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SWB Crewcab?

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uberbeans

1/2 ton status
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I've seen numerous ones on the web and am curious how people are putting these together meaning frame/body/etc. I think they look sharp and can imagine since they are 1980's Chevy trucks that they are pretty reasonable to build. Are people taking a K-30 and bobbing the bed/cutting the frame or is there a magic combo that just bolts up?
 
uberbeans said:
I've seen numerous ones on the web and am curious how people are putting these together meaning frame/body/etc. I think they look sharp and can imagine since they are 1980's Chevy trucks that they are pretty reasonable to build. Are people taking a K-30 and bobbing the bed/cutting the frame or is there a magic combo that just bolts up?
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I am wondering about this also. I ran a search, and from what I have found most people cut/shorten the frame and install a factory short bed. What I am wondering is if it would be easier to just move the rear spring pearches forward to the wheelbase you want, and then hack off the rear overhang. Wouldn't that be better then cutting the frame in the middle and having to weld it back together?
 
tyrantking said:
What I am wondering is if it would be easier to just move the rear spring pearches forward to the wheelbase you want, and then hack off the rear overhang. Wouldn't that be better then cutting the frame in the middle and having to weld it back together?
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Tyrant, you are correct. Move the rear axle spring perches to where you want and cut the excess overhanging frame off. The K30 frame is fairly straight in the cargo box area so it is easy to do the way you describe. There were some good pics on Pirate4x4 of someone doing this - it was awhile ago and I can't find the link.
 
i have seen a truck personally that a guy cut the frame right before after the cab and cut out the difference in the two beds whatever that is. then boxed the frame and got new fuel and brake systems. he left all the suspension mounts the same and just scooted it forward basically. it looks great.
 
az-k5 & his dad did a CC SWB. They cut the frame infront of the rear springs and sectioned out a piece of frame. They then welded & fish plated it back together and put a shortbed on it.

Here is a pic.

14536MVC-008F.JPG


Harley
 
We are right in the middle of the body work on mine.

The frame was cut just behind the cab AND shortened behind the bed.

The factory saddlebag tanks still fit. (since several people have asked about this).


This is the most recent pic I have.

9cab4f847bdd.jpg
 
I've seen some SRW CC's out there and they look stock with the same body style, maybe they were 3/4ton??

I am stirring up an idea for a CC with a utility bed but I don't to pay for 6 tires. Thinking of using it for a tow rig and get a gooseneck trailer to tow my Blazer once it becomes trail only rig.
 
several ways to do it. best is to just move the spring perches forward and get a shortbed. I wanted different so I cut the frame in the middle of the front hangar and moved it forward 30something inches, and bobbed the front of the bed. lots of work and the factory tanks wont fit anymore. you can also slap a cab on a suburban frame, but then you have a 3/4 ton at best.
they do make 3/4 ton crewcabs that are single wheel, but they are still on a 1ton frame. all the crewcabs used a 1ton frame. my 1ton came single wheel also.
 
There is someone on Pirate now that took a SRW frame and notched the cab to fit over the frame rails and then cut the bed down to fit. I see if I can find a link once their site comes back up.
 
k204dr said:
several ways to do it. best is to just move the spring perches forward and get a shortbed. they do make 3/4 ton crewcabs that are single wheel, but they are still on a 1ton frame. all the crewcabs used a 1ton frame. my 1ton came single wheel also.
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Sounds like it won't be so hard for me to make it work with a utility bed.

EDIT: sorry for the off-point hijack. Took me a while to really comprehend what was being discussed here. OK, wouldn't it work if only the DRW axle was swapped out for a SRW one? I'm still a bit confused on the logic on cutting a frame just to convert to SRW... unless I missed the point of the topic?
 
Does anyone have a picture of the crew cab frame? I am fairly sure that teh frame raises up for the axle assembly. So in order to make it fit properly (lift size, flex etc) the frame section is easier to cut and splice then moving the spring hangers.
 
Xtremjeepn said:
Does anyone have a picture of the crew cab frame? I am fairly sure that teh frame raises up for the axle assembly. So in order to make it fit properly (lift size, flex etc) the frame section is easier to cut and splice then moving the spring hangers.
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I've looked at my '91 & when I cut mine It will be behind the cab. To use the saddle tanks it looks like I'll have to go with 16 gal. tanks from a short bed or a Sub. tank both would be cool.

DSC05484.JPG

DSC05485.JPG

DSC05486.JPG

DSC05487.JPG
 
I need to lift the bed off of mine here real soon to finish the body work. I will snap some pictures of it since it is already shortened.
 
Xtremjeepn said:
I need to lift the bed off of mine here real soon to finish the body work. I will snap some pictures of it since it is already shortened.
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Why did you cut behind the bed? & Do you have any measurements on your cuts. Get those pics up!
 
I actually bought the truck this way. I *think* you need have to take about 19" out of the bed area total. In order to make a stock short bed fit it requires cutting some from the middle and some from the back.
 
c/c s/b

I was going to build one of these before I bought my 88. From the measurments I came up with I would have needed to take 14" out from between the cab and spring hangers and 7" from behind the rear shackles. If you don't take the 7" off the rear, the rear lip of the box will sit on top off the frame instead of over it. The way I came up with 14" is a reg l/b has 131.5" WB and a reg cab s/b has a 117.5WB...14" different. From measurements I took I think you would definitely have to go with 16 gallon tanks.
 
BadAss90K5 said:
I am stirring up an idea for a CC with a utility bed but I don't to pay for 6 tires. Thinking of using it for a tow rig and get a gooseneck trailer to tow my Blazer once it becomes trail only rig.
Click to expand...

My K30 crew cab SRW has a utility bed and I love it, mine is short enough that I could still put a gooseneck ball in and pull a trailer. Infact, the PO of my rig was a camper and pulled a 5th wheel RV trailer with it, and kept his camping gear in the 'ute bed.
 
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