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Frame swap?

mouse

mouse

1/2 ton status
Joined
Nov 10, 2003
Posts
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Location
Great Falls Mt
My friend has a '64 sub, 2 wheel drive that we are converting to 4 wheel drive. He has a '78 long bed pickup ready to donate its life for the conversion. Since neither of us has done something like this, we have thought of 3 options to accomplish the swap. First, cut the truck frame 18 inches and fab the sub body to the frame. Second, lengthen the body 18 inches to match the frame (too much work). Third, fab custom spring perches for the front and swap the suspension over to the sub from the truck - an alternate to this option would be to cut the front frame section from both and weld the truck frame portion onto the sub.

Anyone have any experience with this or recommendations. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
 
Welding spring perches on the sub frame does sound like the easiest approach. Although I'm not sure of the support we would need to add in...
 
3 option sounds like your best bet to me, i dont think ud want to cut ur frame ard re-weld no matter how good u are..
 
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3 option sounds like your best bet to me, i dont think ud want to cut ur frame ard re-weld no matter how good u are..

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If welded properly, the frame would break before the weld.
 
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Welding spring perches on the sub frame does sound like the easiest approach. Although I'm not sure of the support we would need to add in...

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or take the hard route... put it on a newer 4x4 chassis, and have to weld the body mounts on, AND have to lift the heavy ass body (like me). just weld the spring perches in, its MUCH easier that way.
 
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Third, fab custom spring perches for the front and swap the suspension over to the sub from the truck

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This is the best and easiest way to go. I am in the process of doing this on a '66 GMC pickup right now and have a couple of magazine articles that Petersons did on a '64 Chevy pickup that show exactly how to do it step by step /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
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Third, fab custom spring perches for the front and swap the suspension over to the sub from the truck

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We've just finished this on my truck, I can send you pictures and tell you exactly how we did all of this if you need. Email me at [email protected]
 
If youre going to cut youre frame you had better know how to weld good it can be done but sometimes it is a headache or two or three we just sliced a one ton chevy frame longbed and made it a shortbed it was a lot of work it just takes alot of time but fabing the front axle inn should only take a couple of days to do if you have a frame to steal all the pieces from so the ? comes is it going to be a show tk are play tk. /forums/images/graemlins/crewcab.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Can't you air chisel all the rivets from the donor vehicle and retro them to the burban? Then you could just bolt and tack everything together. (In a perfect world) /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
 
You go and air chisel those huck rivets off when you can beat a minute a rivet then call me I have got a couple of months of work for you only luck I have had with them is grinder drill or torch with a torch being the fastest and easist.. /forums/images/graemlins/crewcab.gif /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif
 
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