77 k20 budget build. looking for tips

[Underpowered]

Hello all, i am new here. referred to this site by many people.

i just purchased a 1977 K 20 as an off road only project truck. it will be built on a budget, so bear with me as it makes a transition.

just looking for tips on how to make it better offroad, have decent flex, and just be a good all around trail rig.

specs on it are:
Drivetrain-rebuilt newer gen 350(center bolt heads), TH 350 tranny, and NP205 Transfer case. i may lose the auto tranny in favor of an SM465 manual. Currently has a Corp. 10 bolt front, and a corp 14SF out back. not the 14FF i wanted, but better than the 12 found in a half ton.

it has a 4" suspension lift, of unknown brand as well as a 3" body lift. i am most likely removing teh body lift.

plans are to make it a flexy and capable off road truck. keeping the stock axles until i break them. hoping to start out with 35" tires, and upgrading to atleast 37-38's by the time the project is fully completed. right now i am getting it in 100% running order before any other work begins.

after that, i plan on bobbing and dovetailing the bed, bobbing the frame as well. doing a home made shackle flip in the rear to get rid of the block that is there. gonna fiddle with the rear leaf pack by removing a few leafs inhopes of getting some flex out of them. going to mes with the front pack as well, but the front end will eventually get a 52" swap. i may try to narrow the front clip, but am unsure of that currently.

then i plan on a simple exocage, sliders, homemade bumpers. weld on beadlocks will come at some point during the build as well.

so, what are your thoughts and opinions? best bet to make it flex respectively?

now that i can, here is what it is

 

[Underpowered]

no help at all?

 

[ryoken]

i think you answered most of your own questions...

56's out back with a flip, and 52's or 56's up front will flex well... keep in mind, stock shock mounting will need to be changed to not hinder this..

if you don't mind cutting, I'd ditch the 3" BL, and get a little more height other ways.. I'm running 0-rates and a 1" BL to pick up a couple inches above the 4" spring to help fit the 38's..

 

[Underpowered]

after much debate over the body lift on other forums, i think i am gonna ditch it. i figure teh shackle flip will get rid of the 4" rear block. gonna put a zero rate out back atleast for axle placement after teh flip, possible run one up front.

other than mounting the springs, any other mods you have to do to run 52's up front? i have heard you need crossover steering, but only heard that from one source.

the rear shocks will be inboarded, and not sure about front's yet. i have heard about using ford powerjoke shock towers up front, so i may have to go to the scrapyard and pick up a set of those.

 

[Desert Yeti]

Flip in back, 4 inch springs in front, lose the body lift and maybe do zero rates for a bit of extra lift (and to move the axles if needed). Since you're talking about bobbing and possibly narrowing, you're obviously not afraid of the sawzall...that will solve any remaining clearance problems for 38's.

Keep in mind that if the previous owner did a budget lift (like blocks) he probably didn't lengthen the drive lines and if you plan for a lot of flex and/or moving the axles farther away from the t-case, you'll need some driveline work as well.

Shocks: In-boarding on the back is about the best you can do (still not great) without cutting up through the bed, but it works. For the front, the solution is super easy/cheap. Ford F250 front shock towers bolted to the frame right about where the upper shock mount is will give you another 4-6 inches (more if you're willing to tweak your firewall and don't have AC) of shock travel potential. There are indeed lots of other threads on this. Some guys use the newer (Super Duty) towers while others (myself included) use the pre- super duty versions... largely a matter of preference and what angle you bring the shock up at... both work.

 

[Underpowered]

the sawzall is my best friend during this build. i want to keep it fairly low, so i don't plan on going much higher than the 4", but i want to stuff 37-38" tires under it. i figure i should be able to do it pretty easily, especially with narrowing it.

i figure i would move the rear axle forward slightly with a zero rate, to help with driveline issues. i don't want to replace them if i don't have to, so i don't plan on it until i have issues with them pulling apart or anything.

 

[Underpowered]

started hacking it up tonight. ran out of cutoff wheels and daylight before i could finish it completely. just a few small strips of steel holding it all together right now.

and i know the cuts are not even and straight, but it is not the final cut. the final cut will be angled towards the front of the cab,adn will be done after the dovetail is done. jsut less bed to work with now, so should make the dovetail a bit easier.

i plan on trimming the tailgate and using it to cap off the ends, as i will jsut use trailer lights for lighting out back.

cleaned the carb, which it still pretty gummed up even after half an hour in the ultrasonic cleaner. it went back on as is, but will be pulled apart again for a more thorough cleaning at a later date.

