What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Cut the frame?

manchildau65

manchildau65

K30 blazer
GMOTM Winner
Joined
Mar 19, 2009
Posts
497
Reaction score
119
Location
Corning, NY
Alright, I'm a newbie and am looking for some advice! I've got a C&C frame that I'm using it to make a standard cab long box (Mid 80's frame/body). The problem is that the frame is ~4"s too long for the cab and 8ft. box. The purpose of the truck will be off-road, mud, trails, minimal rocks, etc... I know I can put the cab and bed on the frame 'as is' but I don't want the 4" larger gap between the two. I'm pretty sure the wheel base needs to be 131.5" and currently it's something like 136.

Should I cut the frame and splice? Live with the 4" additional gap? :doah:

PS, drivetrain: Dana 60 front, 14 Bolt rear (Detroit Locker 4.56 gears), SM465/NP205 figure 8, 406 sbc - worked over

IN OTHER WORDS I"VE GOT A VERY CAPABLE/ROBUST SET UP! I"VE INVESTED SOME TIME AND MONEY IN IT SO SHOULD I CUT THE FRAME AND GO ALL OUT OR LIVE WITH THE LONGER WHEELBASE? :bow:
 
Cab&chassis are a true 135.5" wheelbase.

You can either cut and shorten it 4" or remove all the rivets on the rear spring hanger brackets and move them forward 4".

Or you could find a true 131.5" wheelbase K30 frame and swap everything over to it.
 
Question about moving the hanger forward... If I move the rear one up 4"s won't that put it in the 'curved' section of the frame? This would change a few things like lift, pinion angle, etc.
 
Is a flatbed out of the question? Just for simplicities sake.

A good choice here would be to remount and upgrade to a 64in spring.

Is the wheelbase alone 4in too long or the wheelbase and the frame?
 
he forgot to tell some of the specs. 6" lift front and 6" rear full spring lift kit. then he has a good cab and box from another old trucks.

he is realy bugging out on the 4" extra gap from back of cab to front of truck box.

this is his first build up and i am giding him a bit when i have few free seconds to spare. but he is here trying to learn a lot more than i can show him at this time.

he is basicly using what he has in stock with the least amount of cash out to keep the wife happy and off his back as we all know is best in the end..
 
Unfortunately I already have a set of 6" springs for the front and rear... I had them for a 3/4 ton I had a few years back, so I actually had to already move the spring forward in order for them to work in the rear (I know it's less than ideal... but I'm working with what I have). Good suggestion though!
 
Hey hey, sweetK30 took the words out of my mouth. Wish I could say I wasn't wooped by the old lady but all of us married know I would be lying! To be honest she's been very patient with multiple trucks torn apart for this project.

sweetK30, as always thanks for the help and guidance - I'll have to get some pics up sometime, maybe try and start a build thread
 
Yeah you can cut and splice the frame but a legit shop would use tracks and dollies tacked to the front and rear of the frame to keep everything inline.
 
i cut and spliced the frame on my current wheeler. the whole back end was off so just the bare frame back there, we left the cab on and were very careful, tacked on some angle iron to guide the sawzall and cut away. 2 extremely straight cuts and it was very easy to line up. Weld, fishplate, and be happy :D
 
Blazinzuk, do you have any pics of your proces?? or maybe just a pic of the finished product? I'm confident that even though it won't be done at a 'fab shop' I'll be able to get it lined up pretty close!
 
manchildau65 said:
Blazinzuk, do you have any pics of your proces?? or maybe just a pic of the finished product? I'm confident that even though it won't be done at a 'fab shop' I'll be able to get it lined up pretty close!
Click to expand...

O I'm not saying you have to be a fab shop to do it. Not at all. Just saying thats the method they use and wanted to make you aware of the importance of getting it spot on. A 1/4in at the center of the frame is a mile at the back...
 
Agreed completely, it would be 1/4" X the distance to the centerline wheel distance... ultimately chewing up tires, dog tracking, horrible alignment... pretty much making it worthless on the street. I plan on bracing the frame at the point of location of cuts (remove any residual stress on the frame - prevent springing), cut, align (laser on a block?), and then tack welding. Following verification of wheel base and 'squareness', I would then finish weld and brace. I'm not saying it'll be perfect, but I dont' plan on driving this on the road for more than maybe 90 miles max at a time.

I appreciate the feedback, any further suggestions are appreciated!
 
Use a combinatin square and mark your two lines 4" apart and perpendicular to the top of the frame. I use a 4" Angle Grinder with a 3/64" thick 6" cutoff wheel that you can get a Lowes or Home Depot and cut away. Butt weld it back together. I sand the welds on both sides of the frame and you can't even tell it was shortened. I often add a Fish Plate on just the inside of the frame. Have done this several times to shorten and have also lengthened frames the same way never a failure, not even on the race trucks. Don't worry it is just metal, there is no blood flowing through it.
 
Leave the four inch gap and run four inch stacks right there in between the cab and bed. just throwing it out there
 
Yeah, I was thinking either 4" stacks or a massive headache rack/roll bar Tied directly to the frame. My only concern is the extended wheelbase and the ability to maneuver around. Ideally, if I had a short box in good shape, I would cut the frame down to make a K30 short bed...

(Also, I'm a diesel owner and no offense to anyone with stacks and a gasser, but I think it's funny when people with gassers run stacks JMO)
 
find a another bed and cut it and splice it to the long bed. that will really throw people off

Tom
 
i still say few things as to not cut .

135" c&c wheel base to 131.5 long bed = 3.5" is not worth it for lots of reasons. mabye 10"-or more yes.

the truck needs to get done sonner than later and he dosnt have much time to begin with.

he is a super noob for the hard core stuff. ( not a bad thing )

i say roll bar/cab protector to fill the gap and just get it done. then later after you trash it ( and you will we all do ) then modify the hell out of it.

thats just me and my opinion.

if he realy wants to move it up why not a set of axle perches to move the rear up 1.5" as when you lift the axle it brings it forward a bit. this and relocation 1.5" would get it super close and not cost to much time and money and energy.
 
Still thinking of cutting it... More pics will come when I get my act togethor and start a build thread.

3_26_Truck005.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom