Projects How To make a long bed into a short bed on a 1951 GMC 1/2 Ton Pickup?

How do you make a long bed into a short bed on a 1951 GMC 1/2 ton Chevy Pickup?

 

sawsall, welder

 

cut out the extra pieces, and weld it back together.

or buy the truck you really want, in the first place.

 

@rusty1 rusty1 is the box shortening king!

 

I have heard you cut 9 inches out of the frame from just behind the rear cab mount. Then use the part you cut out and box in where you just cut.
I just want to make sure of where the cut will be.
I was also going to measure center of front axle to rear axle on a short bed pickup to see if I need to cut 9 or 10 inches out!

Mike

 

The wheelbase on a longbed 51 1/2 ton GMC is 9-1/4 inches longer than a short bed. short wheelbase = 116 long wheelbase = 125-1/4.
I am assuming your 51 is a long bed half ton with 6 lug wheels and not a 3/4 ton with 8 lug wheels.
On the front of the box you do as they said, you mark the box back the exact amount you are shortening the frame mark a line and cut it off, drill out the spot welds on the front stake pockets/ stanchions and move them back and weld them back on. I've seen guys leave the middle stanchion but to me it looks better if you remove it and smooth it off.
I've seen guys cut the frame and butt weld it back together but it works better and is stronger if you cut it and overlap it and plate it as an outfit called Ebfab showed here. It will still take shortening the driveshaft when you shorten the frame.
Truth be known, the long beds especially the GMC's are gaining popularity.

 

Right on. Don't demolish the long bed. SOMEONE wants it. You do know the wheelbase is different?

Ben

 

Leave the box alone and A/FX it.

 

There's a coupler in the torque tube behind the trans - remove it & no additional driveline work needed. These parts are obsolete & tough to find, so make sure they don't go to waste.
Just for the hell of it, look at the Gil Ayala/Bruce Geisler GMC - sometimes longer is better.

 

What happened to buying a tape measure and studying the frame until you figure it out ?
Today's world seems to want everyone else to figure the shit out for them and just supply them with the info. You want to build an old car, then get down and get dirty, use your brain, figure it out.

 

Why re invent the wheel? If a lot of people have already done what you are wanting to do, why not find out how they did it. Saves time and mistakes. You are still doing the work. Don't see any problem in asking "how to".

 

BTW-
There is a social group on the HAMB for the AD trucks-
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/social-forums/a-d-truckers.116/
No doubt there's something there on shortening the bed. It is a little dead at the moment, but has a pretty decent thread count to search.
Another resource is the 67-72 Chevy Trucks board (the name is kinda misleading, but they have a pretty active board for the AD trucks)

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/index.php

Between the two of them, you should be stuck in the 'analysis paralysis' mode for quite a while

 

Shorten the box and extend the cab, you will gain a lot of leg room!

 

Wow...after all these years I've reached outfit status...cool. I've shortened a lot of em, so many I've lost count. Most of them are OT vehicles, but not all. The current trend is converting a long bed truck to a short bed and retaining the original finish...patina as its called. BTW, thanks for the shout out.

 

Almost 50 years ago I had a 1/2 ton GMC long bed pickup and I hated it. After a couple of years I finally sold it. Wish I had it back.....

 

Long beds are pretty cool now. If I had one it would stay a long bed. There's so much to getting a old one road worthy ....
Cutting it up and putting it back together would not be on my list.
If I wanted a short bed truck... I would get a short bed truck.

I see no economy here and actually some waste.

 

The long bed will ride nicer with the right springs.

 

@Michael A Anaya Next time you feel like shortening your truck, take a look at these pictures and the feeling should pass.

Top pic of Ayala GMC courtesy Custom Car Chronicle.

Rest from the HAMB; the beautiful black Chevy is a HAMBer's car, I do not recall whom.

 

...yeah, with the right springs, 3/4 tonners have a stack of springs not made for a good ride,..some work is needed to ride nice, or mount different later model springs.
...a loaded long bed mite ride better.

 

Seems like, locally at least, the quickest way is to take the brake lights out and drive on I-26 during rush hour.......

 

I made my '53 into a king cab - shortened the bed 1', lengthened the frame 1', extended the cab 2'. Frame was extended using rectangular tubing which slipped snuggly over the frame. Short bed became a shorter bed! Bed shortening was done as you might guess, cut off front stake tube by drilling spot welds, rewelded them 1' back cut off the front of the bed sides. Used 2 old doors for cab extension, skins from 2 other old doors for top filler. Shape is the same as door sides.

Had to get another set of running boards and extend those 2' too.

 

You can bring home a lot more crap with a long bed.
I would have preferred a short bed because I did not like the large gap on bed sides so I mounted my spare to fill the gap and make the body flow. The other side has a very vintage riveted tool box. I like the full length running boards on the GM trucks,,,makes the flow continue

 

Short beds are useless as a truck. Grocery getters for mama. Real men drive long beds.