Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

looking good so far man im in the process of tearing down an 88 s10 lwb. hopefully getting my 51 moved to my sop this weekend.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Lookin good!!! I love that we can still find 68 year old trucks with so little rust.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

thank you for the support guys I appreciate it.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...pshseax7tl.jpg

initially I only had to trim about a half inch off of it to make it fit. But by the time I got it blocked up to approximate ride height, I would not have had to do anything. Your results may vary depending on how high you mount your cab. As far as anything I would do different, it is pretty early on in the build but I think everything is going to work out fairly well. Time will tell.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Great progress...you are flying!

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

looks good! remember astros came with 5x5 pattern wheels that were 15x6.5 and take a dog dish cap and trim ring

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

It feels like I'm creeping right now. Busy getting my garage cleaned out so I can work in there over the winter, trying to get the outside stuff ready for winter. October in Nebraska, anything is possible. Plus on top of that I need to find motivation to put a head on my accord. Note to other members, if your car has a timing belt, change it.....

Anyway, how much of the sheetmetal is it normal to trim? I'm at the point now where I need to get some more clearance co I can move the cab back just a little. I don't think steering clearance will be an issue, 98% certain I'm going with rack and pinion. Hopefully know more by Monday.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

December update time. With the days getting shorter and getting colder out, progress has slowed way down. Most of the chassis work will probably have to wait until spring when it is warmer. I did get my temporary wheels and tires mounted. 205/60/15 fronts and 215/60/15 on the back. The front tires are about bald and the rear ones areseverely weather cracked but give me an general idea on size at least. The fronts look a little small to me at this point.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psquwrbqrg.jpg

I did not get to the cab mounts yet, just seem to have one thing after another come up that was higher on the priority list. Originally I had just figured it would sit there until spring but then I got to thinking of how long it would take to wire this truck, get the interior stuff done. I had an old rear axle out of a front wheel drive car, some lumber, & a couple caster wheels. maybe about 2 hours total in all of it. got the cab lifted off on Thanksgiving night and moved in the garage. My daughter felt obligated to decorate it.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psk0eehyj7.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psko1tzxdk.jpg

It is not pretty, and the garage is a mess. but it is insulated and it does have a heater. So I might actually get something accomplished this winter.

I also picked up some seats at work the other day. Split-bench from a 93 Chevy pickup.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psrmnxh9im.jpg

Initially when I sat in it I thought it would work fine. But after a minute I'm not so sure. If I sit centered in the driver's seat, the gauges and the steering column will be off to my right a little bit. I was hoping to stay with a bench seat in it so that I could at least have two of my kids in there at the same time. Not sure about the seat yet.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Since when is there room in your garage for a vehicle??

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

There is plenty of room for part of a vehicle. To get the whole thing and there would be a full scale game of Tetris.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

I tried the same seat in my 48 truck. It fit, though like you said sitting in the center of the drivers seat puts you to the side of the steering wheel and gauges. Because of that I scrapped the idea and used the original seat.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Yea, I was annoyed at that. At least I don't have much invested in them. I have been looking at a front seat from an Impala or a deville. Early 2000ish. Middle seat with a good down console is nice plus the caddy seat had the shoulder belts mounted to the seat. Local u pull it yard only gets $25 each for seats so I'll be looking for options when the weather gets warmer.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

What are the measurements of the seat? It might work out for my truck.






I also picked up some seats at work the other day. Split-bench from a 93 Chevy pickup.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psrmnxh9im.jpg

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Im in the process of loading this post. computer is being stupid. check back later. there will probably be more

Well so much for getting something accomplished over winter haha. I figured that's how it would go. In the 4 months since I put the cab in the garage, I got the wiring stripped of it, and 1 nut off of the gauges. I could have easily had the gauges out but for some reason I cannot find any of my tools at home. As usual, I have $10,000 worth of tools at work and all I can find it home is 3 Chinese wrenches and a hammer. Not a big deal. On the plus side, the gauges look noticeably newer than the rest of the dash when looking from the back side. There is no rust at all on them or the mounting nuts. Which is good to know because the thought of twisting one of those studs off does not sound fun.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psdwrydw9u.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psqf9feksn.jpg

Any idea why the metal around the ignition switch is different?

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps9nsy0az2.jpg

I did manage to start rounding Parts up. I picked up an 88 T Bird rack at the U Pull It a while back for 25 bucks. I figured either way I was going to have that invested in it. If I buy a new one it has a $20 core anyway. This way I can use this time to experiment on and for the Fab work and not worry about tearing the boots on the new one. First thing I did when I got it was open it up and see what I was working with.

