California has been in the middle of the car scene since anyone knew there was a scene. We all know that SoCal in particular has a particular infatuation with automobiles, and the car culture there is other worldly in comparison to most of the rest of the country. And it’s been that way since the 1940’s. So it will come as no surprise that the first production drop spindles came from a SoCal company called Western Chassis who soon after opening in 1981, realized there was a need to be able to lower a Tri-Five Chevy and convert to disc brakes that went beyond just using springs and brackets. And so, the first drop spindle was born. Just two years after Western Chassis opened, Belltech was born just a little further north in California’s Central Valley.
In an area known mostly for agriculture and the national parks and forests visited by tourists, Belltech built a company, an industry, and a truck scene that had never existed before. When they developed their drop spindles for late model trucks, the world as we know it changed forever. Not only were enthusiasts buying them to lower their trucks, but in the early to mid 1990’s Belltech was selling suspension systems to dealerships who were lowering new Chevrolet and GMC trucks and selling them on the lot! Sport Trucks were a thing, and because of the insane amount of parts that quickly became available, new industries were born. Billet became a thing, bolt on parts became a bigger thing, and an entire world of automotive enthusiasts grew from it.
Belltech changed the world when they created the Sport Truck market. It sounds boisterous, but it is true. It changed the game, for everyone, at every level, and in every subset of the automotive culture.
In this video from our friends at Auto Revolution, you are going to go behind the scenes and take a look at the people and the company, and everything that went into creating this scene that changed the world.
Video Description:
Since 1983, a small company in Fresno, California, had ideas on how to build the best-performing lowering suspension.
Belltech’s drop spindle was launched and helped fuel America’s Sport Truck craze. Now, some 40 years later, Belltech still looks to provide the best performing suspension systems for both lowered, lifted and racing trucks.
We helped them take a look back through their iconic history and go behind the scenes of the company today!
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