76 k5 suspension and brake upgrade

[NCTyphoonKid]

looking to update the brakes and suspension on my 76 k5 everything is stock, would like to keep the stock height. Anyone have any good recommendations on brake upgrade and suspension stuff? Just wanting to update it as it’s getting up on age it’s time for some updating. Would like to tackle it this winter

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

Well, you could do rear discs, which is a nice update. I can see myself doing this one day on my Jimmy because I’m not a big fan of the brakes on there. I’d rebuild everything before I gave up on them. The drums work well on my old car, though. There’s a sticky on here about using Chevy Astro parts to do the disc swap and everything that entails. Polyurethane bushings are another thing to consider if your old ones are looking bad, but those have pros and cons just like rubber. I guess it depends on what’s important to you when it comes to ride feel, noise, longevity, etc. ‘76 is too old for the XJ sector shaft swap with your factory steering column. I don’t know what options are out there in that department. I would imagine your shocks are getting up there, too, and a good set of shocks could make a lot of difference. I wouldn’t go too crazy. A square body 4x4 has two solid axles, plus the K5 has a really short wheelbase, and there’s only so much you can do to mitigate that. I actually like the ride feel a lot. I just need to get the junk out of my center console because I hate hearing things jingle around every time I hit a bump.

 

[NCTyphoonKid]

I’ve put new shocks on about a year ago all the way around. The bushings are just starting to get aged along with the rubber brake lines as well

 

[peats]

how are the cab mounts? if they are cracked and squishy that could affect the overall feel of the ride.

 

[Martimus]

Make sure your front and rear bumpers are good and tight. Frame twist makes it feel spongy. Replace your leaf spring and body bushings with poly ones. Check the steering box and collar for any play. Ball joints, tie rods, etc... Wheel bearings...

 

[75gmck25]

Over the years I've been trying to tighten up my '75 K25, so I've got this set of tasks.

- Replacing cab bushings brought the tranmission shifter linkage into alignment, and really quieted down the cab. My old bushings were letting the cab sit down and touch the transfer case, so all the drive-train vibration was coming into the cab. I used poly bushings, which I lubricated, but they did squeak for a while.
- Replaced sway bar bushings - not any noticeable difference
- Replaced ball joints - time consuming job, since you have to remove hubs and pull the axles to get to the ball joints. It also required a couple special tools, but I borrowed most of them from Autozone. I did have to buy the 4WD lock nut socket and the upper ball joint adjuster socket.
- Replaced drag link and tie rod ends
- Replaced rag joint (my '75 cannot use the jeep steering joint upgrade)
- Adjusted steering box - The right way to do this is to have the drag link disconnected, and use an inch-lb wrench on the steering wheel center nut. You loosen the lock nut on the box and tighten down the free play until it meets specs (IIRC its something like 6-12 inch lbs at the center point). This won't fix a really worn box, but it does help a lot.
- I also have new spring bushings, but have not installed them. That is also a PIA job, since the old rubber bushings don't come out easily.

I would build a complete parts list and search for best prices. For both basic parts (ball joints, etc.) and all the bushings you can save a lot by using the online suppliers.

Bruced