53 gmc/chevy on s10 frame

[Shea Laking]

Truck's lookin' GREAT, Joker! [cl Thanks for taking the time to share your progress with us![P

Regards,
Shea

 

[skull]

nice job

l like how it's looking, keep the glove box if possable. l took the one out of a truck l had and had no where to put things, very big hassle to try and find space to put important stuff in a truck cab, it's that no space thing

Later

 

[cantwell.colton]

great looking - and i dig the visor.

 

[46 ford truck]

well yjere u go

good job joker I thought I was the only one using the s-10 components................I kind a wish I had my fenders though.....Looks great I should be done next month w mine as well........Gotta be ready for cooler weather thats cruisin tim.eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

[Todd]

Looking sharp, I lost track of this thread.

 

[ratward]

hey sweet bulid [cl i have 53 tht needs a new frame and i was wondering if you could tell me wht years and bed lengths work so i don't have to cut the bed[S thank you and keep the pics coming so i know what to do.

 

[Shea Laking]

hey sweet bulid [cl i have 53 tht needs a new frame and i was wondering if you could tell me wht years and bed lengths work so i don't have to cut the bed[S thank you and keep the pics coming so i know what to do.

Okay, depends what truck you have.[S

If you have a normal 1/2 ton pickup truck, the best fit in S-truck chassis is from a regular cab with longbox pickup truck. They have a 118" wheelbase which is darn near perfect match for the Advance Design half-ton truck.

A couple other points-First, the S-10 truck has a MUCH narrower track front and rear. The rear is easier to fix by simply switching out the S-10 rear end for one from a Chevy Camaro or Nova from the '70's as they are pretty much the right width. You will need to cut off spring perches and weld on new ones.

Unfortunately, the narrow front track is not so easily fixed, many folks run a 2 inch thick wheel spacer on each side....dunno if I'd go there, personally.

If you'd like some pics of this swap done with a kit, here's a link:

www.ad-engineering.com

hope this helps.

Regards,
Shea

 

[ratward]

thank you for your time and info i'll let you wht happens

 

[joker65]

I had the day off but the pace was slow. It has been so friggin hot & humid But we did make a little progress by mocking things up before installing bed & runningboard brackets.I still have to cut more off of bed sides for tire clearance. I like the way it sits, hope you will too!! Heres some pics

 

[skull]

progress

looks good, l like the stance

Later

 

[Shea Laking]

Sittin' Purty!

Regards,
Shea

 

[joker65]

It was a busy summer working lots of o.t. which means I did'nt accomplish as much on the truck as I had hoped I did get a few good things done like made the frame for the box out of square tubing and put in the the wheel wells from the s10. Installed the windshield. After that I drove it to my dad's house which was fun but the reason I drove it there is to store it for the winter. Once I put it together it won't fit in my heated shop anymore. I can still work on stuff like the boards & strips for the box, fenders, tailgate etc. I need to order all the weatherstripping over the winter too. It is really close to being done[cl

 

[ZippyDoDog]

Great job you're doing. I just saw this for the first time today and read it front-to-back. So, hopefully I'm not asking questions that I've missed.
First, is that the original 2wd S-10 rear end? I'm in the infant stages of doing one and I have a 4x4 S-10 rear to swap out, but I'm wondering if your wide offset wheels have solved the 2wd rear issue.
Second, how far off the frame is your cab? I have mine just sitting on the frame right now with a chunk of 2x4 wood under the original AD mounts in the rear and a 4x4 chunk of wood up front. I think I'll have about 7" of clearance under the front fender skirts and running boards.

 

[joker65]

Thanks zip! Yes it is the stock 2wd rear and the offset rims solved the problem but if you go that route you will have to put wells in the side of your box like I did. I was going to use a 4wd rear but I like the look of the deep dish and fat tire combo. I believe I am sitting about 3.5" off the frame. Sorry it took so long to reply. I'm on hold for a couple more months and then I'll be back on it!

 

[Gregster]

That is a really cool looking truck , hope to see you back on it soon

 

[ZippyDoDog]

Thanks zip! Yes it is the stock 2wd rear and the offset rims solved the problem but if you go that route you will have to put wells in the side of your box like I did. I was going to use a 4wd rear but I like the look of the deep dish and fat tire combo.

One more question joker, ya mind sharing what size wheels you're running on the rear? And what offset? Sorry if you already posted it, but I went back several pages and couldn't find it, only the tire size.
I've done a good bit to mine lately. Here's my build thread:
http://www.ratrodsrule.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18003 but I haven't swapped out to the 4x4 rear yet, and lately I've been thinking of going the route you went with a big backspace wheel instead.
thanks

 

[joker65]

I'm baaaaaccccckkkk!!! O.k. had a few minor set backs, but back on the truck A good buddy of mine has been blasting my back fenders and runningboards. I welded new brackets on the bottom of the boards and end pieces from shortening them. Pics to follow.