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Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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| | | | Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 39 Apprentice | | Apprentice Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 39 | I have a 64 C10 and I am really wanting to have a fuel tank in the back between the framerails, of course from what I have been reading etc that means sacrificing the spare tire location. Has anyone been able to do both? I am not looking for a huge tank ~15 gallons are so. Thanks in advance for any insight! | | | | | Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 788 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 788 | I guess that it may decde in the size of tire. a suburban or panel tank has a round indent in the tank so that a tire can go under there.
ron | | | | | Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 39 Apprentice | | Apprentice Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 39 | Thanks Ron! I did not know that. Could you explain that a bit more, I mean where are those tanks available, are you referring to new suburbans? I am not sure what a panel tank is? Thank you!! | | | | | Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 788 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 788 | panel tank is the same as a suburban tank and they were in 63-66 suburbans and panels. you will have to find a used one
ron | | | | | Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 39 Apprentice | | Apprentice Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 39 | | | | | | Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 788 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 788 | I do have 2 extra tanks, both of which may ned some repair anlong with all piping up to and inc door and mechanism
ron | | | | | Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 166 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 166 | What about mounting the tire on the back door, or on the front grill ? Saves repair damage from ramming a#$holes out of the way, plus ya get your tank in there !  | | | | | Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 39 Apprentice | | Apprentice Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 39 | LOL....that's good! I dont have a back door unfortunately since this is a truck, but that brings up an interesting point, I wonder if it is possible to fab up one of those swing arms like you see on the newer SUVs but then up against the tail gate, that would definitely be unique! | | | | | Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 39 Apprentice | | Apprentice Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 39 | Ron, do you have any pictures of the tanks? I can do some repair work and I am sure piping and mechanism etc is available online. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 564 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 564 | The Suburban tank mentioned is goes back to at least '60. And they aren't available new.
How are you at welding/fab? Here's why (sorry, can't think of a succinct way to write this).
Imagine the gas tank is a rectangular box. Divide that box in half the long way (side-to-side). The top half is still squared off, but the bottom half has a half-circular notch cut into it for half the spare tire to nest into when the tire is mounted under the floor.
Now, '55-'57 Chevy station wagons have a similar tank, but on those, the spare tire is in a compartment recessed into the cargo area floor. This puts the semi-circular tire nesting area on the top half of the station wagon tank.
You could flip a station wagon tank upside down for use in a Suburban, but you'd need to move the fill tube mount, fuel sender mount, fuel gauge mount and drain plug to the other side of the tank. It could be done, and if someone is good at fabrication, it could be done fairly easily.
Both tanks mount forward of the spare tire, between the tire and the rear axle.
-Brad
SOUTHERN FALL GABfestOctober 6 ~ Commerce, Georgia Details here!Never Pee on an Electric Fence. | | | | | Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 451 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 451 | 64C10 n all,
I have made my decision on the spare placement, but, still toying with ideas on fuel tank - under bed or under seat. Right now it is in cab but just not diggin' it.
But to your project - earlier I seriously thought about cutting the front of the bed wood out a bit and mounting the spare, upright, just aft of the cab in the front of the bed, and low enough to clear back window view. It would require a metal "trough/cup" to be fabbed and mounted to nest the spare in but that would be easy enough. I could not do it because of drive shaft clearance and tire size combination. My tires are 31" tall on a 16" wheel. Seen a tire mounted here once with smaller wheel/tire combination and I think look nice, and had all the advantages.
This allowed the guy to put a chevy van/suburban tank between the rails back there - and get this 30 gallons! Options go from 22 to 30 I beleive. Steel and new for 100 bucks or so.
Cavebull
Just thoughts,
Brett | | | | | Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 39 Apprentice | | Apprentice Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 39 | Brad, Thanks for that great explanation, with some pictures from Ron, I know exactly what you are desscribing. That kind of fab wouldn't be too hard to do. I have also thought about simply buying some stainless steel sheet and cutting my own custom tank if I could not make something off-the-shelf work. Brett: I have worked with a truck before that had the tire mounted in the bed and it seemed to always be in the space I needed so it ended up just "floating" around lose in the bed. This of course wouldn't be a problem for a non-hauling type of truck | | |
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