77 K10 Stepper "The Grinch"

[84400]

Well seems like the sites I post my build on have all gone down (NEk5 and Wheelingdixie) So I will post it up here.

Overall goal is to have a reliable dual purpose truck. A truck I can take out wheeling, go camping, and explore with. However, the truck still needs to be street legal, be able to pull a tandem axle, and haul things.

A little background....... I was browsing craigslist looking for a 8 foot stepside bed to put on my 1984 c10. I always liked the stepside look. While looking I came across an ad for a 1977 k10 stepside. In the ad the owner said the truck had rust and did not move under its own power and had been sitting for 5 years but started every month or so. He was asking $500.00 or trade so I shot him an email. I really did not need another project but figured if I could get it without spending any cash it would be ok. I had had a jeep yj project I had just sold and wanted something to get me back out in the woods.

After looking the truck over and talking to the owner I got a little history on the truck. His grandfather purchased it for his farm in PA. The truck had 34,000 original miles on it but being a farm truck the body was beat. His grandson had got it as his first truck but after driving it for a while could no longer afford gas and upkeep so he had parked it for the past 5 years or so and his mom wanted it out of the garage.

I offered my 1962 wheel horse 552 garden tractor in trade for the truck. He agreed and I picked it up on Dec 6 2008. Turns out the Transmission was low on fluid and worked after being topped up.

Specs when I got it:
1977 K10 Heavy Half ton 34,000 original miles (after pulling the intake and valve covers I completely believe this to be true)
350 4bbl Emissions exempt motor
Th 350
Np203 full time
10 bolt front / 12 bolt rear 3:08 ratio and G80 rear.

Here are some of the pictures I have right after we unloaded it.

Hmm Mold hummm. And a crack free dash!

 

[84400]

The first thing to do was to get this truck Legal and registered. I fixed a fuel and exhaust leak and tried for inspection.... Failed. Most MA inspection places are fools they see a beat up truck and fail it yet pass the truck with a rotted frame... Anyways I was bummed out cause the guy could of ttok one look at my truck and said no yet he took my money and failed me. That shop has since gone out of biz. Anyways it was time to fix all the stuff they saw wrong with my truck...

Working on trucks in the winter sucks but I needed to get this thing done. I quickly found out that parts for these chevys are priced cheap.

2 used front fenders = $30
Hood and two doors = $160
Stepside bed = $200
Bumper with brush bar =$75
Grill $30 with extra core support

Being in college at that time I had the Truck ready for re inspection by april 2009

it passed and I got to wheel it for the first time in March of 2009.

 

[84400]

After wheeling it stock in the Summer of 2009 I decided I would Put on a small lift and tires to make it go better in the woods.

So the summer of 2010 After finishing college I added the fallowing:

Nothing to special
Some used 4 inch front leafs
A DIY4x Shackle flip with 4.5 cross tied shackles
ORD Steering box brace
ORD Exteneded bracklines

Rivits SUCK!! I did not have a dorch so Angle grinder became my new pal...

Cleaned and painted the frame and gas tank while I was doing the install.
My front rear spring hanger mounts had rot so I Replaced them with GM ones I got from LMC. Bolted on with Grade 8

Kerts parts rock! Great quality and very resonable price

Also found this was a good time to paint the truck. It has some cab work that needs done so It got Rustolium Camoflage Green. I don't think you can still buy the color I had to order it on amizon. Not olive drab and kinda diffrent.

Shackle angle

Picked up some used 34x10.5 swampers for $200.00 and it was ready to test.

 

[K85 Octane]

VERY nice!!


BUT, you are going to have to fight someone else for the use of "Grinch" as the trucks name

 

[84400]

Wheeled it like that for a while. threw a part time shaft kit in the np203 and super which lock outs on the 10 bolt

While wheeling the winter of 2010 I ripped off the towing mirrors on some trees. It is just part of wheeling in the north east with a fullsize.

After that run I scored a np205 for $60.00 with the rare 27 spline input and adapter to mate it to my th350. Had a new rear drive shaft made and got a shorter yoke for the front shaft.

Also scored a used lockright for the front axle for $150 and a hombrew diffgaurd.

The spring of 2001 I wheeled the truck and just had fun. All wheeling was done on legal lands or private lands with owner permission. Wheel responsibly!

This run was fullsize rigs only we had a Dodge on 35's a k5 on 37's and myself on 34's

Later that summer this same hole ate my th350

Later that summer my auto injested water and The truck had to be towed home (75 miles) I had always hated the auto and earlier that year had purchased an sm465 and twinsticked np205. I ground the shift rails to allow full twinstick function and got the heavy lump swapped in.

Got a pedal assembly and went with the 1986 and up hydro clutch. Transmission was supposed to be rebuilt but it blew up a year later and was swapped with another. The sm465 is so much better offroad then the th350. That Low gear makes rocks alot easier especially with 3:08's

Since I do explore alot on my own I thought a winch would be a good idea. Picked up this 8274 with warn bumper $500. Compleately rebuilt the winch for good messure and bolted it on.

Then wheeled it that way up untill a few months ago.

Scored a good deal on some 35x14 gateway gumbo monster mudders. Little wider then I wanted but the tread is 90% since they were on a mudrun truck and never saw street use.

rims have 4.5 back space and the rear clears fine but the fronts rubbed on the street so I did some minor fender trimming.

In addition I got a set of 4 EZ inch from Diy4x and a set of longer u bolts and new bilstiens from ORD.
Found this nice suprise when I took the front leafs apart

Removing the bottom leaf from both ront packs actually makes the front ride alot softer which is nice!

