The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Frame swap 3600

HI
Ive been reading about how to do a frame swap and was about to go buy a parts truck (94 s10) but noticed that most of the frame swaps discussed were for 3100 1/2 tons, and i was wondering what was the best/easiest way to go with a 3600 since the box is longer,what year and type of truck would be best? also what do you need, to do the swap?

the only thing is you would need to stretch or shorten the s10 frame but the cab mounting and rest is the same maybe one more bed mount if your doing multiple like ad-enginerings kit.

but since i dont have ether frames wheelbases offhand that be the place to start . iirc extended cab short bed s10s was a similer wheelbase to the old long beds .

The 47-53 trucks are:
3100 - 116"
3600 - 125.25"
3800 - 137"

The closest S-10 Chassis would be the extended cab trucks at 123"
you could likely make up the difference in the wheelbase by shifting the rear axle back a little. We shift the axle forward on the 1/2 ton trucks on the 116" S-10 to make them sit in the stock position.
With the S-10 you'll need to change the rear axle out to a 4X4 S-10 truck or Blazer to get the width you need so this could be tweaked then. I resell the kit from EZ Chassis Swaps and a couple guys with bigger trucks have used the kit with the 118" S-10 and just shortened up the bedside to the 1/2 length or replaced their bedside with new one's and reused the gate and front panel. Also going that route you'd have to shorten or replace your running boards too.

The question is do you want the long bed or are you just planning on using it because it's what you have? Good used and new 1/2 ton bedsides and boards are plentiful if you'd rather have a 1/2 Ton truck.

Steve

Is there something wrong with your 3600 frame?

Heck I streched my S10 frame 37" to fit under my one ton panel...

No thiers nothing wrong with my frame but i just thought it would be easier and a better condition frame then having to swap all the driveline stuff into my old 3600 frame. I never really thought about buying a new bed which is a really good idea because id rather have a 1/2. thanks for the idea, i see old box mounted on trailer frames all the time so i think ill go that route and buy one of them

I can tell you from personal experience on my 48 5 window S10 swap it is not as simple/easy of a project as some make it seem. Not trying to discourage you, just saying there is a lot to it. Mainly the front sheet metal/steering box issue and the bed mounting is a little tricky too but it is doable. I think in retrospect, a subframe swap would be a ton faster and a lot less work. If you have the money, a Mustang II kit is by far the easiest as far as I can tell. If you are a fabrication kinda guy and have plenty of time, the S10 swap is a pretty slick way to make one low and upgrade the chassis/suspension for cheap. LOTS of work though... just a heads up.

Oh and it is much simpler if you use a long bed regular cab if you go with the 1/2 ton bed. You can use the short bed S10 but it is a lot more work... That's what I used only because I got a really good deal on the S10 donor truck.

Is there another way to do a swap from like a 70s chevy truck/blazer or is that harder to do?

I would think the track width would be too wide on those trucks. My point is with a subframe swap, the cab and bed stay put and all you have to do is the front sheet metal. Or with the MustangII there is no sheet metal to mount, just strip off the old suspension put the MII crossmember in place, weld it in and bolt on the suspension and go. If you are determined to frame swap, the S10 is as good as any... frame swaps in general are a lot of work. If you have good fab skills and limited budget, the S10 swap or Camaro subframe swap is by far cheaper than the MII.

Now if you wanna go the 4x4 big truck look, a 70s 4x4 chassis might be just the ticket.

We have a 53 with a Mustang II, and a 54 with a Late 70's front cross member swap.

Both trucks drive nice the MII is low (standard spindles) and handles nice. The swap was done by a previous owner and honestly has always bothered me that it had F*rd parts on it. Also I was looking at swapping the manual rack to a power one and I've had trouble finding the right rack. Who knows what parts were used originally as it was done before me.

The 54 with the Late 70's cross member is my father in law's and I've driven it a bunch, it has 2 or 3 inch drop spindles on it. The wide track width looks funny to me and others and I frequently get asked if it's a 4X4 (Even setting low). It is good heavy duty truck suspension and works great. If I were to do one I'd go the route of narrowing the rack to tuck the wheels better. When it was first done it had a lot of bump steer and really quick steering (Liked to wander) turns out it had the wrong pump (too much pressure) for the rack once that was resolved it was good.

The S-10 swap is one that I've been interested in for some time. I know several guys that have fabbed their own mounts and have driven one and thought it drove great. Years back when I drove S-10's I always like the way they handled. I started building a 47 on an S-10 several years ago with intentions on building a kit to make it easier for others. A job change and 2 kids later I had given up on that project to work on my big bolt and other trucks. Last fall I took up that project again and decided that there were 3 other guy's out there building kits so no need for me to do one. After some research and seeing trucks built with the kits in person I decided on the E-Z Chassis Swaps kit. After a few calls to Ed the manufacture I decided to become a dealer of them as well. A buddy and I made a trip up to MN to check out his operation and to arrange to get some kits. Now I'm working on my 47 again (Progress post to follow).

Enough history so back on topic. Things to think about with an S-10 swap. The wheelbase length is worked out in the kit but the track width is narrow, you get around that in the rear by changing to a different axle, in the front you can either run AL wheel spacers or get some negative offset wheels. Some guy's are afraid of spacers, I'm not anymore afraid of them than I am AL wheels but that's my opinion do some research and decide how you feel about it. The radiator/steering box can be an issue but it's addressable and both E-Z Chassis Swaps and AD Engineering have it covered. The good things: S-10s are plentiful and cheap I've even gotten a couple free for the haul off. Check Craigslist, Ebay and your local paper. I like the idea of all GM parts and being able to walk into the parts counter guy (not many actual parts guys out there anymore) wherever I am in the country and say I need this part for an XX S-10 so they can put it in their confusor. If you want to go to one of those V motor things guy's have been doing it in the S-10 for years even big blocks and it works out fine. One note of caution don't buy the S-10/V8 conversion mounts cause they don't locate the engine in the right place for the old trucks. With the S-10 there's a wealth of mini truck guys out there ready to help you get it low if that's the route you wanna go.

None of these options are going to be a piece of cake, plan on having a lot of space to work on it and double or triple the amount of time you think or are told it will take.
No matter what route you go, be sure to save any parts you have left over for guys who are retaining their stock parts, post them here, craigslist or ebay but don't just toss em'.

Steve

The fact is, you will run into a lot more work trying to swap chassis. Sure it's doable but be ready to "roll up your sleeves".

Ok i guess ive got some thinkin to do. ill probly look into the 70s swap a little more,being that since im gunna go through the work of swapping i might as well get 4 wheel drive out of it too.

Hey ive got another question, what lengths need to be considered when doing the swap i know the wheel base of a 3600 is 125.25 but what are the other things do i need to consider, and since i dont have access to the truck right now to measure,and if you know them off hand could you tell me them so i could do some research on other truck frames, or a good internet site with all the info would help too