There’s no question that 1973-1987 Chevy Square Body trucks are gaining in popularity among the Bow Tie brigade. These trucks are good looking, readily available, and are a bargain compared to the price tags usually found on their 1967 to 1972 brethren. But while these haulers are cool, like most pickups of the era they can benefit from suspension upgrades. That’s the domain of Detroit Speed and its QUADRALink suspension for 1973-1987 Chevrolet C10 Square Body pickups.

Kyle Tucker, president of Detroit Speed, has loved race cars since elementary school. That passion led to a degree in mechanical engineering and a job working at the GM proving grounds. Tucker worked initially as a test engineer gathering data acquisition on the Corvette program and later in suspension development. Then, in 2001, the corporate world was left behind and the doors of Detroit Speed were opened. As you might guess from the name, it all started in Detroit. What may not be so obvious is those doors that opened were on a two-car garage. However, it didn’t take long for the business to gain a reputation for offering the finest high-performance suspension components and as a result today Detroit Speed is housed in a 40,000-square-foot facility in Mooresville, North Carolina. It’s in this new facilty that Detroit Speed’s suspension systems are designed by highly qualified engineers and built by fabricators using state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies.

In addition to the wide variety of suspension parts offered for cars, Detroit Speed has expanded its offerings to include Chevy trucks. The latest is the 1973-1987 GM C10 QUADRALink rear suspension kit, the ideal way to upgrade from the stock rear suspension. The QUADRALink system’s geometry offers the best possible handling while the patented Swivel-Link trailing arms eliminate bind, allowing the rear suspension to fully articulate without the use of noisy spherical rod ends. The Swivel-Links also allow easy pinion angle adjustment for improved traction and the elimination of driveline vibrations. The links also include high-durometer rubber bushings on either end that provide control without the harshness of metal-to-metal rod ends. To provide precise and effective rear axle lateral location, an adjustable Panhard bar is used. Also included in the kit are coilover shocks and springs, C-notch reinforcements for the frame, and all necessary hardware and templates for installation.

Once the stock rear suspension components are removed, installing the QUADRALink components is straight forward. We were able to follow the process on a Square Body belonging to John McLeod of Classic Instruments. The first step is normally modifying the framerails and installing the C-notch plates. However, McLeod’s truck had been lowered in the past, so the framerails had already been modified. In this case it was simply a matter of drilling a few holes and bolting on the Detroit Speed suspension components.

Detroit Speed’s QUADRALink system offers a long list of advantages, including a better ride and adjustable upper shock mounts to alter ride height and noticeably improved handling. Check out the following photos to see what it takes to provide your Square Body with the ultimate underpinnings.