Ken448

I have a s10 that is already narrowed with 14" wide rear wheels and a 9" rear end. It is, however on leafs right now (stock frame rails brought in necessary length, etc.) I went to a local shop and asked what adding the ladder bars and coil overs would run me and he slapped me with a response of $8,000.. So I was like... lets see here 1,000 in materials and $7k in labor!?!

Needless to say I wont be going back there! My question is.. What should I expect to spend on having these parts installed if I provided the parts (labor cost) Chassis Engineering Ladder Bars and QA1 Proma Star Coil Over Kit. May replace the tubs in the bed as well.

Truck is not really a racer, more of a street/cruiser but it handles like absolute CRAP with the leafs on it. Runs 13.04 @ 111 mph last trip to the track on MT Sportsman's with a 2.0 spinning 60 ft.

us7race

A friend of mine had his done. 4-link tubs and coil overs installed.
About 50/50 on parts He only paid $1100.
My friend supplied the Shocks and rod ends I believe.
He made a whole new boxed rear frame. and fully welded the 4-link brackets top to bottom. I thought it was cheap.

Ken448

Thats more like what I thought it was going to run. Needless to say when I was hit with the "gonna be about $8k" I about fell over. If you dont want the work, just say "sorry, we dont do stuff like that"

zipper06

My 1998 Sonoma stepside, $1500.00 included narrowing the big 9", installing lexan rear window, and the roll bar with swing out bars. I furnished the housing, and ladder bars. I also bought the Moser axles, and the QA1 shocks which i haven't put on yet. It'll be a flattop 406" with brodix track 1's and PG, should be streetable and run about 10.50.

Zip.

Ken448

Silly question, but how are you going to get the bed back on the truck?

Heres mine right now:

Album of the truck:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f17/Ken448/S%2010/

Pretty much all I need is someone to weld on the Ladder bars, Coil overs and Im set. Not even looking to do the cage right now.

I have a 98 Sonoma stepside as well that WAS gong to be the project truck, but I found this 89 ALMOST complete for a pretty good deal so I scooped it up. Love to see yours finished!

zipper06

Not a silly question at all, i will have to drill out the spot welds at the front of the bed, then useing a saber saw split the bottom of the bed at the same width of the roll bars, slide the bed on, then bolt the front panel back on and tack weld the center panal back in every couple inches and install the plastic wheel wells, rather than alum. wheel wells, then use a spray in bed liner, to cover up,all the surgery. I also installed a mustang power steering rack and pinion and dropped the cross member to accept a better pan. In fact the motor mounts are in also to install an LS1 and 4l60 trans if i want to go with a computerised engine and trans. What it will look like is pictured below but about 2" higher and with Rod Lite wheels, it want have a hinged bed cover it will instead have mounted bed cover cut across and hindged just behind the roll bars for access to the alum fuel tank and duel batteries. Sounds easy but also time comsumming. I did save 4 of the 6 mounting brackets on the chassis.

Zip.











Zip.

Turner74

You may have already did this but, dont forget to box your frame if your useing the stock one, like from your backhalf, to the firewall, where the frame comes back to solid. It seemed to stiffen my s10 up alot , but maybe there's a better way.