won't let anyone change my oil, and unless it's just something entirely out of my realm of expertise (which doesn't say a whole lot), I do my own servicing whenever possible. That includes the dreaded brake job.

First and foremost, it's probably a good thing if you're familiar with basic handtools. Beyond that, stocking up on a few specialty brake tools, such as those from Lisle and/or Powerbuilt, is highly recommended. Additionally, you'll need a good set of jackstands, a reliable jack, as well as an impact (either 3/8- or 1/2-inch drive), a can of Brakleen (or equivalent), high-temp bearing grease, and maybe a pair of gloves or two. Product-wise, well, that all depends on how much you value your life and the lives of those who travel in your truck. Not too worried? Then stick with the chain-store cheapies and a simple turning of the rotors. But if you want your binders to bind, then open the purse strings a bit more, dig a bit deeper, and spend the coin on quality components like EBC Brakes' Turbo Groove rotors and Sport Formula brake pads. You won't regret it. More than likely you'll pat yourself on the back after you bed those pads into the rotors and see how much more responsive and efficient your truck's brakes are.

Along with the typical R&R'ing of pads and rotors, there are a few possible pitfalls you should be prepared for, first of which are the wheel bearings. Depending on the age of your truck, you might be in store for bearing replacement. Secondly, and again this will be determined by age and use of your truck, there's always the slight possibility of discovering a worn-out brake caliper. Beyond that, anytime you perform maintenance on your brake system, fully inspect each and every component from the master cylinder to the booster, wheel cylinders (if applicable) to flex lines. One faulty component can affect the whole system.

Unless you're the heaviest of leadfoots, most new trucks won't require rotor replacement for the first few brake jobs. That said, some newer trucks aren't always equipped with the best brakes, and once you throw in 20-inch (or larger) wheels, new rotors might become necessary. For all intents and purposes, EBC Brakes' Turbo Groove slotted rotors and Sport Formula (aka Greenstuff) premium pads are perfect replacements as well as upgrades for larger-wheel applications.

EBC's Turbo Groove rotors come pre-installed with new bearing races. Although these feature a powdercoated finish, I still cleaned the races with Brakleen. With ordinary rotors, do the same to remove any shipping oil or coating.

Though it may seem like it, the brake job's not quite do