Hey, I've got a '57 Chevy Task Force 1/2 ton pickup truck. Its a real cobbled up frankenstien, sitting on a (maybe) late '70's frame that was shortened. The frame splices are worse than ugly, and the front suspension sits very low and scrapes over bumps if i'm not careful. I'd like to put the truck body on a newer truck frame, maybe something '85-'05. There is a company called E-Z Chassis Swaps that has a kit for doing this on a full size Chevy pickup frame up through a '91 model. The price ($800) is not too awful. I've looked through the thread about S-10 frames for the Advance Design bodies for any references to the wider TF trucks, and haven't found any helpful info, except to note that the S-10's are too narrow for my truck. Im not looking for any 4WD frames, or any tips about Camaro clips or MII front ends, because this is not a stock '57 frame that I'm trying to modify. I'd just like to put my antique sheet metal on a newer frame, put some vintage looking five spokes on it, and use it as a parts hauler and a driver. Has anyone had any experience with something like this? Mods, please close this if this gets too controversial. Thanks, Kinky6.
You will just have to do some measuring-just have to find which chassis has a similar wheel track. I have a '50 F-1 and the S-10 was a little too narrow. I went with a '86 Dodge Dakota as it had a wider track and a little more carrying capacity. I had to shorten the frame 10 inches and modified the F-1 body mounts to work on the Dakota frame. With a little measuring and brain power, you should be able to come up with mounts to fit the later Chevy frame-if you go that route. You can buy a lot of steel for $800 bucks. Good luck!
I have a 59, that sits on a 73 - 87 short wheel base chevy frame that's my daily driver. It rides great to me. The only visual problem is that the wheels in the back sit about three inches to far back in the fender wheel, but that can be corrected. Using the orginal body mounts off the orginal frame you can fab it up. The track with is wide if using something other than stock offset rims. which means the wheels would stick out if you go wider. With that you cant expect to lower the truck past the wheel height to much as well.
Year Truck Wheel Base 82-04 S-10 Reg. cab short bed 108.3 Reg. cab long bed 117.9 Ext. cab short bed 122.9 73-98 C-10 Reg. cab short bed 117.5 Reg. cab long bed 131.5 55-59 Task Force Reg. cab short bed 114.0 Reg. cab long bed 123.0
R. Brown, Could you be more specific on the 3 inches too far back. Do you mean 3 inches towards the back of the tailgate or do you mean 3 inches in towards the rearend housing? I assume you mean 3 inches farther back towards the tailgate which would make more sense when comparing wheel bases measurement from the donor truck and the taskforce truck. Please correct me if i am wrong on this. Also when driving your truck to you experience any fender rub from you tires in the front end or any unwanted rubbing for that matter? Thanks!
The S-10 frame is a good “universal” and popular frame for a frame swap. Many guys are using it for Chevy’s as well as Fords. Many of them seem to be using the S-10 frame for vehicles manufactured prior to the 50’s and seem to have great success in doing so. I am not sure the exact track measurements of the S-10 but I would also tend to think it would be on the narrower side when considering it in the use with the wider Chevy Task Force trucks. I would think that the full size Chevy pickup frame would be better fit and closer to the original dimensions than that of the S-10 frame. I have a 1996 Chevy C-10 that was used as a work truck for the family business since it was new. Now that it has been retired and sitting around for a few year with very little to no value to anyone else due to high mileage. Although it has always been well taken care of and very reliable, I have been wanting to give it a new lease on life, so I’ve also been giving this issue a lot of thought and a little research lately but with a little different perspective. That being said here is what I have come up with so far with my research Generally speaking without going into great detail Currently there are two popular different processes of doing a “frame Swap”. The first being the traditional frames swap only. Setting of the classic body onto the chassis of a donor truck by the adjustments of key components like body mounts etc... to allow the pieces to function as one unit The second being a little bit more involved and more of an actual “body swap” rather than a “frame swap” where most of the donor truck stays and only the body of the classic is grafted to the floor pan and fire wall of the donor truck; Thus leaving you with the look of the Classic truck but all the feel and comfort of a modern truck. I am not sure which process is actually more work or if one process is a better process than the other due to the fact that I have not actually done either yet and that I have found very little documentation on this specific subject. In my opinion, there is not one process that is better than the other, but rather it is all just about individual personal preference on which method one chooses to employee.