In stock condition it is 2 1/3 turns lock to lock 5 1/4" travel. The white washers are there to limit travel and provide a cushion when it reaches the end of its travel.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Going to finish updating tomorrow. For some reason the edit button is missing and my laptop doesn't want to play nice tonight

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

man... to hell with those nuts. I had the right tool and there were only two nuts per gauge and I think my forearm has just now healed from reaching through the radio opening.

cant wait to see what you do with the rack!

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

I'll be curious to see if that TBird rack fits...I've been looking at various power rack and pinions to see if i can find one that might work. I don't have any in my hands yet..sounds like finding one from a pick and pull might be a good project this summer! Good luck with the Power rack mock up!

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Ok. Time to try again.

I'm going to run an 88 t-bird rack. On a standard S10 frame I don't think it will work very well. First off the inner tie rods are a lot farther apart than the stock S10 center link. You would end up with very short tie rods and would probably have a lot of bump steer. But then again the stock S10 already has a lot of bump steer. The bigger issue is I need to notch the crossmember for the input shaft of the rack. My chassis has an extra 4 inches in the middle and initial mock up looks like the steering shaft will just miss the frame rail.

In stock condition the rack is 2 1/3 turns lock to lock 5 1/4" travel. The white washers are there to limit travel and provide a cushion when it reaches the end of its travel.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps2z4v2l88.jpg

I can't leave anything alone so I experimented to see how much travel I could get. With the washers removed the travel goes up to 5 1/2".

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psmm3smquo.jpg

With the tie rods removed total travel is 2 3/4 turns with 6 1/8" travel.

I put Couple washers between the end of the rack and the tie rods to space them out a little bit.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps6jp3dqxh.jpg

That puts it at 2 5/8 turns and 5 7/8"travel. The next step is to get it mounted and see how much I really need. If I end up needing max travel I will shave the end off the inner tierod instead of using washers.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...pswbfjpghi.jpg

Right now only half of the threads are being used to hold the inner tie rod on. That's good enough for mock up, but not road worthy.

Made another run to the you pull it in Sioux city today. Sunroof got broken on my son's accord. Sucks I have to change it but it was a good excuse to see what all I could find.

I picked up a transmission cooler from a suburban for $13 that I noticed when I got home is the same as what's on my 99 K2500. Should help keep temps down. I don't have the budget for the 4L80 right away do I need to help the 700r4 as much as I can.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psgxiwqu0x.jpg

The master cylinder is from an 02 Silverado. I chose that one for a couple reasons. First off, it fits the S10 brake booster, and second it has a huge reservoir and a low level sensor. Both of those are good because it will be under the floor and not the easiest to check.

I also picked up a set of Dart iron heads for the 400. I have a set of camelbacks I was going to run for the classic look. Down side is they need a full rebuild. Best estimate I got was about 600 bucks plus valves and springs. Was cruising Facebook and found a set of complete 180cc iron eagles for 475 shipped. Ran one season on a modified. For the money I couldn't pass them up. Plus it would have taken a lot of porting to get the camelbacks to flow as good.

Also scored some wheels.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psdueddzic.jpg

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

4 15x8s for $100. Not the exact style I was looking for but they are in great shape and the price was good.

This past week I finally got started on cab mounts. Because my frame is wider I have to make them up as I go. I used a piece of wood drilled to match the cab floor.


http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psudmec9ui.jpg

As much as I trust my measuring, I felt better this way.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psx13x4vvm.jpg

Right new this is how it's sitting.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psehhof4ah.jpg

Right now it's 5 inches to the top of the mount. From doing a lot of reading that seems like a good height to start at. I have a stack of 1/8"plate to box the sides and inside in with if I ever get back to it. Going to be a busy week. Baby number 4 is due any day. I will be home from work for a week or so after the baby gets here. A lot of that time will be spent helping my wife but I should be able to get some time in on the 47.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Ok, after a short break to welcome my new daughter I was able to put a little time in on the 47. Had a pretty productive weekend. With the chassis mocked up at ride height and leveled I was finally able to get started. The blocks and shims put the lower arm level. Plus if I go any lower the engine hoist won't fit under the control arms.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psoxmuo3rh.jpg

I didn't get a good picture but I took the rear tires off and set the rear end on the ground. I also blocked up the rear of the frame so it started at the same height with the weight of the cab.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

The next step was to verify my reference points. These are the points I used.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psmnmocaqn.jpg

Not my frame, just a Google search pic. There are two more holes like them where the rear section raises up. Front to back measurements and diagonal measure ments were within 1/8 inch. Close though for me.

