The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 50-55 width

I want to put a cab and fenders on a 80's suburban frame. I realize that the 1/2-1 ton will not fit, but I am interested in the big trucks. does anyone know if a 2 1/2 ton cab and fenders will fit 70-80s full size truck with stock wheels? If not, can anyone give me a distance from the inside lip of the right fender to the inside lip of the left?

I was also tossing around the idea of some type if spacers and filler strip for the fenders, and maybe the rear also.

Hy rt66paul, Welcome, firstly the cabs are the same until you get above the 600 series in a GMC, if the doors roll under at the bottom, then it's the same as a pickup cab. There are two different widths of fenders for the big trucks, 400 series GMCs and larger have the widest. If you're going to use big truck fenders then you'll need a big truck hood as well, they are different at the cowl end, they come to a point there, where the light truck hoods are rounded in this area. I'm cleaning up after a dump of snow but I'll see if I can get you some fender width measurements.

The pictures that I have seen of semi tractors had a flat fender with rolled edges - I guess to make them fit the job. The cabs seem to be the same, unless you are talking COE. the hoods on the semi tractor look much different. If I could find one in good shape, the fenders would have to be traded off(if something else fit, or else the bottoms would have to lose about 4 in or so). With that hood, that cab would look wicked on a 3/4 ton 80s full size frame.

Hy rt66paul, sorry I took soo long to get back to you with this info, but it has been snowing and windy here since Friday. The 1 1/2 ton front end sheet metal is 74 7/8" wide approx., the 3 ton and larger front end sheet metal is 83" wide approx.,hope that helps.

The three ton I don’t know about, but the 1 ½ ton and two ton taskforce trucks have the same sheet metal.
The difference between the big trucks 1 ½ and two ton from the ½ to 1 ton is in the grill and fenders. The core support, hood and cabs are the same between the small and big trucks.
In the big trucks the grill opening is wider and taller and the head light are set further apart as well. The fenders also have a bulge to their sides adding to the width as well as just being a bigger opening.
There was also a change to the fenders on the big trucks in 57. On 57 to 59 the wheel well opening was moved forward for more tire clearance at the floor board. There was only two changes to the suspension with this change in sheet metal. This was to the front springs and the drag link, the axle locating pin was offset forward and the drag link was lengthened moving the axle forward.
Hope this info helps.

The big truck hoods will not fit the small trucks,they are longer.The grill opening is the same width on the AD trucks ,just taller on the big trucks,the grill bars will fit either one.

I guess that I should have put more emphases on the TASKFORCE as I was not referring to AD trucks just 55 second to 59. The hood from my 57 6400 parts truck now lives on a ½ ton and is rather happy there.
Oh and the grill oppenings on the taskforce big trucks are taller and wider. I have thought about using two pickup truck grills to make on that will fitt my 56 6100 as I do not like the big truck grill on the Taskforce trucks.
Sorry I didn't realize this was about 50 to 55 first I just saw the 55