53 gmc questions

[kgmunro]

I am buying a 53 gmc 3/4 ton and am thinking of a frame swap from an s10...Is there any reason to not use the factory frame and just change the suspension on it? Is this possible? I am used to working on muscle cars..this is my first pickup so if my question sounds dumb I am sorry.

[Dan Bowles]

Do some research. The Search function is your friend. You'll get TONS of response to your question with people telling you to use your stock frame and about an equal amount telling you to swap it if you want.

I've got an S10 frame under my truck. No sweat. I had NO frame when we started so it is different. If you can afford an MII, it is easier on the frame mounts and dealing with steering boxes. You can also swap in a 73-87 cradle with some effort (got one of those I'm fighting with now). You can also swap a Dakota (rack & pinion is so nice). Or you can leave it alone.

Remember, you've got a longer truck than most so if you are going to do a frame swap, you'll end up altering the length (no big deal) on the bed or the frame to make the WB line up.

Read up THEN make a plan and stick to it. There are lots of options with what you have.

[kgmunro]

so when you say 73-87 you mean full size 1/2 ton? I have one of those just sitting around (85). Can the stock frame be shortened to make the truck a short box??

[britnjc]

Anything can be done with a cuttoff wheel and a welder. Check out the project build section there is someone who hase shortened their bed to match the length of their chasis swap.

[mr48chev]

The 73/87 stuff usually doesn't work out under the AD trucks very well as the tread width is quite a wider and the tires usually end up sticking out of the fenders like those on a mid 70's love van. It is a point when you have to stand back and ask yourself, how is this going to look and is it going to look the way I want it to when I am done.
It may work but look too much like you cut too many corners. The way a guy might carry it off is to leave it sitting high in the air with narrow tires to have a heavy duty look rather than a rodded truck or custom truck look.

The MII setups work quite well in most cases and are quite clean in final appearance compared to some setups. Putting the MII on the stock frame allows you to keep the stock body mounts and cab, bed and fender alignment isn't an issue. You still have to deal with the rear suspension and on your truck the length of the bed if you want to run as a shortbed. Not big deals but they have to be figured out.

The S-10 setup is popular for these trucks and works good because the doner trucks are usually available for a very reasonable price in most areas and they have the 11 inch disks on the front good steering and the frames are fairly stout and strong and will handle a strong running V8 if desired. The standard cab longbed frame is the desired one to get in most cases. The short bed frame needs to be lengthened and the extended cab frame is a bit long but in your case you might get away with fitting the length of your bed to the frame and trimming the running boards to match.
There are other options if you let your imagination run a bit.

One of my friends built it on a mid 60's Chevelle frame complete with coil spring rear suspension. The Bed was trimmed at the front of the second stanchion and the front panel moved back. Another friend in Texas built a quite similar truck in the Mid 70's that was on a 55 Chev sedan frame that was shortened a bit to get the wheelbase right.
That was pre digital ( I don't think it had been invented yet) so all of my photos of it are stashed away in an album somewhere. Both guys trimmed the bottom edge of the fenders to match the bottom edge of the cab and on the truck in the photo he removed the bottom bar in the grill to raise the pan up a bit. The owner of this truck is heavy into the pro street thing and is building a new pro street chassis for it.

Sneak preview of his chassis. It uses a Stub off a Camaro/Trans Am, Tube rails and a narrowed nine inch with bagged suspension with a 4 link. I'm showing it to say that the limits are your what your imagination and skills can produce.

[T Hilde]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

Both guys trimmed the bottom edge of the fenders to match the bottom edge of the cab and on the truck in the photo he removed the bottom bar in the grill to raise the pan up a bit.

I would love to see pics of this. I have been thinking about that exact modification on the other truck I have here. Looks like a 3 1/2 inch gain on the lower sheet metal.

[southbounddee]

i did a frame swap and like you i had a long bed as well, so i got my sawsall and chopped the front of the bed lmc trucks sell the post pocket part so now it's the same as a shortbed, i have also seen where a guy put his long bed on a s-10 king cab frame and moved his back fenders a couple of inches. witch ever way you go it,s like dan said no sweat!

[Dan Bowles]

70's love vans are the bomb!