I cut out the first piece from 1/8x3 and checked to see if it was close.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...pshszhkg5d.jpg

Cut out 3 more and then clamped them together to even them out with a flap wheel.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...pspdrep0sc.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psingunfle.jpg

Then welded them together. Maybe not show quality, but functional.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psa7cmnkns.jpg

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

A little fine tuning and a lot of cross measuring and they were tacked in place.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps5kr86kgi.jpg

On the old frame was 30 1/2" from the center of the front axle to the center of the cab mount so that's what I went off of. Lined up real close to the 4 inch measurement that is usually used.

After that I drilled the 2 Inch hole for the mounts and set the cab on the frame. The frame is currently sitting level front to back and the rear of the cab is on a Jack stand. I wanted to make sure the height was what I wanted before I made the rear ones. It looked kinda tall at this point.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psejrunm9c.jpg

I needed the front clip on to really get an idea for the height and it was easier to put the motor in first. As it sits currently the oil pan is 1 1/2 inches from the crossmember and with the carb level that puts the transmission pan flush with the bottom of the frame.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps306otbfo.jpg

I'm not building a prerunner, but the roads my house get pretty rough sometimes.

This is where the 4 inches added to the front crossmember paid off.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psjxvng0rf.jpg

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psospya2tf.jpg

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

It doesn't show up in the pictures but the rear control arm bolt has about 1 1/2" of shims on them due to the spindles I used. I though initially that I would have to run shorter arms for exhaust clearance but I think I'm sitting really good even if I jump up to the big corvette manifolds.

With the front clip on things look pretty good. The bottom of the fender is 8 1/2 inches to the ground. My goal was about 8 to the bottom of the running board (same as my 2000 Impala).

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps7ozfkd26.jpg

Firewall clearance is good. I'll clearance it a little more when I build motor mounts.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psmfrkm1yd.jpg

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Front cab mount installed. 6 1/2" to the cab floor support.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psjkdv9dyj.jpg.

My next step is to get the rear cab mounts built, finish trimming so the front clip isn't hitting the frame, decide how I'm mounting the front end, build motor mounts and start mounting the rack. Going camping the next two weekends so I'm not sure when that will happen.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

I will always geek out over a solid development process! nice work!

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Glad you're back on the build...Glad all went well with the new member of your family!

Getting ready to put my S-10 frame under the knife....and add 4"

I'll be mocking up my LS engine, cab and front end...also making the same mounts...Hopefully mid summer!

~Nate

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

My daughter a few weeks back
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psjity1wfv.jpg

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

I remember those days well!!! :lol:

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Congrats on your daughter!! Progress looks good. How close to the outside of the front fenders do your tires end up with the 4"?

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

I did not get measurements the other day, but it look to be a couple inches. That is with the seven inch front rims on. I will get some exact measurements for the tape measure tonight. If I have time I'll throw a couple 8 inch rims on and see how things look.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Ok, It stopped raining and I have some measurements for those wondering with the 4 inch frame mod.

First pic, 215/60/15 on a 15x7, 4 inch backspace. The level is 2 1/4 inches wide.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps8ppyi5eb.jpg

Bare 15x8, also 4 inch backspace

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps2mt7v1qt.jpg

Last one is a 15x8, 4 inch wheel with a 10" wide IMCA tire

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psywb3jbm4.jpg

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psri6qxhuv.jpg

Compressed I can just get by hand between the tire and fender.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psxezq3zmo.jpg

control arm compressed to the bumpstops.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psqhskeiaw.jpg

And turned to the steering lock.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps88pkuxyo.jpg

A couple things worth mentioning. First, That IMCA tire is huge. IF that will clear I should be just fine with a 235/60/15. Also the Impala spindles I'm running widen the track over the stock S10 spindles. I think around 1/2 inch per side.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Cool stuff

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Nice thanks for the info. Looks good.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Did you ever get your center link figured out?

