Let’s face it: The new, hot truck of the hobby is the 1960-1987 C-10 Chevy. With the amenities available for these trucks they have become modern classics. The Chevy truck was available with power steering, A/C, IFS and a host of other great goodies, including power disc brakes. While still not up to today’s standards, with a little tweaking they make really great options on a classic truck without having to break the bank to have cold air and comfortable seats. The only downfall to this is that they are outdated. 

Basically these parts represent 40-year-old technology, and while most of these trucks had drum brakes and manual steering, which is ancient history in the classic truck world, simple upgrades such as disc brakes and power steering kits are available. But when used with the stock OE equipment, you are still just upgrading old technology. One problem we face today is that with larger-diameter wheels being the mainstream of today’s rides, the problem of wheel offset and being able to tuck the wheels under these trucks can sometimes become difficult. Let’s also look at the cosmetics of the front suspension. The front crossmember on these trucks hangs extremely low, which presents a problem with lowered trucks. The stock A-arms are stamped units that will tend to flex with the wide tires and wheels these trucks are equipped with today, and the steering is not as precise as that of a rack-and-pinion.

Fat Man Fabrications has the solution to each and every one of these problems. Brent VanDervort and his crew at Fat Man design and build their kits with three things in mind: ease of installation, quality of construction and great styling. Each product that leaves the Fat Man Fabrications facility is the best product that it can be, and it is sure to provide great ride and handling. The new suspension offered by Fat Man is of the bolt-in Mustang II IFS variety and is available for 1960-1987 Chevy pickups. Not only will this setup solve all of the problems mentioned, but it will narrow the track width of the truck by 2 inches. This allows you to run a killer wheel and tire combo. 

The kit is a true bolt-in unit, and when we say bolt-in that’s exactly what we mean. The only true modification that you will have to make is motor mounts. Fat Man offers a new set of weld-in motor mounts, or you can build a spacer and modify your existing mounts. You will need to purchase a steering shaft assembly, which is available through Fat Man and uses quality Borgeson components. 

The install for this new IFS was actually on a 1947 International pickup that had previously been updated with a 1965 Chevy pickup front frame clip, chosen for its ultra-cheap price and simple adaptability. The problems discussed previously are the same we encountered on our project. The drum brakes were seriously outdated, as was the stock manual steering box—an assembly that made turning the truck a project in itself. 

The kit we opted for was the Stage 3 system that came complete from hub to hub and included every part we needed to complete the installation. The kit includes everything down to the antiseize compound and cotter pins. It requires simple garage tools, including an impact wrench, an air compressor and a wrench and socket set. The kit went on without any problems and took about eight hours to install. It now looks great and handles even better. 

Follow along as we complete our bolt-in IFS for the ’65 Chevy truck frontend.