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| | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 78 Member | | Member Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 78 | has any one taken a rear end out of a mid 80's chevy truck that uses leaf springs and put it on a 66 model chevy truck that uses coil springs. What are the things that I need to do to get it to bolt up. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Also I am putting disc brakes on the front what year power booster can I get that will work. | | | 
#3186 04/04/2002 12:04 AM | Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 47 Member | | Member Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 47 | Brady
Check out 73 to 78 trucks for disc brakes. From what I've been told the whole front cross member will interchange along with booster and master cylinder. I am thinking about just getting the whole truck ( one of those $500 junkers in the paper ) to use on my 65 GMC. The power steering can be addapted with kit also. What part of Mississippi are you in I'm in Lucedale just up 98 from Mobile. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 247 Member | | Member Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 247 | If you are looking to go to the five lug rear on your 66, get a 71-72 rear. It will bolt up without ANY modifications. Most people don't know this , but the frame for the 63 up to 72 chevy trucks were essentially the same - they just put a different body style on it 67 and after. This leads into your second question - if you get a 67-72 truck with disk brakes, the power booster will bolt right up - be sure to get the actuator rod though. And, yes it is possible to mount up the disk brakes to you 66 from a 67-72, but you'll need to do a relative few modifications. It is also possible to mount up 73-87 parts onto the 66, but there is more involved. Search through old posts on the subject - it's been beaten to death many times. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 247 Member | | Member Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 247 | I seem to remember that Jolly covered a conversion to disk brakes for a 60-66 gmc on his website. I'd look through that if I were you. I don't have the link offhand, but I'm sure someone will jump in with it...... | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 78 Member | | Member Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 78 | Hey Judd, I am from McComb have you ever heard of it. Well thanks for all the help. | | | | | Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 47 Member | | Member Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 47 | Brady
Yes your just down the road a piece from here. Do you go to Cruisin the Coast or the cruise in at Hattiesburg Sonic on second Saturday. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 78 Member | | Member Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 78 | No I haven't had a chance to make it to one those yet but I would like to. When is the next one. | | | | | Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 24 Member | | Member Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 24 | The front crossmember from my '77 Scottsdale fits my '66 with one exception. The '66 was missing a hole in the frame for one of the fasteners on both sides. A drill bit fixed that. Otherwise, it was not as hard as getting the crossmember out of the '77. When you get ready to pull the crossmember, pull the motor too. I tried not to and ended up doing it anyhow to get the nut buster on a frozen fastener. Leave the wheels on, too. It makes it easier to move around and they aren't in any way if the motors out. You can pick up a front crossmember out of a "parts-yard" (I don't buy junk) for about $150. I just happen to get a whole running truck for $200. Got a nice truck 350/4-bolt with forged crank (wide parting line), a good TH350, tilt column, power steering, a good seat, a gas tank and more, to boot. Buying a donor and stripping it is work, but it pays well. Worth considering. I wouldn't recommend the rear swap to leaf springs. It's more work than it's worth unless the parts a free, and you'll give up ride quality. The trailing arm set-up is the thing to have IMHO. Good Luck on yours 
Beat to fit, paint to match
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 179 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 179 | On swapping the rear ends, you can cut and weld to use shock mounts, etc from your old rear end, but you will need to be sure can get a solid mount for the stabilizer rod that connects at the top of the housing and the the left frame rail. It will handle quite badly with out it.
Joe
Joe McNeel
http://mcneelnet.com/~jmcneel/59.html
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 47 Member | | Member Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 47 | Brady The Sonic meet in Hattiesburg is every second Saturday 6:00 to 9:00 and they runn all year long. You can go to www.oldcarbug.com ( I hope that's right ) to get car show and cruise in info for Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. | | |
#3195 04/08/2002 12:20 AM | Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 47 Member | | Member Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 47 | | | |
#3196 04/08/2002 12:22 AM | Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 47 Member | | Member Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 47 | | | |
#3197 04/08/2002 12:25 AM | Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 47 Member | | Member Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 47 | Brady Well I'm going to try one more time. http://www.classiccarbug.com | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 78 Member | | Member Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 78 | Has anyone bought a rear end conversion kit from chevy duty or brothers. Is it worth buying or is it just something that I can rig up myself. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 3 Junior Member | | Junior Member Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 3 | brady, I am just finishing up a similer swap and I would suggest finding an axle out of 70-72 | | | | | Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 3 Junior Member | | Junior Member Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 3 | brady , me truck was a snap to change the rear out I changed mine from a 3/4 ton to all 1/2 ton. I found a used coil spring rear end with 5 lug axles for 200.00 and the front cross member is out of a 1973 c-10 parts truck I got for free from a buddy who got the truck for the motor and trans. I used the master and booster also the power steering box I did the whole thing with wheels and used tires for less four hundred. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 3 Junior Member | | Junior Member Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 3 | brady , me truck was a snap to change the rear out I changed mine from a 3/4 ton to all 1/2 ton. I found a used coil spring rear end with 5 lug axles for 200.00 and the front cross member is out of a 1973 c-10 parts truck I got for free from a buddy who got the truck for the motor and trans. I used the master and booster also the power steering box I did the whole thing with whe
els and used tires for less four hundred. | | |
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