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

From the measurements, a stock G-body center link should fit. If I can't get the mustang rack to fit then the g body center link and z28 steering box are plan b.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Long time since an update but the project is not dead. Between family and work I'm a bit short on time but I'm sill inching forward. Been limited to gathering parts so far.
Change of plans on the rack though. The more I thought about the mustang rack the more I didn't like it. For a crossmember designed for it, it's fine. For a retrofit, it has its problems. Lack of travel for one, but the bigger headache is the mounting. Not sure who engineered it but the offset mounting bolts suck. With them offset to one side and one being higher than the other, I can see nothing but problems trying to get it mounted where I want.
Then there's the part of hooking it up to the spindles. The mustang rack is 9/16 fine thread. From there the Ford outer tie rod won't fit the gm knuckle and I never found an outer that fits the GM spindle with 9/16 threads. 97 camaro outer tie rods fit the GM knuckle but they are 14mm thread. I've seen where guys have ran a 9/16 tap through the 14mm threads and that honestly scares the crap out of me.
Originally my plan was to ream the spindles to 7 degrees and use the mustang outer tie rods. Down side there is if I switch to drop spindles or ever have to replace one then I need to ream it again.
The other day at work I had a 99 2WD ranger in for an alignment. I had completely forgotten that they ran rack and pinion for a couple years on the really narrow chassis. Inner tie rod width is approximately 25 inches, very similar to the mustang rack. 14mm threads match up to the camaro outer tie rods, no drilling or reaming. At 3 1/2 turns lock to lock it has 6 inches of travel which is more than the mustang. The best part though, the two mounting bolts are in front of the rack, centered and go straight up and down. I can fine tune the bump steer with washers under the rack. Couldn't do that with the mustang unit.

Made a trip to the you pull it over the weekend. $25 for the rack, hoses, cooler and steering shaft wasn't bad.
Side by side they are very similar, except for the mounting bolts.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...pscpwpn1pb.jpg

Temporarily mounted to see how things line up. So far it looks pretty good under there, after I get the crossmember notched it should tuck in nicely.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psjhsj1awj.jpg

So "officially" I was going to the you pull it to get parts for my kids cars, which was true. Needed a driveshaft for his camaro and some seat parts for her pickup. Found both of those so it was a good trip. Aside from the steering gear, I also found a formula trans am in the back of the yard. 15 min and$10 later I had a huge 36mm front sway bar. Note- F-Body sway bars won't fit stock S10 frames. G-body and S10 frames with 4 inches added however do fit.

Second yard I went to had an extreme s10 up on stands with the rear end already out. Rear sway bar and factory lowering springs just sitting there. $65 well spent. Pretty good score for a day in the yard. Now I just need to get some time in on the truck.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...pskd3hcyfs.jpg

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Good deal on the ranger rack. Nice score at the wrecking yards.

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

So I finally got to put some time in on the pick up this past weekend. Might sound crazy, but the first step in all of this was to do a basic front end alignment. Doing alignments for a living I know small adjustments make a big change in the front end. With the frame up on jack stands, and the suspension mocked up at ride height. I set both sides at 0 degrees camber and about two and a half degrees caster. Changing caster affects the height of the outer tie rod, which in turn affects bump steer. From there the next step was to mock the rack up at approximate height and Mark on the frame where I needed to cut. And then stare at it for 20 minutes to make sure the marks are in the right spot and decide if this is what I really want to do.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psqnzesuao.jpg

From there it was a lot of slow cutting and the end result is a scary looking hole in the frame.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psk4vyzxms.jpg

The rack has a casting line right in the middle which helped helped line things up. The tape mark on the frame was centered between the lower control arm bolts.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psxyyq7yu2.jpg

After most of an afternoon this is what I have.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps1q1udn77.jpg

It would have helped to have the hoses and cooler out of the way but then I have to deal with the endless dripping oil that comes with it.
I bet I checked bump steer 15 times as the day went on. It looked rather redneck but it worked.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...psqeww5nio.jpg

It doesn't give me any numbers but I get a visual reference of what toe is doing through up and down travel. With my redneck setup I know there is almost 4 inches of travel where toe stays pretty still. Above or below that it starts to toe in. No surprise with the tie rods being on the short side. I have about a half inch of vertical adjustment to play with using washers. Another reason why I like the ranger rack. Vertical mounting bolts.

I didn't plan on it ending up that way but the mounting ears are flush with the bottom of the frame.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps6vepv9gw.jpg

The original mount on the ranger frame was two pieces of 1/8" plate that formed a V on its side to keep it rigid. There's nothing low enough on the frame for that to be an option. I have some 3/8x2 1/2" flat stock that I think I'm going to just mount on the bottom of the frame extending forward. The front edge will have a brace going up to the frame rails for support and a skid plate to keep it from digging in. Our gravel roads suck out here.


My next step from here is to finish the cab mounts, mount the steering column, engine mounts and then from there see what I need to do for the steering shaft. I did round up a Corvette ram horn for the drivers side so i can make sure it clears. Haven't cut the hole in the top of the frame yet. Waiting till I'm ready so i don't cut too much. Speaking of big holes, the one on the front of the crossmember is going to get plated around the drivers side arm mount. That whole area will be 1/4" thick. Any feedback is welcome. Good bad or other wise.

Nick

Re: It's my turn, 47 S10 build
 

Ahh the good old "stare at the project to make sure it's whet you want to do" thing. Yes I know it well! Adding the plate across the bottom should work well for everything.