S10 Frame...

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23crate

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Sep 26, 2014
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guys i see alot of folks shove a Chevy S10 frame under vintage cabs etc..

now can anyone enlighten me as to the best years of S10 for this please ??

thanks
that crate guy
 
I only use the frames so, I start with any year that is standard cab long bed.
On short bed AD trucks, you don't have to cut and re-weld the frame, just relocate the rear axle forward 1 to 2" depending on where you want the wheel to wheel opening located.
You can do this by just drilling 4 holes. One in each axle pad and one in each shock plate.
 
Last edited:
Any year S10 works, as Old Iron said. There are 5 or 6 different wheelbases of S10/Blazer, and what you use depends on the wheelbase of what you're putting it under of course.

As OI said, a regular cab long box S10 is the right length for a regular cab short box vintage truck. On some body styles of vintage GM, the wheels weren't centered in the wheel wells, so you don't even need to move the axle because you can make up the difference by centering the wheels or you can give it the race car look by locating the rear wheels a bit rearward in the fenders.

The older the S10, generally you'll be able to use more components from the truck as a donor if you want to go that way and are starting from a mostly complete truck.

The benefits of the swap are that you get something that has suspension, brakes, and steering that were all designed to work together and you're not reinvent anything. There were also the ZQ8 S10s so if you want a more performance-oriented handling package those parts can be found as well. Mine handles really well, and I love the deep dish wheel look so that's another reason I like the swap. Last year I installed a larger front sway bar and a rear sway bar from a ZQ8 and I've got monotube shocks waiting to be installed.

You should note the S10 frame is too wide for some vintage cabs, so depending on what you're working on it may not work the best.

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thanks guys..

my future son in law is building a 48chevy P'up..

using a toyota hilux frame.. some of my own research lead me to think the newer S10's were an Isuzu build?

really just wondering ...

someone over here is using Nissan 4 door pick up frames rally good fit for mid late 50's F100's

im wondering if a 2000-ish Blazer may be a good option?
 
thanks guys..

my future son in law is building a 48chevy P'up..

using a toyota hilux frame.. some of my own research lead me to think the newer S10's were an Isuzu build?

really just wondering ...

someone over here is using Nissan 4 door pick up frames rally good fit for mid late 50's F100's

im wondering if a 2000-ish Blazer may be a good option?

The wheelbase on a Blazer is 10" too short for a regular car or pickup. Unless you want to make a shorter wheelbase pickup or lengthen the frame, a Blazer doesn't work.
 

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