 

[MUDmaniac3]

for the suspension i ran a three inch lift (don't know what brand it was on the truck when i bought it.) and thats all i had and i cut the #e!! out of the fenders and i cleared 39.5's with no problem i flexed out and if they rubbed i just cut more and i added a two inch body lift because it just makes everything easier to work on. by the way the good lookin project

 

[Underpowered]

here ya go fella's. the ones you all have been waiting for. got alot done on the dovetail today. needs welded in still, and capped off at the rear. inside width is now 38", about 44" outside. bedsides are 79.5" long now.

finished off the bob first thing today, 19" of actual bed floor gone, about 21-22" of total bed gone.

next, the fender wells came out and the sawzall work began.

pulled in and just held in place with a few pieces of angle iron and some self tappers

then the other side was done the same way

next to my dinky little NBS

and a full side shot

from the roof

and the next project on the list, shackle flip

 

[StevoandaRedK5]

looks good, you did get alot done

 

[Underpowered]

started teh shackle flip as well

the 2nd and 4th leaf in each pack was broken in half. so i removed them, as well as the overloads

now i am left with 3 leaves plus the main leaf. i am gonna put it together this way and see how it looks, but may have to get and add a leaf or something, we will see

and the anti wrap bars that were there, proves useless, as they both broke off when i moved them with my hand.
but here is the tenetive location for the new hangers. shackle angle look good to you?

 

[Underpowered]

welp, dove in head first on the front clip, and the nightmare began.

my worries about the hood somewhat came true. it is gonna be a real PITA to get to look ok and operate decently. as well as make sure it does not cut your hands whenever you open it.

but anyway, here she is.

took 12 1/2" out of each side, 44" wide inside the fenders at the front, about 50" outside at the nose.

one side done, one to go

both done. cut is a little uneven, but they are both in the same amount

then broke out the measuring tape, and started on the hood.

and here is why it will be a PITA. the fenders dropped when i drew them in so the edge of the hood shows now, and it sticks out about 2" farther than the fenders. not sure how i am gonna go about fxing this, but i will figure somethin out

but i think it will look good once done though

 

[chevyridinhigh79]

looks good, where did you get the new rear hangers for your shackle flip and what size swampers is the truck sitting on in the pics?

 

[Underpowered]

it is sitting on 35 x 14-16.5 SSR's right now.


i bought the spring hangers off ebay for $50.

 

[chevyridinhigh79]

looks good so far, im going to look at a 77 K20 tomorrow thats been used as a woods beater for atleast 5 years. are you going to chop off the rear frame behind the bed or just leave it?

 

[Underpowered]

the frame after the bed will be chopped off. trying to get my rear suspension set up before i do that though. once my shackle hanger is in its final position, the frame will be chopped off right behind the hanger. would rather only have to cut it once than cut it off now, only to realize i A) cut it to short which would really suck or B) left an extra few inches, when i could use all the departure angle i can get.

 

[Underpowered]

i now have a fully operational hood. took some trimming, and fine tuning with a hammer but it opens and closes via the factory hinges now. i am gonna have to do somthing for a hood prop and more importantly something to stiffen it up, as it is quite flimsy right now.
fully closed, latch does not work so a ratchet strap has to do lol. still needs a little work as it does not line up 100% now, but better than before. i jacked the fenders up with my high lift to raise them some

much better now

next in line, the front bumper. took 25" out of it to match the 25" i took from the core support.

cut out the center section, welded it back together and welded two brackets to bolt it back on with. i plan on taking it back off to reinforce it, just back on for basically a test fit right now. only two bolts holding it on now.

minus the grill, the front end is coming together nicely.

also, some 64" rear leaf springs are on their way, so i will be shortening the whole wheelbase of the truck. how much, is yet to be determined.

 

[Underpowered]

so, took some measurements. gonna go with a 117" wheelbase. after removing the bed, it appears there is a nice crack in teh frame as well as some plate where someone has tried repairing it before. so i am gonna just cut the frame rather than move the hangers. taking out a 20" section of frame, but due to going to 64" springs, i am gonna end up only moving the axle roughly 14" or so, taking me from a 131" wheelbase to about a 117" wheelbase. 2" shorter than a short bed truck, but 10" longer than my brother K5.

anyway, the frame looks alot longer without a bed on it.

the plating, and some rust, this is basically the section being removed

and teh hole/crack

 

[Mr. Pickle]

Great thread dude!! This is almost the exact build that I am planning. I was wondering what the rear would look like hacked off... and I like it. I am def doing that to mine. Keep the pics coming.

Question, what are you going to do to the bed when you shorten the wheelbase? Cut down the long bed, maybe put a short bed on it?

 

[Underpowered]

Great thread dude!! This is almost the exact build that I am planning. I was wondering what the rear would look like hacked off... and I like it. I am def doing that to mine. Keep the pics coming.

Question, what are you going to do to the bed when you shorten the wheelbase? Cut down the long bed, maybe put a short bed on it?

i am not set on what to do with the bed just yet. i put the work in this one to dovetail/bob it, but i know the wheel well's will be messed up when i try to put it back on, and since it will be 20" shorter, the bed will be to long as well. i am gonna try to re-work this one to work. hypothetically, i will be shortening the frame the same amount i bobbed the bed, so i will only really have to move my wheel well location to make it work.