79 chevy truck frame on 56 truck project need help

[slownlow]

ok i have just acquired a 1979 chevy truck long bed rolling chassis.... my thought are to retro the truck ...i need to know is how hard would it be to mount a 56 cab on a 79 frame and is it harder to find a long bed for the 56 or should i chop the frame down to a short bed all thoughts and comments would be helpful

[tiggerstoy]

i have a 77 chevy stepside shoty, i was thinking of doing just what your thinking of doing.....cuting the frame to make it short is not that hard, my 55 was a long box, good stands, good sence, patience,and a good welder, and away you go...it's more than that, but you get the drift of it....good luck, and take lot's of pics.....max.

[1-ton of fun]

if you are buying new bed sides, then they are no harder to find short or long. i am keeping my 4 headlights and my long bed!

[jkaylor68gmc]

I used a '65 C-10 frame under my '47. I had to get my bed cut down 13-inches and built a square frame in the bed for it.

[slownlow]

thats great news then if the frame will work ....now my next step is to find a cab ....i should be able to buy all the peices to make the bed ..at least i think s i can .... now what would be my better bet .....
a long bed or short ...becuase i might be able to get my ands on a short bed frame?
thanks for your help

[56hotrodred]

I am currently early into a project that is placing a 56 1/2 ton SWB body onto an 80 1/2 ton SWB frame.

I am not going to do any frame shortening but the space between the cab and box will end up about 3 inches. Actually does not look too bad but if one wanted to shorten the frame it would not be too difficult with a good welder.

The same would go for the long frame you are talking about. There are some spacers required for the front cab mounts as the frame drops about 4 inches and some fabfrication for the fron rad support but these have been pretty easy to work out. I have the body sitting now on the old cab mounts that are clamped to the frame. i hope to be able to pull the cab soon, take a few more measurements and hopefully weld the old cab mounts on to the newer frame.

Barry

[slownlow]

ok everyone ...well i finally have the chassis sitting in my drive way ...now i need to find a cab ...so if anyone knows where one is sitting .....im not looking to pay alot of money for just a cab ...but let me know ....i want to be able to mount the cab on this 79 chassis before i start to build my street rod
thanks alot guys

[ezekiel]

Hey Guys,

While I was researching this topic myself, I found these photos of a 56 chev truck on a 79 frame. Maybe you could talk to this guy for more info??

Check them out here.

[56hotrodred]

This post is meant for slownlow.

In re-reading the posts under this topic I just wanted to make a quick comment on yours. In order to make your swap as painless as possible you may want to look for the 4 cab mounts that attach to an old frame to sit your cab on. I am not sure if they are available from aftermarket suppliers because I had a set on my old frame to remove and use. This would help in placement of the old cab on the newer frame otherwise you will have to fabricate them. Not impossible I would imagine but way easier to use some old ones. I currently have mine clamped onto the 80 frame and bolted into the 56 cab. 80 frame is correct width at 56 cab mounting points and as soon as I am sure of location I want I will bolt and/or weld cab mounting brackets in place. This is just a little uncertain right now as I may be able to move the whole works back a little farther to close the gap between the cab and box currently measured at about 3 inches. The problem being the steering box and my new front rad support. I have to spend some time out there and look at it more to figure it out. The 3 inch gap is really not too bad and anybody who has looked at it ahs not even noticed it until I said something.

[tiggerstoy]

well, i was bored this weekend, so i made up my mind to do the 77 to 55 swap, i have some thoughts on the firewall, and rad support area's that mite make life easy, but if not, i still have 2 spare cabs, this is to be a daily driver when done, and it's not a costomers truck, so i mite cut a corner ot 2...lolthe 77 already has a 350 4 bolt, and a 700r4, i have added the newer hallogen lights to the 55 tubs, and i plan to use all the 77 wire harness.....i think i'll use some of the 77 fire wall, im doing the measurments on all of it now before i get cutting....i'll post pics in a day or 2 after i get some more done....max.

[slownlow]

what do you plan to do with the extra cabs?????.....in search of a cab
thanks slownlow

[tiggerstoy]

slownlow, p.m sent....max.

[blazins10]

i know this tread is older but im doing this swap on my 55 , can someone give me the measurements from the front leaf spring hanger to the back cab mount ? i wanna check mine to some elses also im shortening the frame to make up for the longer frame 3.5 inches ,does everyone have some more pics about this swap thanks mike

[burntove]

I am mounting '59 short bed on a '76 short bed frame. I z-cut 4 1/4" out of the frame where it flattens out under the cab,and welded it up with fish plates on the outside and boxed it in.I also cut some off the front of the frame,back to where the steering gear front bolt is.For me, I wanted to have some room between the firewall and the HEI distributor,so I mounted the engine and trans and then set the cab where I wanted and made my own cab mounts. I then set the bed so it was centered in the wheel wells and measured from the front of the bed to the cab and that gave me the 4 1/4" to cut out of the frame.The front clip ended up centered in the front wheel well like it was made that way.

[blackdiesel]

I got what u need. Just pulled my fifty seven off a 77 swb 4x4 frame. I'm going more hot rod 2wd style now, its ready to bolt on another body and roll...

[blazins10]

mines going be a frame dragger on 22s , the factory wheel base for a 55-59 trucks is 114 and the 1973-1987 sw trucks are 117.5 so i cut out the dip in the frame under the 78 cab and replaced it with 2 by 6 box tube and used the factory 55 frame cab mounts and shortened it in the process havent got the cab back on yet but hopefully this weekend

[L-Diablo]

i know this thread is old but i was wondering what where the mesurements from the leaf spring mount to the back of the rear cab mount , im doing a 1959 apache fleetside

[OrrieG]

Look at the manual link in my signature. In that document there are stock dimensions that show the relationship of the cab mounts to frame and axle mounting points. The same information is shown in the factory assembly manual.