CK5
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Project Blue Truck: '83 C20 - Rolling Chassis

Thanks! That's my daily driver that's been with me since I turned 16. Hard to believe it will be 13 years old in December. It's been through some changes since I got it, although I haven't done anything to it since probably 2009.

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Looks like it's parked in Rose Hill cemetary in the second pic.
 
I knew it. I love to walk around that cemetary. Such a cool place. For any Allman Brothers Band fans reading this thread, that picture was taken not too far from the grave of Elizabeth Reed Napier, the inspiration for Dickey Betts's instrumental "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed". Legend has it that he spent some time with Boz Scagg's wife on the concrete slab of that grave. It's right on the edge of the cemetary that overlooks the tracks and the river at the top of the hill, right beside the fence.

Definately a pic-worthy location. :D
 
Two of my goals for this truck were to keep it looking mostly like a truck and to keep it fairly low. It probably won't come out low to the West Coast rock crew but the Rockwells need either enough lift to keep the oil pan in one piece or moving the front axle forward, something I didn't want to do since it would take away from the "stock" look, and I already have a 165" wheelbase which is plenty long.

According to some frame dimensions I have, from the factory the bottom of the frame should have been 17" from the ground and the axle center line should have been 16" from the ground with 32" tires. With no lift and 44" tires the axle centerline should be 22" and the frame 23". The Rockwell chuck sticks up about 9" above the axle mating surface, so to get 4" of up travel it looks like I need about 5" of clearance at ride height. With the truck frame sitting at 20.5" and the axle on jack stands at 13.25" I have 12" from the chunk flange to the oil pan. Adding 2" to that to get 14" puts 9.25" between the bottom of the frame and the axle centerline to bring the bottom of the frame up to 8.25" above stock height, excluding any lift from tires.

This will be the equivalent of 2" of bump (12" between the axle flange and the oil pan.

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As you can see from the second picture, to clear the rear of the chunk, either the engine needs to go back, the axle forward, or a new oilpan made.)

Tomorrow, I may try to drag all 220 lbs of center section down off the shelf and put it in to get a better idea of how everything will clear.
 
I partially tore down the center section and got it situated in the axle and was pleasantly surprised to see that the chunk clears the oilpan with the axle in the stock location. It also looks like the driveshaft will clear the starter no problem.

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I know these pictures suck but I don't really want to take my good camera to the shop.
 
Rather bend up a crossmember (which would require me to buy a die for the bender) I decided to use some 1/2" x 2" bar stock I dug out of the dumpster at my old job to get more clearance and save some money. The drop tubes required a compound angle cut too since I angled the bar stock back 8* to follow the oil pan and the tubes kick out at 45* angles to meet the motor mount tubes. There is 1/2" of clearance between the oilpan and the barstock.

I cut some 8* wooden shims with the miter saw and stuck them under the tube in the bandsaw vise to get the angle I needed.

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It's the angle of the picture, but that tube is straight up and down.

I'm working on flanges to make the oilpan removable, I'll cut the 45* tubes, I just don't know where to cut them at yet. Once I figure that part out I'll drill them for 3/8th's bolts and shape them on the grinder.

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I'm also running braces from the old suspension crossmember bolt holes to the bar stock so I made some angled tube mount thingies to keep it all removable (I'm not sure what they are called, I've seen them on alot of builds).

I ground down the drops from cutting the large flange holes, enlarged the hole to 9/16th, and then welded them into some tube.

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I've just got to make 3 more of the angled pieces and then figure out the 4 tube braces.
 
Nice build man... Crew Cabs always look good lifted!! But you know in south Georgia we mud bog around here.. I see you live in hazelhurst. I live in Uvalda.. I might need to see you about some parts if you got any extra laying around..
 
Nice build man... Crew Cabs always look good lifted!! But you know in south Georgia we mud bog around here.. I see you live in hazelhurst. I live in Uvalda.. I might need to see you about some parts if you got any extra laying around..

Cool deal man, I live just across the river by Bullard Creek. My grandma was from Uvalda, she was a Cason, same ones who own the car lot.
 
Oh Yeah!!! The truck looks good tho.. I'm needing a crossover steering setup.. You got anything?? I'm needing some steering parts for mine.. You got any parts laying around?? But I know a lot of Cason's from hear.. Keep up the work
 
Oh Yeah!!! The truck looks good tho.. I'm needing a crossover steering setup.. You got anything?? I'm needing some steering parts for mine.. You got any parts laying around?? But I know a lot of Cason's from hear.. Keep up the work

I've got the 2WD steering box, drag link, and tierods. You want the box?
 
I got my major steering parts for the axle. The ram is 2.5" bore x 10" stroke. I've got to reassemble the axle to figure out where the u-joints start to bind and then set the steering stops before I can mount the cylinder.

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Downloading.

How are you liking it? I really wish I could get Solidworks but I just don't have the coin for that.

As for truck progress, before I can put the lower links on I need to see how wide I can space them at the axle without the tire rubbing on them. In order to do this I need to get the hubs on, and in order to do that I have to do some machining. Instead of running the retarded huge stock hubs I'm wanting to run 14 bolt hubs so that I can use stock centered H1's and get wheel brakes while I'm at it.

I was originally going to turn the Rockwell spindle down to match the 14 Bolt spindle, but this left the spindle wall less than 0.125" in some places and I wasn't happy with that. Instead I'm leaving enough of the Rockwell spindle to hold the bushing that guides the axle and then boring out the 14 Bolt spindle to fit over this. The 14 bolt spindle will have to be opened up to allow the 2.5 ton shaft to pass through, but it still leaves a thicker wall than turning down the Rockwell spindle.

Since I'm a visual person I made some more drawings. The first one shows the two pieces before being pressed/welded together and the second shows them joined. The teal color is where the 14 Bolt spindle needs to be bored out.

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No turning back now.

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I haven't found a lathe for myself yet so I'm going to do it at my cousin's shop once we both get some time off of work. If I had my own they would already be finished.
 
No real updates other than some parts arrived and I looked at a lathe today. I work odd hours so meeting up with my cousin to use his lathe is difficult at best.

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Link material will be my next item I believe.
 
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