1956 Dodge Pickup: Need advice on front crossmember swap.

DANIT!!! Thank you for the info. Ill double check it to be 100%. The frame being too wide was my main concern, I couldn't find measurements online. I am fine with raising the bed floor, because my intentions were to build a hidden compartment for my tank, valves, and compressor, and a separate one for my fuel cell. I wanted to stay away from the s10 because of the track width. I guess ill be buying a Dakota if u are right, but I'm sure you are. Again, thank for the info.

 

Have you looked into a straight up Dodge Dakota clip? Maybe even a crown vic clip as well...Sorry to hear about the Chevy motor though....Keeping it all mopar would be alot cooler

 

Stay away from the volare Ifs i just tried it on my 57 d100. the gearbox sits right where the frame is and to do a rack and pinion puts it in the back of the clip, causing a really wild "Z" in your steering shaft, It was an epic fail. Im looking at a Dakota ifs for my 57. I know you ranted about it already but also agree about the chevy in it, i run circles around 350s all day with my 360 definately something worth familiarizing your self with to make your truck that much cooler. I love to see other dodges at shows with me but when i see a sbc in one, its like someone stabbed you in the back. i think its just mopar guys are rarer to come by and it just shoots down one less really cool dodge out there for others to build, and there are not many left. I have two friends with 50s dodges both sporting sbc and they used to say the same thing "my truck, my way!" which is good for them, but after years of going to shows they never put their hoods up anymore even though they have some of the nicest sbc youve seen. but they are tired of geting ridiculed for not being mopar powered. if your just crusing it then cool, but if you plan on showing it just take it in consideration, just my 2 cents worth. Have fun with it, thats the important part. sounds like an awesome project.

 

Not to highjack, but I have bought the 57' and am currently looking for a Dakota chassis for it. If I can't find one cheap, I will go S10.

I will be updating with my own thread soon, but I will be keeping an eye on this one to see what you decide and how it goes.

 

Somewhere back on the now closed "Definitive S10 frame swap thread" a guy had a pic of a 56 or 57 Dodge on an S10 chassis remarking how easy it was to do the swap.

 

...I'm lookin forward to your build, nice Dodge there.

 

I put my 56 dodge on a s-10 chasis had to make all cab brackets you can sit the cab whatever heighth you won't but if you sit it all the way down then you have to move your bed floor up but the wheel base is the same

 

anything to report?

 

I've got a Plymouth Volare front end under mine. No problems at all. Rides great. Ford 9 inch rear. Stock 56 frame. Built 318. His truck use to be mine actually and I pulled it from the cow pasture to get parts for mine I'm restoring. It was a solid truck though.