R. Brown, that's very much what I have in mind; a stock-looking vintage truck on a later chassis. I wouldn't mind dropping the front 2-3" from what you have, but nothing really radical. What size wheels & tires are you running, and what drivetrain do you have? Scoot, thanks for your comments, also. I think that I'd go with just the straight body swap, rather than trying to merge the newer firewall and floor into the vintage cab, unless there was a really compelling reason for this. Later, y'all. Kinky6
i have a TF 58' sitting on a 70' 3/4 ton frame and the 67'-72' frames seemto fit better than 73'+ ones. S10 are too narrow.
I am not sure if there is a compelling reason to merge the firewall and floor to a vintage cab, but here are a few things I have been kicking around in my head while trying to decide which method to use. As of now I am still undecided, but maybe others who have actually done these swaps could give their opinions or comment on their experiences. I guess the major questions lies in the condition of the floor in the classic truck. If the floor is already rusted out and in need of replacement or repair one must take into consideration the time, labor, and expense to repair or replace the floor as well or to try and graft in the floor of the donor truck? I think that would play a lot into the decision of which way is best for each individual case. For the sake of clarity so that everyone is on the same page I will refer to the traditional frame swap as a “frame swap” and the other frame merger as a “frame graft”. If one is to planning to lower or “drop” the vehicle in ride height I think the frame graft might end up being less work, due to the fact, that you only must position the body lower to the frame “body drop” to the desired height and then weld the body of the classic to the modern floor pan (choosing to include the firewall or not), which must be done regardless of where the body is positioned (if you have chosen the frame graft) in order to graft the two together. The benefit from this is that you get the desired look of a lowered truck, but you retain all the factory suspension geometry and ride with no time, labor, or expense used in lowering the truck. You also retain the following: the factory body mounts on the donor frame and mounts on the donor floor, seat mounting holes, seatbelt attachment holes, if you and using a manual transmission the shifter holes is the correct place, rather than try to mix and match components. Disadvantage of this way is that you may lose in head room what you gained in the body drop so for a 3 in body drop you lose 3 inches of head room. However you may possibly gain that back by shorting your seat brackets that amount (if possible). The same could be said if you are choosing to include the firewall in the frame graft or at least a partial firewall. In my swap conversion I have AC in the donor truck and would like to retain it after the swap, so I would think that it would be easier to use part of the partial firewall so can maintain the stock location of the heater core and AC unit. Other things to take into consideration would be the position of: pedals, E-brake, clutch and master cylinder, Steering wheel, fuse box etc… I would think the less that you have to adjust or maneuver the less work it would be, but that not to say that the stock position in the donor truck will fit into the classic truck and might have to be moved in the end in-order to fit correctly, so it could result in more work. Like I said before, I think it all comes down to personal preference on which is the better way of doing things, but that is just one of the reasons that makes this hobby so great! It is very rare these days to find a community that can get together and respect, embrace, appreciate and admire our differences, while at the same time help each other out!
Scoutmanute, I was saying the 3 inches towards the back of the fender wheel, towards the tailgate. Which can be fixed by moving the shackls forward and shorting the drive shaft. There is no rubing on anything it rides Great. Kinky6, I have g78 tires with just stock chevy rims 15x7
Interesting Thread. I am contemplating doing this myself to my 56 GMC LWB truck. I have a 95 3/4 ton Chevy that I am not using but didnt want to go 3/4 ton.
