How quick do you think you or your favorite fabrication shop could take a stock second-generation Chevy S-10 and lay it out on 18s and 20s? A week's time is a fair assumption to complete the tasks of fabricating the hardware and bracketry and performing the labor necessary to install an air suspension on an S-Dime. Well, we did it in less than 24 hours. Impossible? Not when Air Lift has your back. Its new air system for the S-10 is nearly a bolt-on affair, and with the right tools and skills, you can be draggin' frame in a tenth of the time it traditionally takes to perform this mod.
We took its new kit and a bone-stock '96 Chevy S-10 down to Traders 2K in Norwalk, California, and less than 24 hours elapsed before our truck was tuckin' a set of killer Rozzi Chamber wheels and Toyo tires. The wheels measure in at 18x8 inches for the front and 20x8 inches for the rear. The tires measure 215/35R18 and 255/35R20, respectively. The kit itself is remarkable in its inclusiveness because it provides every last nut, bolt, electrical connector, wire, and hose clamp needed to finish the install. We didn't have to run to the local hardware or auto parts store once, which kept costs down to a minimum and sped up the install time. A real bonus, though, was the thorough set of instructions that covered every last detail, right down to setting the pinion angle of the driveline and properly cutting out the hole in the bed for the step notch. To find out how you can get laid out in just a day, contact the companies listed in the source box at the end of this story.
1.The guinea pig: a standard...
1.The guinea pig: a standard cab '96 Chevy S-10 that's bone stock. Hell, this truck still has a tape deck.
2.The step notches are as...
2.The step notches are as burly as they come. If you are second-guessing a bolt-on step-notch, one look at the powdercoated 3/16-inch plate steel used in these bad boys will change your mind.
3.In the Air Lift kit, the...
3.In the Air Lift kit, the 'bags are mounted over the top of the axle tubes and bolted to the bridge. The three-link suspension bars are fully adjustable and include a track bar and a Panhard bar.
4.Richard, head mechanic at...
4.Richard, head mechanic at Traders, hoisted the S-Dime into the air on a chassis lift.
5.Next, the bed was removed...
5.Next, the bed was removed to gain access to the rear suspension.
6.Here's a refresher photo...
6.Here's a refresher photo of the standard leaf-sprung rear suspension of the S-10.
7.Let the hacking begin! The...
7.Let the hacking begin! The exhaust system was cut off just behind the muffler and in front of the passenger-side rear axle tube.
8.The charcoal canister and...
8.The charcoal canister and fuel vapor solenoid on S-10s are mounted to a crossmember behind the gas tank, as opposed to the usual underhood mounting locations of most other minis.
9.These two items need to...
9.These two items need to be removed and set aside so they can be reinstalled later on.
10.To gain more travel for...
10.To gain more travel for the rear e-brake cables, the frame hangers are unbolted.
11.Next, the stock shock absorbers...
11.Next, the stock shock absorbers are unbolted and thrown in the trash.
12.The stock shock mounts...
12.The stock shock mounts are riveted to the frame rails and an air chisel is used to remove them.
13.The rear brake line union...
13.The rear brake line union is taken from its frame mount by removing the retaining clip.
14.The spare tire carrier...
14.The spare tire carrier is unbolted and removed. On late-model ('98-'01) S-10s, the spare tire crossmember must be trimmed for clearance. On our particular truck, this was not the case.
15.The stock bumpstops and...
15.The stock bumpstops and mounts are cut away from the framerails because they interfere with the new step notches.
16.It's just about time to...
16.It's just about time to notch the framerails, but first we must brace them with this new crossmember. It bolts into a pair of factory holes in the framerails, just in front of the spare tire crossmember.
17.On the driver-side of the...
17.On the driver-side of the truck, the brake line mounts had to be removed and the lines temporarily bent upwards to make room for the step notch.
18.Both notch plates were...
18.Both notch plates were then clamped to the framerails above the axle tubes and the mounting holes were drilled out.
19.The bridge crossmember...
19.The bridge crossmember was installed between the notch plates to keep them level and centered, and then Grade 8 5/8-inch bolts were installed in conjunction with large flat washers and Nyloc bolts to secure the plates to the framerails.
20.A plasma cutter was then...
20.A plasma cutter was then used to trim out the portion of the framerails beneath the notch plates. A 1/4-inch piece of the top of the original framerails was left intact to keep them stronger.
21.A common modification to...
21.A common modification to an S-10 is trimming the gas tank crossmember to clear the driveshaft when the truck is laid out. This serves two purposes in the case of the Air Lift kit.