51' 3100 build in PA New to Site

[oldman3]

99, cool pics...Jim

[Sim6]

Your trucks look great. Is the first picture in post 397 your 51'? If so that has 2/3 drop? Just looking for an idea of how mine will look. Thanks 99.

[99 to Life]

Sim, yeah thats my 51' s10 chassis 2/3 drop. looks different sitting on the hill. it sits pretty dang low. I'm about 4" off frame

[Sim6]

did you end up keeping the 14's or did you go with 15's?
Jeff

[99 to Life]

they are 14" 26" tall I do believe

[99 to Life]

7-4 I have more pics and small updates on the 51'. BF I post them, thought I post some alignment issues I'm having. I think the pics say it all. I'm thinking my camber is wrong for my set up. Perhaps some guys with lowered s10's/350 experience would be able to help. although the biggest variable some may not have is the bias tires.

let me know your thoughts, this alignment shop is supposed to be the best in a huge radius around me. Im going to call them and get the skinny. I don't know how many miles I have on the tires, but is really not much 2-3K. I figure that is not long for this to happen. I can't be blowing through my wide whites like this.

[joedoh]

normally I would say camber doesnt wear tires, toe in or out does, but are those bias ply?

if so, cant run much camber on a bias tire, it will wear out like crazy, the way the plys are aligned in the tire needs a low camber installation, because the more uneven the ground pressure is, the more force the bias tire puts on the side with the higher ground pressure.

if they are radials, have you replaced the front end components on the s10 chassis? worn bushings will hold in place for an alignment and then the road force pushes them back, like your hand in the wind, leading to super weird wear patterns.

hope this helps!

[99 to Life]

joedoh, they are bias tires. I suspect that is a lot of the problem. this front end did not have new bushings in the arms, but everything else is new. I have new poly bushings I could put in uppers. Current build def has all new everything. Thinking about getting some radials with portowalls and trying that out.

[joedoh]

summit has coker wide white radials in stock, make sure you replace in sets of 4 though!

[99 to Life]

Oh man, I don't even have to check the pricing. pretty much know that is too rich for my blood. If I knew exactly what the problem was, I could see doing that cause I don't log a ton of miles a year, so they would last. I'll prolly try the portowall first. I bought a set of used radial whites and rims for one of my cars and 2 of the tires are portowall, I didn't even notice!

[ptc]

Based on the BEFORE and AFTER "Toe" reports I'd say your Toe angle was a 1/2" OUT! and that was amplifying your camber issue.

Toe looks good now at 1/32" on both sides.

This is obviously a camber issue and the reports even show that they are still not true'd to within what I call OEM tire specs.

The camber should be set pretty close to absolute vertical for your truck. Since you wont be doing any heavy cornering and imparting lateral G forces on the front end. That is the only reason to have negative camber setups so that the wheel stands vertical under heavy load in a turning condition.

You have negative camber and thats why its wearing the inner edge of the tire. If your camber cannot be set to vertical in its present suspension installation then you need to re-adjust how your a-arm mounts are installed so you have proper adjustment of the camber through its entire range.

[99 to Life]

thanks guys, yeah I totally feel its a camber issue. I emailed the shop and never got a reply. So I'll be taking my current build up there soon. I'll go over the printout with them and see if we can't get each truck to zero camber.

[99 to Life]

6-22 back for my annual post! Took the fam out and loaded up 950lbs of gravel in the truck. The truck unloaded weighs about 3600lbs. used the gravel to lay under my kids playhouse Im building them. here is my daughter cleaning off pounds of bird shat that gathered on my truck. Its a never ending battle trying to keep my trucks in storage. Either they set in rain or get ****ted on somehow!

Hoping to maybe tear truck down this winter. was going to put some vortec heads on engine, new intake, clean it all back up. Then tear front clip off, clean frame, bag front. Maybe just stop there and attack the back half the following year. I'm also puttin a blazer disc rear set up in and possibly putting a different fuel tank in. I plan to redo the interior as well.

Very ironic story... not pertaining to this truck, but my other truck. So if any of you followed hardtimes, guy had a fender bender, I did up some parts for him to replace it.... hold that thought. So about 5.5 years ago I started getting into these trucks, bf I built this 51' I was gathering parts. I bought a hood door and random parts off a guy around pittsburgh area. I seen some more random parts on CL today, I go out there and deja vu its the same guy I bought parts of 5.5 years ago. SO the hood I got off him that sat the whole time, ended up getting used on the 49' that got wrecked. So it was a full circle type of story I felt.

