The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Front end interchange

I'm wondering what years of front suspension (steering, brakes, crossmember, control arms, spindles, etc.) are "backwards compatible" with what. For example, I have a 64 C10 and I also have a 74 C10 that I plan to part out and use the front suspension (as I understand it, this can be done by elongating a few mounting holes) in the 64.

A friend of mine in Texas just bought an 87 C20 for the motor and rear end...and would like to part out the rest of it (the hood's already spoken for...and a few other pieces are gone.) It'd be nice to know if that front end (and his old 4.10 rear end) are bolt-in (or close) compatible with earlier trucks. I'm assuming the wheels are 6-lug (they're stock with the hubcaps still on) but I'm not sure...they could be 5-lug for all I know.

Anyone got ideas on this?

Thanks,

Ray

The '87 C20 probably has 8-lug hubs.

The '74 C10 should be 5-lug hubs.

And if its stock, the '64 should have 6-lug hubs.

I've not performed the swap, but I understand its about what you've heard elsewhere.

OldSub: You're correct on the 74 and 64's number of lugs. I'm not sure on the C20, tho. It's in Texas and I'm in Utah. Kinda hard to run out and check it.

I'm just wondering what (if anything) that 87's front end would bolt up to...or ne an easy conversion for. I know you can make anything fit anything else...but some's easier'n others.

No elongation of holes that I know of; the '74 should bolt right in. My donor truck was a '75. Check my website; I chronicled the swap.

Dunno about the C20, but a '87 C10 would swap. The nuts and bolts are all metric from '85 to '87, though......

Thanks, Mike. I'd seen your site before, but for some reason I didn't remember the front end rebuild part. It's bookmarked now. I'll be referring to it a lot as I do my upgrade. It sure looks like your way of doin it with the frame upside-down would be a lot easier than what I'm gonna try: doin it with the front clip on and the motor in it.

I'll pass on the info on the 87 to my friend...and yeah, I'm aware of the metric stuff. I've got an 85 Monte Carlo SS (and I had 2 87s) and the mixture of metric and SAE stuff is enuff to make a fella take up drinkin. I'm tryin to prep my 85 to run on the salt flats and I find myself cussin every time I have to go get a 10mm wrench instead of a 3/8ths like I thought it was.

Thanks again,

The bleeders for the rear brakes on my '55 are 10 mm. Drives me nuts too!

If its a C20 I'm pretty sure it will be 8-lug. If its one of those 'heavy half' 3/4-tons it could be 5-lug. My money is on eight.