Dilemmas.....dilemmas....

As some of you guys have seen by my past post I got the truck on the road this past weekend. Sure it's still got some bugs to work out but she went an hour down and back with few issues.

Here is where my dilemma comes into play. Never leaving well enough alone I've got the bug to lower the truck. I can go the easy route, which would be a dropped axle in front and some blocks in the back. Easy-peasy, could be done in a weekend, no matter how cold it is. haha. The other option would be the complicated one with a nice payoff: the S-10 chassis swap. I'd pickup things like powersteering, powerbrakes, and independent front suspension. This is significantly more involved but the payoff if that much better. So, someone convince me one way or the other.

goin down the road


after a battery SNAFU....



Thanks!

 

neither..

look at your face in the first pic.. thats what you need to be doing with it.

 

I'm with sawzall on this one

if you must... just lower it in a weekend

 

Get ahold of Elpolacko on here and find out how he would do it. He does it safe and with correct principles. Check out Industrial Chassis website (Elpolacko's shop)

Frank

 

Word.



Cheers
Hodge

 

i agree,hell i will come down and help you lower it some saturday

 

If you want an s10 just drive one. I cringe every time someone put an AD truck on an s10 chassis.

Do an MII or a dropped axle.

I've got an early elpolacko MII under my 50, I've driven it, wrecked it, and driven it even more! It's been to H.A.M.B.drags, LSRU, Fathers day roadster show, CHHR,, all over AZ. Couldn't be happier with it.


jerry

 

I WILL take you up on that offer.

 

I remember my grandmother telling my uncle, "if it's running good, leave it alone". I've put 200K miles on an S10 and never liked it, but that's just me.

 

I'm a firm believer in leaving well enough alone if you gotta straight frame....with EL P's MII you dont have to come up with new core supports, refit inner fenders, rebuild cab mounts, bed mounts etc...

If you want independent I say EL P's MII kit....if my frame woulda been straight when I first put my truck together 13 years ago (AD as well) and todays technology in front ends was avail I woulda went that route instead of clipping it...

 

will work for food & beer

 

Ya just got it running after 2 years don't take it apart and try to fix what ain't broke.

Drop it the traditional way and enjoy driving it. HRP

 

There's no way I'd put a good old truck like that on a S 10.

 

This subject has come up a million times on here.
I dont understand why anyone would go to the bother of running an original front end setup on one of these topheavy monsters or go through the work on installing a S-10 frame when you have a perfectly good stout frame under it.
Just switch over to a rack set up. You will not believe the handling difference.

 

I voted stock chassis and so far so does the majority. Oops Maybe I wasnt supposed to give that away to anyone who reads this before voting but I'm sure it wont make any difference. Im for retaining the stock components in most cases however I put a Camaro clip along with a 9" rear in a 50 F3 for a buddy a while back. He has muscular distrophy and just could not steer the truck and had a hard time with the stock non power brakes as well. We installed the Camaro clip along with its power steering, power brakes, and tilt wheel. He absolutely loves to drive the truck now and I have to admit its one of the best driving old trucks I have driven myself. So its your truck to do what you want, just have to weigh the options and expect the opinions.

 

You can see pics of my Dakota install in my '50 Suburban album. Did it in a weekend at home. Rides and handles great!
Got it from Industrial Chassis in Phoenix.

 

As much as I like the looks for the Industrial Chassis setup it's just too much scratch for me right now. $1800 for a crossmember is probably more than an S-10 on airbags would end up costing in the end. I'm heavily leaning towards the traditional drop with the axle and blocks as it's much more in my range of capabilities and budget.

 

I have done a couple of these trucks using Flatout Engineering's Corvette crossmember kit. Far superior geometry and bigger brakes then MII or Dakota. Kit is about $800.00 and used Vette front ends are about $500.00.
I did an article for Custom and Classic Trucks on doing this on a second series Chevy a couple of years ago and it's basically the same. Here's a link to it if you want to see how its done. I did it on a bare frame for the article to show it better, but its easy with the body on.
http://www.customclassictrucks.com/techarticles/0509cct_1955_chevy_series_2_truck/index.html

 

There's always a cold keg in the kegorator at my house.

Now if I can only get my coupe sold I'll have room in the garage to work.