[SalvagedSouls]

very cool. Can't wait to get mine underway. All my time has been spent on house projects and trying to finish out the interior of the new pole barn. I haven't made much headway on the barn lately unfortunately.

[99 to Life]

tell me about it! time and money can't seem to be enough with house projects, let alone a truck build. I have my new house to work on here, and also my other farm property where I keep all my trucks. Doing fencing at both places, moving cars and trucks, laying gravel, trying to get some more roofs over them, building sheds, working on houses you name it. Just gotta keep at it, chip away and don't let it overwhelm you. It takes years to accomplish things. the older you get 5 years aint nothing!!!!

[99 to Life]

10-10-16 Took the truck out for 100+ mile round trip. Headed up to Peak n Peak car show again this year. Weather was off and on, but no rain. The cool part is I finally got to cruise with my friend and his 54' belair. Its been about a 15yr dream for him and we've been through quite a few crazy stories with getting a 54' two door. Its obviously not done but it goes. Its got a muncie 4speed in it and a 327. He just put up his rare gulf sign. Thing is gigantic in person.

Show was ok, couple cool cars and trucks but not many. Way too many modern vehicles. This 53' caddy was prolly the nicest car there.

[oldman3]

Hey 99, as long as you and your bud had a good time, that's what counts...Jim

[Advanced Design]

Yeah, it is always good to get out with a buddy. 99, love how you enjoy this truck, haul gravel, go to show. Must have been cold that day.

[99 to Life]

oh yah I put the truck to use. can't wait to tear back into it. the show was 55-60 degrees. got cold and hot, day couldn't make up its mind.

[Hewfil1]

So glad I read this thread. Amazing every step of the way.

[99 to Life]

thanks, my 49' build was quite a trip too. working on a 54' now. speaking of this thread and 51'. I am tearing into it very soon. Im baggin it and doing the interior. might put my vortec heads on it this year. Eventually this truck will go back on its original frame and be completely redone again, maybe LS it then, keep the 5 speed! stay tuned cause I will be updating this thread. Prolly changing rim color to black or rootbeer, same with interior. Doing a tach and speedo conversion too.

[Hewfil1]

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

thanks, my 49' build was quite a trip too. working on a 54' now. speaking of this thread and 51'. I am tearing into it very soon. Im baggin it and doing the interior. might put my vortec heads on it this year. Eventually this truck will go back on its original frame and be completely redone again, maybe LS it then, keep the 5 speed! stay tuned cause I will be updating this thread. Prolly changing rim color to black or rootbeer, same with interior. Doing a tach and speedo conversion too.

Your work is amazing. One of these times if you take a vehicle to a show, I'll have to make a trip to come meet you and see the work in person.

[99 to Life]

thank you. I don't get time or desire to go or do many shows. but... the biggest one i'v done was the autorama in pittsburgh. its usually in end of january. I might do it this coming year again.

[99 to Life]

3-21-17

I'm made up my mind as Iv wanted to bag my 51' for a while along with redoing interior, addressing quite a bit of other things. So I'v been chipping away on parts. Soon as it stays warm I'm working on this truck at my new house. I work on my other projects at another property about 4 miles away. My garage is small but will work, atleast it is dry.

I'm building my link bars and I have these upper bars you see here that I'll use for my upper triangulated bars. I have rear firestone sleeve bags I traded my friend for. I'v had these new airlift 2600 bags for a while. Just bought some new upper arms from speedway. I used these on my 49hardtimes truck and I like them, can't beat the 100$ for em. I'll use my stock lower control arms.

My goals are (money is extremely tight but I'll chip away)
bag the truck first, keeping it simple with manual valves. Goal is to do this
as inexpensive as possible. Only thing I'll have to buy is tank, lines, fittings and manual little larry's valve block, compressors. then I'm getting 2x2" tubing and getting the threaded bushing thorbros makes so I can then thread in their adjustable link ends. Im may build my bag cups, not sure yet.

Then onto changing the heads to some stock vortec heads I have. Cam is Isky .265 lift. So I won't need to modify much. Obviously need an intake.

I plan to put on a full stainless exhaust. Possibly change tank and location to a blazer rear mounted tank. I also putting in a ZR2 rear end with disc brakes, so I'm changing the brakes out too.

Lastly I'll be painting the interior and doing a nice seat and door panels. Probably changing the rims and possibly tires. I'd be doing steel wheels again just painted and with some moons. May run black radial tires for while. Painting bumper also.

stay tuned.

[Advanced Design]

Good plans 99. Staying tuned for sure....