So that brings us up to date.
specs as of today are:
350 4bbl with eddy intake but otherwise bone stock
Sm465 with hydro clutch
Np205 twin sticked
10 bolt front with lock right
12 bolt rear g80
3:08 gears
35x14 gateway gumbo monster mudders
5 inch of lift with minor trimming.

Future plans are better gears and maybe 3/4 tons.
6.2 turbo diesel with banks turbo for better millage/range.

 

[Deuling]

Nice rig. I like it

 

[swettysblazer]

Cool build man, looks like a solid truck. Good the see another northeast guy here

 

[max 02]

Yeah! Cool truck.

 

[78SWB]

Nice truck and pictures.

 

[84400]

Thanks for the comments guys.
I got the fall crawl coming up in november (16,17) so I am getting the truck ready. I will try to get some pics of the some other local 73-87's and any other cool rigs from the group. Here it is mostly Jeeps and Yota. I guess they just fit better in the woods
Also installed some rear bilstien 5152's in the stock locations for now. They seem kind of long but I have yet to fex it out.

My ebrake cable covers in the rear are pretty much stretched out and I think they are limiting travel. Will ones off a long bed be any longer? Or do I need to fab up some type of drop bracket? Gotta keep the Ebrake to keep it road legal and its kinda nice with a manual transmission

 

[magik235]

Excellent project and outcome.

 

[82355]

I like the white wheels a lot better. Don't those 3.08's drive you nuts?

Martin

 

[Chevy305]

I remember your truck from NEK5. Good to see you back again. Seeing a fellow stepside makes me want to wheel again...

 

[84400]

I like the white wheels a lot better. Don't those 3.08's drive you nuts?

Martin

I always hated white wagon wheels but they do look better then i thought and are gonna stay white. Gives it that classic fullsize lifted look of the 70's/80's.

The 3:08's do kinda suck but the SM465 makes up for them a good bit. Plans are to upgrade to better gearing but with the 6.2 going in I want to keep the gearing on the high side to maximize mpg's.

 

[84400]

I remember your truck from NEK5. Good to see you back again. Seeing a fellow stepside makes me want to wheel again...

Thanks man your truck is lookin good diggin the new motor. I know your going threw some R&P issues but there is a wheeling trip coming up the weekend of November 17/18.

Anyone looking to go shoot me a email or PM.

Just keep in mind some of those trails can be tight and have large rocks.

 

[82355]

I always hated white wagon wheels but they do look better then i thought and are gonna stay white. Gives it that classic fullsize lifted look of the 70's/80's.

The 3:08's do kinda suck but the SM465 makes up for them a good bit. Plans are to upgrade to better gearing but with the 6.2 going in I want to keep the gearing on the high side to maximize mpg's.

Good to hear you're leaving them white.

I have an SM465 in 4 of my 5 plated rigs. I still think that would suck. A set of three quarter ton axles would really wake that thing up. I imagine you use Low to start out all of the time?

Martin

 

[84400]

Good to hear you're leaving them white.

I have an SM465 in 4 of my 5 plated rigs. I still think that would suck. A set of three quarter ton axles would really wake that thing up. I imagine you use Low to start out all of the time?

Martin

Well I only use granny when pulling a heavy load or towing and offroad of course. 3/4 tons are in the plans. My motor is bone stock but being a low mile truck it is far from wore out. I gotta imagine better gearing would wake it up alot but its a lifted rig so I don't race it around the streets anyway. Got an 84 c10 for that.

 

[82355]

I think you would be amazed what a set of 3/4 ton axles with even just 3.73's would do for you.

Martin

 

[Chevy305]

Thanks man your truck is lookin good diggin the new motor. I know your going threw some R&P issues but there is a wheeling trip coming up the weekend of November 17/18.

Anyone looking to go shoot me a email or PM.

Just keep in mind some of those trails can be tight and have large rocks.

I definately hope to have it together by then. PM sent

 

[84400]

Time for an end of winter update....

The guy I got my turbo 6.2 from was selling the axle out of the pig. I got the 10 bolt front and 14FF with 373 gears and open diffs for $200.00. The same time I picked up a 10 bolt from Rich in Ma. His username escapes me but he was a cool guy and I got his old 10 bolt front for free.

So I stripped down the Military 10 bolt as it had bad BallJoints and the wrong gearing

Using the parts I got from the 85 K20 I Converted the front to eight lug, put in all new Moog ball joints, installed the 3:73's, my front lockright, the better tierod, and proceeded to grind the calipers and brackets to fit 15's

Grinding the backing plates and calipers was a PITA. I hate how wide my wheels and tires are and am NOT a fan of chrome. But I am outta money so these will stay untill I scor 2 more 16's and a set of hub caps.

15x10 chrome wagon wheels with 4 inch BS and 35x14.5r15 Gateway Gumbo Monster Mudders with near perfect tread but weather cracking

Also used warn full turbn hubs as my superwinch hubs stripped out....

Finished front axle. Clear coated the military diff cover because it was kinda cool with the stamped date and all.

And I gave my 14 bolt a quick shave. Every little bit helps with these anchors.

I also got a set of 56's with the axle I plan to install this spring. I am saving up now for a yukon grizzley or Detroit for the rear. Then the Drive train will be finished for a while and I will get back to swapping in the 6.2 diesel, fixing the cab, Paint, And this project will be for the most part DONE!