1964 Stepside frame help

[64chevmn]

I just purchased this truck last month and I'm still finding lots of surprises the previous owner left for me. On a crossover member on the frame where the drive shaft passes through and the rear trailing arms bolt to, I think the PO left me another surprise with a few chunks of flat steel that appear to have been added. I'm assuming with the high horse power engine the truck has, was he trying to stiffen the frame or keep it from twisting??

[1963c-10]

You gotta love some PO's......seems needless to me...would take quite a bit of hp to twist one of these frames. I don't see where they would have helped him that much if any.

Did he weld them in or bolt them on?

[64chevmn]

Both pieces are bolted in, so removing them will be easy. But, when you look at the pictures there are two bolts that are just hanging there?? Is there supposed to be some other type of support in that area that is stock?

[wayno]

Not on my 64 stepside there wasn't - obviously a few feet ahead of that another cross member where the mechanism for the emergency brake cable divider/assembly sits but nothing that I remember on your trailing arm cross member.

[66Submarine]

looks like it might have used to have a sm420 (4 speed truck trans) and that was for the carrier bearing.

[Captainfab]

I agree.....looks to me like the truck had a 2 piece driveshaft with the HD carrier bearing, at one time. Apparently the PO bolted in that flat plate instead of using the factory bracket.

Originally Posted by 66Submarine

looks like it might have used to have a sm420 (4 speed truck trans) and that was for the carrier bearing.

[64chevmn]

The truck is a short bed; when I pull the box off this fall I'll take a closer look at it and fix it the correct way.

Dan