Question of angles

[winchster]

I am about to start my chassis swap and since my original frame has already been modified both front and rear I have a few questions.

• If I level the frame will the cab be level?
• If the frame is level, do the cab and core support sit at 90 deg angles to the frame?
• If I level the frame, will the bed sit level?

The reason I ask, is so that when I put the body on the new chassis, it looks right. It also will give me a starting point since I can measure the frame to cab distance vs the core support and from there figure out about how tall my new cab mounts should be.

Since I'm going to have to create, from scratch, the core support, I can build one based on some dimensions found on this forum, and mount it correctly so as to get my cowl, cab, hood angle close from the start.

Thanks for the help with what is probably common knowledge around here.

[jjjmm56]

# 1, don't think so hard. After a while it hurts. 2 Start with a rolling frame. After you have that then mock up the cab and set your ride hight. This will tell you where to put the cab and mounts. Next mount the fenders this will tell you were the core support goes. Don;t plan too far ahead of yourself because everything WILL change. What frame are you using?

[winchster]

Originally Posted by jjjmm56

# 1, don't think so hard. After a while it hurts. 2 Start with a rolling frame. After you have that then mock up the cab and set your ride hight. This will tell you where to put the cab and mounts. Next mount the fenders this will tell you were the core support goes. Don;t plan too far ahead of yourself because everything WILL change. What frame are you using?

LOL, I can't do anything but think about this. I've been wanting to do this swap for years and now I finally can. I'm using a '78 K5.
I just want to know if the cab sits parallel to the frame, and if the core support and firewall are parallel. I've seen a few of these done, some look great and some look like the nose is running uphill. Since my truck has been modified quite a bit, I thought I'd ask. Besides, I'm a lot more anal about doing this right this time, than I was the first time I hacked this truck together.

[Thadious]

Like jjjmm said... start with a rolling chassis, hopefully with somewhere near the size wheels you intend to end up using. Get the cab on and centered, shimmed to the height you suspect you want. Fit up some kind of core support and mock up the front fenders and hood. Use the spacing around the fenderwells for centering the tires and moving the cab forward or aft and to figure how high you want the fenders / running boards off the ground (mine are at 8") and go from there. For the most part, your placement of the front end and the look you are going for is totally you choice, but go in a linear fashion, one thing to the next and you won't blow your head up trying to figure out how to get everything to fit.

Feel free to holler me if I can be of any help!

Cheers,
Ted.

[winchster]

Ok, let's try this one more time.

I know how to get where I want to be. I appreciate all the suggestions.

My question however, was, I would like to know the relationship of the cab and frame from the factory. Is the firewall @ 90deg from the frame. Is the floor parallel to the frame. I would like to know the relationship of the core support to the frame from the factory. Is the core support @90 deg from the frame.

These questions are assuming the frame to be level with the earth.

[jjjmm56]

If you were going with a 2x4 tube frame that is straight ,no bends or Z's than yes, set your body level and core to a 90. With using a K5 frame they have bends and angles that you may need to work around by shimming. Was the K5 frame level before? Maybe you need to think will the bottom of the cab be level to the ground.

[OrrieG]

From what I have seen parting out three 1974 trucks C10 and K10 the cab and bed sit parallel or level to the frame. Anything else and you have to start shimming to get to level. If you are dealing with someone elses work, you should get the center cab frame section level then check the back and front modifications to see if they are level. Any rake or stance issues should be taken up in the suspension, not by angling the front frame clip. If you have been reading the build thread here then you know the rest of the drill, get the front wheel centered in the wheel well, set then cab to the clip then check the bed wheel wells. You don't say if its an AD of TF, if its an AD the cab/hood/radiator support relationship is critical to getting the hood to set right, there have been other threads about that. Good luck. Patrick

[winchster]

Patrick, I'm working on a '49, it's in my sig. Stance should always be set with suspension. I'm not dealing with someone else's work, I was party to the mods that are on this truck. I just don't remember how it sat 20 years ago when we started modifying it. That's what I wanted to know, was how did it sit originally. I don't have the original bed mount blocks, or the original core support. That's why I was asking for the angles.

jjj - The K5 front and rear horns are level with one another, so it all works out the same.

[cajundragger]

your over complicating it.

when the frame is level the bottom of the inner rocker pieces are level. Who knows if the firewall is 90 degrees or not? It doesn't matter.

Yes the core-support would be parallel with the firewall

seems like your asking alot of common sense things.

[Dan Bowles]

If it were common sense, we'd all know. Looking at the number of responses that haven't answered his question, I suspect it isn't so common.

I believe the floor and firewall to be perpendicular. I believe the rad support to be parallel to the firewall. I believe the floor to be parallel to the frame on an AD.

HOWEVER, this is the inside truck portion of the floor and you'll have steps underneath to take into consideration. As stated above, it may be best to bolt things together and set it all up to verify height and location. The bottom of the radiator support is not necessarily even with any part of the cab. You will get trial and ERROR. I adjusted the rad support about 4 times to get our truck where it is and I'm not convinced it is right, yet.

My build was an S10 frame and I assumed the under floor rails to be the starting point. I set that up on jack stands and shimmed until it was level, then I leveled the cab on it. Then I put the front end on and adjusted about 100 times until I thought it was sitting right. Then I built the supports and still cut them out 3 times. One handy dandy tool I found to use was a scissors jack from a late model GM car (I work for a supplier of these so sometimes run across them). If you can get one from an Impala/Monte/LaCrosse/Equinox/Torrent/Vue they most likely have a 19 mm/ 3/4" drive hex head on them. I got 4 and sat them on the frame close to the mount locations. Then I used a ratchet and adjusted the height as needed with levels running everywhere. THEN I build the cab mounts, raised them all 1/2 turn or so, slid everything into place, bolted them up and welded them up. When I lowered it down, it sat where I wanted it. Better than wood!

[winchster]

Dan, thanks for the info. I like the Jack idea too

Cajun I'm not overcomplicating anything. If you read my original questions I think they are quite simple. As far as common knowledge, maybe but I don't have a stock truck to start from so I asked for help from the people I knew should know.