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Belltech Coilover Upgrade Transforms This 1997 Chevy C1500 Front End

Chris Hamilton . April 08, 2026 . Tech .
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Finishing the Front End

Part two of our Belltech suspension install on this cherry ’97 Chevy C1500 dives straight into the front end. With the bed off and the rear end dialed in from part one, it was time to tackle the nose of this OBS legend. We ditched the factory front suspension and bolted in Belltech’s new coilover setup, which is their first-ever front coilover kit for ’88–’98 Chevy trucks. This is huge news for sport truck fans who remember the golden era.

Just like the rear, everything up front is engineered to perform. The coilovers offer adjustability, precision, and a tight stance. We also added Belltech’s beefy front sway bar to keep this rig flat and confident in the corners. With the suspension fully updated from front to back, it was finally time to mount up our rollers.

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We went with 20-inch Billet Specialties TEC 5 wheels, 8.5 inches wide up front and 10s in the back, and wrapped them in Atturo AZ850 ultra-high-performance tires. These things grip like crazy and handle just as good as they look. The offset is dead-on for this body style, and the polished finish makes the whole build pop.

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After everything was torqued down and double-checked, we dropped the OBS to the ground and took it for its first shakedown. And let us tell you, this isn’t the same truck. The ride is smooth, tight, and responsive. Body roll is gone, bumps are soaked up with confidence, and it carves through turns like a street machine. Belltech knocked it out of the park with this new system, and if you’re looking to transform your C1500 into a true performer, this is a great option for your truck.

Let’s jump into the install and get this truck back on the road!

SOURCES

Belltech
800-445-3767
www.belltech.com

Billet Specialties
800-245-5382
www.billetspecialties.com

Atturo Tires
855-632-8031
www.atturo.com

Belltech Coilover Upgrade
With the truck on jack stands, we could remove the front wheels and put them in storage for now.
The nearly 30-year-old suspension looks beat down and worn out, but this part of the truck will look brand new when we are done with it.

Removing the tie-rod ends was the first move to getting this old suspension off the truck.
Belltech Coilover Upgrade
Next, we unbolted the front spindle from the upper and lower control arms.
Belltech Coilover Upgrade
We could now remove both upper and lower control arms since this new Belltech kit comes with all new parts.
We won’t reuse these old control arms on any future projects, so they will be sold at the local swap meet.
Belltech Coilover Upgrade
The first new part we installed was this upper control arm bracket at the top of the spring perch. This will raise the mounting points and give us a more solid mounting location.
Belltech Coilover Upgrade
Next, we installed the upper control arms into the new bracket.
The new Belltech control arms have adjustable Heim joints built in, which every alignment tech will appreciate.
The lower control arms were next to go on. These new control arms from Belltech are super nice and beefy.

Next up were Belltech’s new 3-inch drop spindles, which are made from high-strength ductile iron and powdercoated for durability. These are built specifically for ’88–’98 GM C1500 trucks, and they deliver a killer stance without sacrificing ride quality.

Belltech Coilover Upgrade

Belltech Coilover Upgrade
The coilovers were mounted to the top shock mount. We will adjust the spring height once we have the installation complete.
We then bolted the bottom of the coilover to the lower control arms using the provided hardware.
Connecting the top of the spindle to the upper control arm completed the hard part of the front install.
Belltech Coilover Upgrade
Just check out how clean this front kit is. It’s well-built, engineered for performance, and coated to last.

Belltech Coilover Upgrade

Belltech Coilover Upgrade
We then added the factory brake dust shield to the spindle. Using the provided template, we need to trim the shield for a little extra clearance.
The Belltech brake caliper bracket was installed next.

With the front suspension installed, we then removed the factory sway bars to install the new Belltech bars. These new units are mounted directly to the factory bolt locations.
Here is a great look at the new front suspension setup, which was complete and ready for the new wheels. It’s such a well-designed kit!
We bolted on this set of 20×8.5 and 20×10 Billet Specialties TEC 5 wheels wrapped in Atturo AZ850 performance rubber—245/40R20 up front and 305/35R20 out back. Built specifically for ’88–’98 trucks, the fitment of these Billet Specialties wheels is dead-on.
Here is the final look at this beautiful truck and its amazing suspension.
Time for a test ride! It carves corners like a sports car and soaks up the bumps in the road like a boss. We can’t explain how impressed we are with this kit.

 

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Chris Hamilton

Chris Hamilton is an automotive journalist, editor, and lifelong truck enthusiast with extensive experience covering custom truck builds, fabrication, performance upgrades, aftermarket products, and a ...

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