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Indycar1

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Avon, IN
Hey guys, thanks for letting me be a part of your site. Here's my new project, my first venture into the world of 4x4's. This is my 76 k10 Shortbed. The previous owner put a lift kit on, and I'm debating on putting it back to stock ride height. What are your guys opinions? Thanks again, and I appreciate any and all advice.


 
more than once I heard this past weekend, I wish I would have left my truck more stock than modified...
That being what it is...sit down and really decide what you want out of this truck, then plan accordingly. Its too easy to get bit by the "might as well" bug then things get rolling like a snowball on a mountain slope.

Welcome to CK5.
 
I really would just like a nice mild 4 wheel drive with an ls motor. I'm not really in to 4 wheeling.....yet....lol. I know for sure it needs different wheels
 
I was definitely one of those guys telling zim this weekend i wish i would have left mine stock. It worked great and i had so much less time and money into it.AND i had alot of fun with it too.


It just seems that as soon as you modify them, everything becomes a snowball effect.
 
Unless you have stock springs/shocks/whatever just laying around, I'd leave it until you're sure what direction you want to go in. It appears to be only a 4" lift so it's not a big deal anyway. Plus there's plenty of other stuff you can work on while you decide. Welcome to the cult!

Also, consider a membership. It's the best $25 you'll ever spend on your truck. Plus it will pay for itself many times over as you get into the truck.
 
Work on the truck "as is" and get it in reliable shape. Then consider the bigger moves.

Also, make sure your front and rear gears match before trying the 4x4. I see a 10bolt front end that did not come factory (IIRC) in a '76
 
Leave it the way it is! Get some rally wheels and a nice set of 33s and it will look and drive nice. You will spend way more trying to find stock springs that will be shot anyway. The trucks are old you buy new springs and redo/ take out all the lift components and then you got a old truck that sags.:doah:

Dave and Adam are telling the truth. But your truck isn't lifted that much and you already got it the way it is. IMO :D

Have fun with it! Love Short boxes with round eyes! :thumb:
 
Leave it. Drive it. Learn what you like and dont like. Then modify. I miss certain stages of my truck and really after 20 some odd years of wheeling and modifying, I finally know what I want out of a truck. It simply cannot be achieved. Hence the 3 rigs ( only one of which is running) each one built for a different purpose. My purpose. I will end up ignoring a whole lot of sound advice and my builds may not make sense to anyone but me.

So just get in the thing and drive it
 
Another vote for leave it and drive it. I had soo much fun driving my dads k5 this weekend. Stock on 33's with 10" travel fox shocks with a half assed back cage. It was a blast driving. Wheeeled most of the day then drove it back at 75mph. I was one of those I wish I left it stock comments

I don't think my rig can even get to 70mph let alone be safe.

That being said, I'm building a k5 for my family soon. 3link front 4link rear etc
 
Leave it. It has a nice stance for a short bed and it's not that tall.

Why waste money on something that works. Unless it needs new springs, shocks, tires, etc, put your money into bumpers, inner fenders, mirrors, fixing the little things, hood springs, the interior, replacing the body mounts or floor if needed and anything that will make it safer.

Chances are you're gonna need to fix a lot of little things and some other things you weren't planning on fixing. If you want to lower it after fixing all the other stuff so be it. Like others have said, make a long term plan so you know where you're going with the build.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys! Since it has no drivetrain at this point, his it possible to drop motor/trans in and run it as a 2wd until I an afford a trans case and front shaft? Again, sorry to sound ignorant, just havent had a. 4wd project before. Also, what is a good transfer case to look out for?
 
First off, welcome to CK5 - by far one of the most outstanding communities of people out there with incredible know how. I agree with one of the earlier statements, if you're going to be a regular round here I'd pony up the best $25 you'll ever spend.

I'll jump on the bandwagon with the leave it alone consensus. If you're going to drive it and use it frequently, looks like you'll have a bit of bodywork to keep you busy if you're into that sort of thing. The body looks to be pretty straight overall, so nice find there. Looks like just some surface rust on that hood too, although you might consider just finding another hood on Craigslist or something if there's too much labor there. I see OEM hoods even up here in the rust belt come on CL all the time cheap that are nice.

You might share some good photos of the current lift that is in this thing. You'll be amazed if there is anything whatsoever that is unsafe or out of sorts - these guys will pin it down and tell you how to make it right!

I like this truck - to me the square body short box is one of the finest looking trucks ever built. Congrats on your new obsession! :waytogo:
 
Indycar1 said:
Thanks for all the replies guys! Since it has no drivetrain at this point, his it possible to drop motor/trans in and run it as a 2wd until I an afford a trans case and front shaft? Again, sorry to sound ignorant, just havent had a. 4wd project before. Also, what is a good transfer case to look out for?
Click to expand...
It is possible to run it as a 2wd but not worth wasting your time to redo it again later.

For a transfer case, the NP241 is one of the better ones (2.7:1 low range and light weight). But the NP208 is not bad either.

The NP205 is considered one of the strongest available. But it is only a 2:1 low range.
 
How far are you from central WI? I have a running 350 you can have for free if you come help me pull it out of the k30 it sits in. (Blue frame wrench style job!) You can hear it run prior to pulling if you wish. PM if interested, I have a lot of other driveline odds and ends I could hook u up with.

Edit: Avon's a Long ride I see. At any rate, I can ship some stuff for pretty cheap, so if interested let me know. You should make a list of your needs.
 
Highpsi said:
How far are you from central WI? I have a running 350 you can have for free if you come help me pull it out of the k30 it sits in. (Blue frame wrench style job!) You can hear it run prior to pulling if you wish. PM if interested, I have a lot of other driveline odds and ends I could hook u up with.

Edit: Avon's a Long ride I see. At any rate, I can ship some stuff for pretty cheap, so if interested let me know. You should make a list of your needs.
Click to expand...

Man I wish u were closer! I'd def be all over that..lol
 
Here's a couple more pics, I'll get some better ones of the suspension. I know the shocks all have to be mounted, but anything unsafe or should be corrected, please let me know. Also, it appears to be 79 headlight bezels, is the grill correct for the year?





 
Initial sightings:

Front has extended shackle with stock springs. No good. The shackles look weak and they hurt your pinion angle. I recommend you either put it back to stock (shackle) or investigate a good lift spring and all that goes with that. Your shocks aren't hooked up. My guess is they are factory length and just can't reach with the longer shackles.

Rear blocks aren't ideal, but not a deal breaker. The good news is that if you choose to go back to stock height, it would appear to be pretty simple. Also noticed your driver's rear bump stop (on frame) looks bent/twisted. It could also be just a photo illusion or the truck isn't level, but you might want to check out the frame around the area for damage. Might just be a bent bumpstop or could be signs of frame damage.

I will say, we've all seen far worse starting points. With a plan and a little work (and actually not much $) you could have the suspension back in good running (stock condition) pretty easily. Same thing if you wanna lift it properly, just add $.
 
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