The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Intro and Questions on a 56 TF

My name is Bob and I have a Stovebolt problem.

I recently came into possesion of a 56 3/4ton. It spent 25 years in a barn in OK before being brought to Michigan. The PO
tore it apart and let it set for 5 more years when I rescued it.

The usual rust areas - cab corners, pillar posts, floor/toe boards. It has a 265 V8 and Hydramatic trans. The engine has been bored .120" over and destroyed.

Big project.

My intentions at this point are to do body restore with a modern drivetrain. Research here seems to suggest an S10 extended cab frame and axles and a 350 engine.

My searches have turned up a fair amount of info on the AD/S10 swap but not much on the TF/S10. The wheelbase looks good but I'm unsure about tread width.

Ideas, pointers to threads, pros/cons?

Thanks,
Bob

Hi Bob,

Welcome aboard and congrats! Is the stock frame in good shape? If so, there are ways to adapt more modern front clips (Camaro, Nova, etc.) to the stock frame, or use a Mustang II style kit. For the rear, there are upgrades available for leaf, 4-link and others.

I'm running an S10 Xtreme rear axle on leaf springs, with deep dish rear wheels (for that way cool look!), which requires tubbing the bed a bit to fit the big meats.

Is there a reason you want an S10 frame? I've seen it done, but from what I've heard, it isn't an easy swap.

Anywho, I'm sure you came to the right place for advice!

Antny

Antny,

Yes the original frame is in good shape and complete. I have no interest in using any of the 3/4 ton drive train. I could easily change the rear axle but unsure about the front end. I want to maintain a "normal" body height and some of the front clips look like they are lowered a lot. I do want IFS, power steering, disc brakes etc. I know there are kits available but since I have a well equipped shop and I can do the work myself.

What front ends should I be considering?

Thanks for your response and help,
Bob

I haven't seen it done, but I measured out my old 57 against a friends 97 chev 1/2 ton short and it was nearly identical in wheelbase and width. The frame under the cab is more narrow on the early trucks, but I bet the front suspension could be cut off a late model and swapped onto a TF. The rear axle would match the pattern of the front and be of appropriate width as well.

Devin

55 tractor,

Welcome to the "bolt"

Here is a link for you to check out on swaping an AD Chevy truck to an s10 frame. http://www.ad-engineering.com/

Here's another http://www.chevytrucks.org/tech/s10_frame_swap.htm

Just type in s10 frame swap to AD chevy trucks as a search engine and it will yield a lot of results...

hope this helps.

Dave

You'll find that the track width on the GMT 400 ('88-'98) trucks will be wider, especially on the 4x4 models. As to cutting out the front suspension, you wouls have to cut the entire front clip off to keep the suspension in proper alignment in relation of the upper and lower control arm mounting points. And as I noted, the 4x4 uses a much wider axle width over the 2wd.

Thanks for the suggestions.

How does the track of the AD compare to the track of the TF?
Seems to be lots of info on the AD swap.

The track on the TF is 60.5". I have measured an 88 K5 - way too wide at 65". A S10 4x4 is around 56".

How about early 80s full size 2wd pickups?

Bob

No need to swap frames, in my opinion. You can put in an IFS via a Mustang II kit and a modern rear, including disc power brakes and rack and pinion. No advantage over an S-10 chassis that is obvious to me.

Look at this: http://www.zigsstreetrods.com/Pages/trucks.html#MustangIIIFS just the first hit I googled, no affiliation, just an example.

If I was going to a pretty torquey motor, I might box my TF frame, but they came with 283 small blocks stock.

Bob,

Most of the IFS-equipped trucks are indeed lowered. The typical IFS kit provides an automatic 4" lowering. When you select spindles, you can choose normal height, or an additional 2" drop spindles. There may be manufacturers out there that offer stock height kits.

Usually, an IFS kit is used in order to increase performance, especially handling. So it's no wonder that the IFS-equipped trucks that you see are lowered. Lowering the chassis increases handling performance due to the lower center of gravity. I lowered my 55 TF 6 inches all around, and it handles like a go-cart, truly an amazing transformation from what I started with.

Anyway, try TCI, Heidts, FatMan Fabrications, Jim Meyer Racing, Chassis Engineering, No Limit Engineering, Kugel Komponents. All of these folks make nice IFS kits for trucks.

Hope this helps.

Antny

Dave,
Thanks for the pointer to the Chevy Trucks site.
I found this link using the front end of a 63-87 Chevy pu front end on an AD. It looks like this will also work on a TF.

http://www.chevytrucks.org/tech/1963-1987%20IFS%20UPGRADE.htm

My frame width at the front axle is 34". As soon as some snow melts around here I'm off to the junkyard to do somw measuring.
Bob
-----------------

Antny,
Thanks for the pointers to the IFS kits. But I plan on trying to make my own 'kit'.

Bob

Bob,

You can always do what I'm doing to my '59 3800 (1 ton).

I'm mounting a Dana 60 from a '87 K-30 (bolt in, same spring spacing) and a Dana 70 from a '93 P-30 cube van (have to move the spring perches in a little on each side).

It'll be a 1 ton dually 4x4 when I'm done with it.

Lane

Sounds great Bob. I wish I had the skills to do that level of work. I'm not trying to sway your decision, just trying to help in case you haven't thought this through. Before diving in, consider these issues;

1. You're installing 40-44 year-old suspension technology in a 51 year-old truck. Like my son asked me when we discussed this option for our truck: why bother?!
2. After replacing all the bushings, worn parts, upgrading the brakes and steering components, new rotors, bearings, shocks, etc. it's going to cost about the same as a new, modern IFS kit.
3. There's MUCH more work/fabrication involved than installing a new IFS kit. More things to go wrong/mess up the geometry.
4. An IFS kit is engineered to deliver enhanced performance; anti-dive, caster/camber control, bump-steer elimination, neutral wheel scrub, etc.
5. IFS kits are engineered for specific applications. Junk-yard clips are engineered only for the vehicle they came from.
6. Junk yard clips could be bent/twisted or have unseen damage (after all, they are in the junkyard for a reason!).

I went through the same decision making process last year for my 55.5 stepside. For me, and this is just me, a new modern IFS with big brakes, anti-sway bar, power steering, modern handling and performance was a no-brainer. Although my wife says I have brain damage, maybe that's why I don't understand why people use old front clips! Anyway, make sure you consider all the issues before making the plunge. Either way, have fun, and let us know how you are doing.

Antny