Here's my daily, she's a 55 GMC cab on a 92 C/K10 Frame and running gear, TBI, Cruise, Air, Tilt and the 90's guage package along with the late model S/S box, I take no credit as I didn't build it, so I won't be any good to you there, but if there is anything you can think of that I may be able to help with, measurements etc.....................Fire away!
Wow! It looks sharp judd55. I am very impressed on how well the modern bed fits with the classic cab. I never thought of doing that, but i have to say job well done. I have to 3 general questions Have you had any problems with the conversion or any rubbing or tires etc.. If you are running cruise control are you then running the steering column from the donor 92 C-10. Are you running the 117.5 wheelbase and is the bed mounted on its original mounts on the donor frame? Would you be so kind as to post some more detailed photos of your truck so that we have a better idea of what or how it was done. I think that would help out a lot to our future projects. Then after viewing them we could ask more specific questions or for specific measurements.
Judd, thanks for the reply. Before anybody jumps on you about this, I'll point out that the wheels and the newer bed on your truck are way outside the traditional focus of this message board. But, all the same, that is a really sharp looking 1/2 ton hauler ya got there! Me, I'm more partial to the stock bed fenders on those, though. It looks like your front fenders sit lower than on R. Brown's '58. BTW, judd and scoot, go by the intro page and post an intro, so the HAMBers will know who you are. Later, Kinky6
well until I get around to the intro board here is a photo of one of my last projects. http://img651.imageshack.us/i/elcaminok.jpg/][/URL][/IMG]
The earlier frames, 67-72 are still flat between kick ups unlike later frames which have an additional drop in the frame below the cab and require tall front mounts. You can cut the later frame where it tapers to 34" in width and cut the original frame and splice the late clip to the early frame. Then you can drill out the rivets in the rear spring hangers on both frames, remove the original rear end and springs with hangers and install the later rear end with springs and hangers in the original frame if newer donner has leaf rear springs. The frames are the same width in the rear so you just have to locate the hangers to get the correct wheel base. I have a friend who is in the middle of doings just this swap. The truck is back on its wheels, as mentioned you have to use a wheel designed for late model trucks with the web almost all the way to the outside of the wheel to keep the wheels and tires under the fenders.
Scootmanute said ............Wow! It looks sharp judd55. Thanx.........I should mention again, I did not do the build so I cannot take any credit for it. The PO did a great job on it, it is solid, has no driveabilty or rubbing issues and pretty much drives like new truck, makes a great DD "Have you had any problems with the conversion or any rubbing or tires etc.." None "If you are running cruise control are you then running the steering column from the donor 92 C-10." Yes "Are you running the 117.5 wheelbase and is the bed mounted on its original mounts on the donor frame?" 117.5 wheelbase .........................bed mounted on original frame. I will try to get some more pics together and will PM you if they are not welcome here. Judd
Kinky6, Thanx for the heads up and the kudos .................Did the intro and yeah, I realise the truck is way off base here, but I thought it was along the lines of what you were asking, minus the wheels and box of course....................The front end is lower due to dropped spindles. Judd
If you could email me some pictures of the body mounts I would appreciate it. I would hate for the wheel police to get you. Do you think or can you tell if the P.O. modified the 92 frame at all?
Years ago a guy in my home town put them on mid 70's Monte Carlo frames. They had a nice stance and road great.
We know that the wheelbase for the 55-58 Task Force Chevy trucks being 114 for the Short bed. Does anyone have the track measurements for these trucks? I have yet been able to locate any information regarding the track? by the way my intro is now all taken care of.
According to a 1958 Chevrolet specifications manual, from center to center of the tires the track is 60.75" in the front, 61.02" (if I'm reading that right?) in the rear. http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/chevyresto/58t004.htm I don't believe the track width changed from 1955-1959 but I could be mistaken. I have a factory assembly manual at home that I can double check with.
there was a 58-9 truck around here a while back that must have been on an S-10 frame since it had 8" or 10" wheels all the way around and they did not stick out at all.
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