how long for c notch install??

[pissonNOS]

just wondering how long you guys are allowing your selves for this? i have them sitting in the back of my dd right now but im having a hard time getting room to work in our shop on my truck, do you think a weekend is sufficient?

[tds]

what kind of notch? how good your skills? i doubt you'd need a whole weekend just for the notch

[pissonNOS]

its a cpp notch, i dont know what id call my skill level but i am a 3rdyear mechanic so. just never done anything like this before, i am mostly concerned if i have to re route mhy brake lines or anything

[SCOTI]

I've done several c-notches for 67-98 trucks over the years. The main thing that takes time are drilling the necessary holes to bolt the c-notch in, cutting the frame if using primative methods, & yanking the bed if required.

I just installed Western Chassis c-notches in my 74. I started on Thursday & had them installed by Sun night (I modified mine for a home-made AOL set-up so that added to the length of time required for the install). Total hours of the job was about 8 or so for actually removing the bed, cutting the frame, test fitting the notches, drilling the holes, bolting them in, painting all the bare metal, & re-installing the bed. I used a plasma cutter for the frame cuts & fresh carbide drill bits for the holes so that helped some.

I had about another 8hrs over that to fabricate upper bag plates & weld them to the notches plus I had to pull/install the bed more than once by myself using a wooden jig & my engine hoist for mock-up verifications.

On the 67-72's, the bed doesn't have to come off for the install but it sure makes accessing everything easier. The brake lines usually have enough slack that some simple tweaking is all that's necessary.

It made a night & day difference on the bumpy 2-lane blacktop road that leads to my neighborhood though & now I can actually carry something fairly heavy just by adding a little air . . ......

[oldspowered67C10]

I just did a cpp notch about 2 weeks ago. With the bed off it took a weekend. I also have rear air bags which made it take quite a bit longer, with rear springs I could see doing it in one day. Knocking out the rivets was kind of a pain also.

[ANTHONY 67]

I just did a cpp 6 weeks ago. I had my bed off putting in a new metal floor had about 10-12 hours in it.Sawall airhammer and grinder

[lukejames]

it took 10 hours for this with an extra hand

[dieselarmy13]

Hey, lukejames, did you make that notch or order it?

[lukejames]

i made it using a cnc laser and a cnc press brake.

[dieselarmy13]

Damn you, I hate you guys with all the cool toy's! Good work!

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by lukejames

it took 10 hours for this with an extra hand

Why do you guys jump in on stuff like this..... It didn't take you 10 hrs start-to-finish to install a bolt-in c-notch. You had extra help & above average tools that the normal Joe doesn't . . ......

[impala_631]

it just depends,i did my c10 on my 4 days off,working on it here and there, but i have done trucks in a 12hour day in the past,but that was start to finish,plus bag mounting,valve pluming ect...

[lukejames]

we didnt try to bustballs

this is a weekend project

and it is a weld in notch so it is more involved than a bolt in

[LONGHAIR]

Why do you guys jump in on stuff like this..... It didn't take you 10 hrs start-to-finish to install a bolt-in c-notch. You had extra help & above average tools that the normal Joe doesn't .

SCOTI, is totally right on this. That is nearly what would be called a "hi-jack".... That is well beyond a bolt-in notch and it certainly took more time than indicated. Bare frame rails is hardly a comparable starting point to pulling a driver into the garage for a bolt-in.

[lukejames]

ok sorry for the misconception

[SCOTI]

I didn't mean to come off harsh & apologize if it came across that way. My intent was to let the guy know that the 10hr labor quote was extremely optimistic, especially for that extent & caliber of work (nice job BTW).

[pissonNOS]

thanks for all the replies so far guys i think im going to wait till i get a free weekend at the shop and can use the lift

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by pissonNOS

thanks for all the replies so far guys i think im going to wait till i get a free weekend at the shop and can use the lift

I don't think this is the type of job to use a lift unless you can evenly support the front & rear of the frame where the c-cut will be made.

I put jackstands under each framerail about where the front of the bed would be, 2 more under each rear corner of the frame, & 2 under the rear-end. I leveled the frame @ all 3 locations & then started the cutting.