The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Hot Rod Tow Rig

I'm building a trailer puller based on a '54 GMC 1-ton. Yesterday I got the engine and transmission for this project.

I am now the proud owner of a '76 Cadillac Coupe DeVille with a 500 and a TH400. That motor and transmission will now move into my 1-ton.

The rear axle will be a GM 14-bolt with 3.42 gears.

I've still debating the correct front suspension/brakes solution. My choices are to put disk brakes and power steering on the stock axle or swap to the IFS from a '72 C20.

I'm still torn on whether I want to modify the fenders to work over the wider IFS suspension or work with the stock stuff.

No question here, I just wanted to post something HiPo and since I now have the Caddy 500 I figured that qualified!

Would you be able to use the IFS from the caddy? (just a thought)

I used the entire Cadillac frame but this would probably not be best for load hauling. Absolutely a great set up with unreal torque which is what you need. Done it in 1977 so it's been 31 years with one engine replacement after 208K miles. Saved old engine to rebuild after present one goes a quarter million or so. Turbo 400 and rear are still untouched but trans does have a large oil cooler. If you care to wade through my photo site scroll down and click on page 3, then scroll down to the blue 51 GMC. The chain that hooks the GMC column to the caddy box is still going fine after three decades. See at http://s32.photobucket.com/albums/d41/coilover/

does that Cadillac have mirrors on both sides? if it does i would be interested in them.

Thanks for your comments guys!

David its possible I could use the Caddy IFS, but I'm going for a serious tow rig that could pull a 10,000 pound trailer. The Cadillac might be up to that, but I like the idea of a full-float rear axle and 8-lug disk brakes.

Evan I went through your album hoping to find more pictures showing detail of how you put that truck on a Cadillac frame. I didn't find any and given that you did it 30 years ago I suspect you don't have them. Can you describe how you approached it? Did you modify the frame to fit it under the truck? What year frame did you use?

''''''''''I'm still torn on whether I want to modify the fenders to work over the wider IFS suspension or work with the stock stuff.''''''''''

think about having custom rims made w/ a deeper offset in 5,6,8,10,12 lug +,
once the C20 IFS is installed
like this place or other vendor??
http://www.stocktonwheel.com/wheel_guide.php
http://www.trudesignwheel.net/index.html

my .02

I'm planning on building a similar tow rig, with the base vehicle being a 59 Burb with a Caddy 500/Turbo 400 combination and a GMC Dana 60 rear axle with Ford 3.73 gears in it. The nice thing about a Dana 60 is the fact that Ford, Dodge, GMC, and International all used the same center section, so there's a multitude of interchangeable parts. I've got a GMC housing, axles, brakes, and hubs, Ford gears, and a Dodge pinion flange.

I'm planning to use a mid-80's Chevy 3/4 ton IFS and steering, narrowed to fit the 59 Burb frame. It will require fabricating a frame mounting plate for the steering gear and idler arm, and shortening the relay rod to match the frame rail width. Difficult, but not impossible. I've got a 1970 Fleetwood Brougham with a 472 engine and T-400 for extra parts.
Jerry

Joe, I've got both a set of 2-ton fenders and a set of even larger GMC 450 series fenders. I don't like the look and that's one of the reasons I'm hesitant to go with a plan that means widening fenders.

Jim I've spent some time looking at Stockton's web site. I hear enough complaints about them that I'm hesitant to go that route. Looking at the site today they do look like they could solve my problem.

Jerry I'm intrigued by your project. I have a couple of Dana 70HD rears and have considered using one of them. Both have 4.11 gears and one is a bit too wide. Its the gear ratio that landed me on the 14-bolt I have. I'm counting on the torque of the Caddy to let me get away with turning the motor slower.

I'm assuming there is very little difference between the IFS you plan to use and the one I plan to use. I don't want to narrow the crossmember, I'd prefer to keep the factory suspension and steering geometry as much as possible. Do you have any concerns about using a 1/2-ton frame under a serious tow rig?

This Cadillac I just got decided the plan for me. I already had a complete 500 Cad and a parts 472 setting in the shop. This one I've heard and seen run, and is supposed to have less than 100,000 miles on it.

I'll probably do some frame boxing in critical load areas, as well as adding a crossmember or two for such things as the rear trans mount, and some angle bracing around the hitch receiver area in the rear of the frame. I'm accustomed to building dirt track race car frames, and the rule of thumb there is "build it three times as strong as you think it needs to be- - - - -and don't be too surprised when it breaks!" Over-engineering things is a way of life for dirt trackers!

Since we routinely calculate steering geometry from scratch and tinker with the Ackerman angles, etc. on the race cars, a narrowed crossmember doesn't really intimidate me. I've also got access to a Hunter laser alignment system for 4-wheel alignment, and a 20-ton frame straightening rack.
Jerry

Jerry sounds like you are comfortable and qualified with some fabrication tasks that I'm not willing to take on. While I'm pretty confident in my welding, anything connected to the steering makes me nervous and I'm just not ready to stick my neck out that far.

Joe nothing on Wheelkid's site seems to suggest they do the kind of stuff I need. I'll contact him and see if he wants to look at my problem.

Thanks!