As we walked the lengths of the halls here at PRI 2013, we were struck by some of the really cool products available for the restoration market. Among them were these new classic truck suspension systems made by Heidts.

Front kits include a Wilwood brake setup, complete with 4-piston calipers for awesome stopping power.

We chatted with Mike Ruth to find out the features behind the parts. As he explained, Heidts saw there was a need in the market for a beefier suspension system for classic pickups which are much heavier than typical street rods, and are growing in popularity. The company wanted to fill the void with a worthy product, that would provide good performance, safety, and reliability for classic truck owners.

“This is our new suspension system for 1967-72 C10s and 1965-73 F-100s. It’s a complete solution to the rear-end debacle that they call [the rear suspension.] It’s a brand new design.”

The debacle Ruth speaks of was the issue builders were having with their suspension’s weight tolerance. In years past, when it came to restoration, many builders were forced to choose from street rod setups that served well for hot rods, but not so well for trucks, which could weigh in excess of two tons, not to mention additional mods like adding diesel engines, something Ruth says is becoming increasingly popular in the classic truck scene.

To remedy this, the company made these systems with 1.75-inch DOM tubing. This meant the system would get a superior strength rating and capability to handle larger loads.

Other features included the “fabricated nine-inch housing, six inches of adjustable ride height in the back, billet aluminum coil-over mounts, and a three-position panhard bar–again, the same diameter, 1.75-inch DOM tubing with one-inch rod ends. I mean, this thing’s beefy,” says Ruth.

Up front the company is also changing the way the front ends and suspension are viewed. “Again we’re going away from street rod level parts, and engineering for trucks.” The front coil-over suspensions are also engineered to be ride-height adjustable, and feature heavier duty control arms intended for use with trucks. “You can show the truck with this, you can haul loads in the bed, you can pull your boat if you wanted to,” says Ruth.

Front suspension systems also include Wilwood brake packages with a variety of options as well as optional drop-spindles for getting things really low. The front system for C-10’s is a complete unbolt and bolt-in solution. Heidt’s even engineered the Ford system so that the factory welds simply need to be ground out to remove the front, and their new system can be bolted in using existing holes, meaning no welding.

We were impressed with the design and engineering work that went into these new systems, and it got us thinking of a few classic truck build ideas of our own. To see more about these systems, check out Heidts on their website and Facebook page.